Time Travel Without a Hot Tub or a Hot Car

I am fascinated by time travel. And time travel movies? I love ‘em! Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite movie trilogy of all time is “Back to the Future.” But it doesn’t stop there - “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife” are all favorites. I watch them every chance I can get. 

I love it, but I don’t believe in it. I mean, if it were to ever happen, it would have already happened. That’s what I’ve always thought – until recently when it happened to me. 

My time travel vehicle wasn’t a DeLorean or phone booth, it was a scent. We had a client come in to record a commercial, and I couldn’t help but notice her perfume. It caught my attention and immediately, a sense – and a scent - of familiarity washed over me. I had to ask. 

“This is a weird question,” I said. “But what scent are you wearing?”  

She told me it was Amarige by Givenchy. 

I knew it! 

A girlfriend I had 25 years ago wore the same perfume. I loved that perfume. I loved that girl. At least, I thought I did. I was 21 years old. What did I know? But, that fragrance? I remembered it like I had just smelled it the day before. 

The rest of the day was spent surfing the waves of nostalgia. Hanging 10 on the memories of my early 20s. Not just the girl, but the city I lived in at the time, Panama City Beach. I remembered my night show on HOT 107.9, the nightclub I did my show from, Club La Vela, and all my friends and the memories made during those glorious three years of my life.  

We’ve all experienced it. Maybe it’s a song that takes you back, hearing someone’s name or seeing a picture. Sometimes the memories are good, sometimes they’re bad. I’m learning to love them both. Good or bad, those memories are what made us who we are today. 

My three years in Panama City Beach wasn’t perfect. Yes, if you could hand-pick a gig to have in your early 20s, hosting a radio night show from “The Largest Nightclub in the USA” would be tough to beat. And, yes, there was every bit of the fun and debauchery you might imagine - and more. But as we do, especially at that age, I made a lot of mistakes during those years. But if I might paraphrase Marilyn Monroe, we should never regret anything because at one time, it was exactly what we wanted. 

Now, I look back on those years and smile - dumb decisions, young love, and all. And, yes, I was grateful for the memory. Time machines come in all forms, a scent, a song, and, of course, a DeLorean.