Old & Familiar

I needed to fill a cooler with ice for our life group picnic yesterday and went to the kitchen at the church. I

opened the ice machine and scooped the ice into the cooler and was mentally transported back to my days working at Mainland High School. The distinctive sound of ice falling from a metal scoop to land in a plastic-bottomed cooler with a loud, "BANG!" brought me to the hundreds (if not thousands) of coolers I filled throughout my career in athletic training. It evoked memories of sweltering days of August football, blustery Saturdays filled with soccer, and prepping for five different events at once. I could feel myself in the environment of the old athletic training facility with gold & royal blue cabinets and tables. The bustle of athletic training students and athletes coming in and out fills the with air with conversation and laughter. Intermittent announcements blare over the intercom as we shout over them to get people's attention. The line of athletes waiting to be taped & treated starts to lengthen. Eventually the room clears as practices begin and buses leave for road trips. These are some of my fondest memories of great years in my life.

It is said that the old & familiar is an anchor to the soul. It applies to the meaning found in an old song, the sound of a loved one's voice, the noise of a car that signals a father's arrival from work, the comforting creak of a floorboard in a family house, or a jingling collar as a family pet trots to the door. These noises are all a key part of our memories and the unexpected sound of them so many years later can quickly transport us on a sweet ride down memory lane.