Memory is strengthened by many things, such as positive emotions, but one of the best ways to remember something is for trauma to be associated with the experience. We’ll remember Tucson. 🙂
We’re snug and warm with lattes inside that Starbucks on the left. We’re watching the sun rise over the mountains, filled with emotions, laughing frequently, and clearly remembering our experiences last night. Not long ago we were shivering in the cold desert air at the Catalina State Park. I figured out a way to partially inflate the air matt using the vent outlet in our rental car. Then I rolled the edges of one end to increase the pressure and tied it with some twine supplied with the sadistic tent. We finally got to sleep at about 1:30am, and woke on the ground in total darkness at 4:30 because an attractive someone (I won’t name names) had stepped on the partially inflated air matt and introduced a tiny puncture.
Now we are that couple laughing frequently in conversation breaks from gazing blankly with bloodshot eyes, at their internet devices. We first experienced Tucson together on our “honeymoon” Southwest driving tour across the Auto Club Indian Country Map in a 280Z sports car. We were younger then, had our camping gear figured out, and slept much better. But when we heard the coyote choir again last night during a break in the air matt quest, those warm memories washed over us with delight. Today we’ll visit sweet relatives, then take a magic carpet ride in Tripp to Las Cruces. Right now we’re about to head for the Sonoran Desert Museum we discovered on that first visit, to rekindle our love for that place in the joy of our marriage memories.
John & Anne Wiley 
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