cyberspace junkyard

As an aside, why are memories like the corner of our minds?

I was thinking today about emotional residue. You know how people associate smells with certain memories? Well, recurring emotions can remind us of a previous experience and that can detrimentally affect our current situation. Do emotional memories shape us or scar us?

I was chatting with a friend last week, when they said something that triggered one of those memories. Suddenly, mixed feelings of trepidation, anger and excitement washed over me - it had nothing to do with what they said (which was perfectly innocent), but just that one little remark brought up all these memories that had abundant emotions associated with them. Like one of those amazing facial recognition computer systems they showcase on NCIS where the computer suddenly finds a match and layers one face on top of another and presto, they're one and the same. I digress.

I was frozen to the spot for several seconds, because suddenly I wasn't talking to my friend, I wasn't in 2006 - but I was reacting as I would have to another person entirely - a world away and a veritable lifetime ago. Strange things these emotions, how they can betray you.