ABOUT THIS EPISODE
A jukebox is a machine that plays records accumulated in its library.
Jukeboxes became especially popular in the 40s.
You could find them in bars, dance halls, restaurants, and other places where people gathered to socialize.
There was something special about inserting a coin, choosing your own song and hearing it fill the room.
Nowadays, you can still find jukeboxes, sometimes as decoration in restaurants or in smaller versions sitting on a table.
Some have even entered the digital world. They connect through Bluetooth and give us access to an entire library of music.
But the idea remains the same.
You choose the music, and the jukebox plays it.
This week, a friend was remembering the smell of the old vinyl records inside a jukebox.
At first, I thought maybe her memory was more connected to the people who were there and the music that was playing than to the actual smell.
But then I remembered something.
Aromas activate our memories.
So yes, perhaps my friend remembers all of it: the music, the people, the experience, and even the smell.
And that made me wonder about our own memories.
What is some of the earliest music you remember listening to?
What is associated with that music?
A person?
A house?
A celebration?
A particular season of your life?
Maybe even a smell?
If you could walk up to the jukebox of your memories today, what song would you choose?
Go ahead.
Activate those memories.
Play that song again.
Remember the people, the places, even the aromas that come with it.
Because remembering is also a way of honoring.
BW
