Smell Memory

The sense of smell amazes me. One little scent and it can bring up the oldest memory, best memory or worst.  This smell didn't bring back a distant memory but a more recent and recurring one.

I work in downtown Winston these days. Besides the interesting characters I see on the street, the never ending sirens and car honks, the overpowering noise in the city is the mass transit bus roaring up and down the streets.

The exhaust from the city bus is not a pleasant one nor a healthy one. But if I close my eyes I can transport myself to another world -- Walt Disney World.

I can close my eyes and see myself unloading from the bus, skipping into the Magic Kingdom and taking in the first sights of "The Castle" and Main Street USA.

Walking to my club level room and my "home" resort hotel that I will never be able to afford --  Wilderness Lodge.

Waiting in the hot and muggy morning with a handful of sleepy eyed parents with children dressed in their princess and pirate garb bubbly bouncing around the station asking if each bus that stops is "their bus."

I remember the humor of the bus driver that stopped to pick up a group from a resort and he was asked "Does this bus take you to Disney World?" And without missing a beat the driver said "Poof you are there"  and drove off. The would-be passenger had the strangest look of dumbfound -ment. It was priceless.

(For those of you not Disney-fied. If you are at one of the resorts you are technically at Walt Disney World. What the passenger was asking was if the bus would take him to Magic Kingdom.)

 All these memories along with many more flash before my closed eyes in a matter of seconds. Then I open my eyes and I am back in Winston walking in the office door. So much for the 10 second vacation.