First of all, since Lisa is going to be posting something everyday this month in our family blog, I'll probably stick mostly to this one so as to not overload the other one.
I was walking down the stairwell of the Wilmot Building (which is where I spend most my time on campus...it is the epicenter for the Institute of Optics) and thought to myself "Hmm it feels like Christmas." Yup- I'm fully aware that it is November 2nd and I was all hyped up on Halloween all of two days ago. I'm also aware that we have such milestones as Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, The First Day of Advent, Hanukkah, and my personal favorites Diwali and Eid al-Adha to hit before Christmas.
So what it is that makes us "feel" like it's a certain season? Ever since we've been here in Rochester, I feel flooded with old feelings that I used to get every year that I didn't get while in Utah. Is it the trees? The humidity? Maybe it's the overall colors or something less obvious like the altitude. Is it the weather patterns or maybe how people act? Could it be the building materials and how they look or smell at different times of the year?
Whatever the cause, I find our unconscious emotional reactions to seemingly unidentified catalysts amazing. All I was doing was walking down the stairs to heat up my frozen chimichanga lunch for the billionth day in a row after completing a somewhat difficult mathematical derivation (not exactly bringing in the holiday cheer!) and BAM, I'm ready for Christmas. Maybe it's the faint smell that emanates from the heating ducts mixed with the smell of hot beverages.
I felt the same way about the start of school and Halloween. For some reason the feelings conjured up while in my youth are stronger when I'm in an area that more closely resembles home. I really enjoy it and almost every day have had some sort of thought revolving around how much I've missed living in the Northeast for the past 7 years. (Though I must add, to appease the non-Easterners in the crowd, that I'm not saying that we'll live in the east forever- I'm just saying I like it :) )
Maybe I should read a book on human psychology. Maybe I should just attribute it to Wal-Mart having their "Black Friday" holiday kick-off celebration today instead of the day after Thanksgiving.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Maybe I should walk through the Wilmot more often. I think I have fewer holiday associations these days since everything is new here, environment and activities. I guess I will have to keep decorating and doing holiday activities with James to keep me festive!
I have been informed that this comment came off wrong. I am absolutely LOVING the unique feel of the holidays here and LOVING getting to do all the holiday things with James. It may not be old memories, just new and improved ones!
I don't think you'll find any insights in a psych book, other than what you already guessed--some unconscious cue must have been triggered in your brain that was somehow associated with Christmas. Sincerely, your friendly neighborhood psych major.
Post a Comment