Today I went to the Y, to try and stave off some of the debilitating damage I’m doing to myself with food, in the holiday spirit.
After a brisk 40 minutes on the treadmill, I figured I could just ‘relax’ on a recumbent bike for another half hour or so and read. After a few minutes two repair guys showed up and started working on the bike next to me. Normally, I wouldn’t pay any attention, but I had to look up to figure out where the smell was coming from. Old Spice. None of the new flavors they are selling, either. Old school, original Old Spice. How can I be sure? Because the minute I caught a whiff, clear as day I had an image of my Poppop sitting in a red chair. His big hands resting on the arms as he waited patiently for me to finish cooking him something in my little red toy aluminum frying pan. I was cooking on the matching easy chair next to the one he was sitting on. I couldn’t have been more than 6 and was probably more like 4.
A little holiday gift, that memory. Made me feel warm, loved. Writing about it makes me misty eyed.
Here he is, I think he just got back from taking Eric camping in Yosemite, and panning for gold. Or that’s how I remember it. I am the grumpy looking one, probably because I did not go camping.
Dec
22