Personal Narrative: The Day I Don T Cry

Although almost ten years have passed by, I can vividly remember the day I moved into my house. I remember walking in and inhaling the fresh smell of cinnamon potpourri from the moment I entered. Dancing across my nose, the smell of cinnamon made me feel at home; it reminded me of the times I would bake apple pie with my sister at my old house. The sweet yet spicy fragrance gave me a sense of safety and comfort even though I was in a completely different territory. Not long after, I had started a new elementary school. On my second first day as a third grader, my class was making apple cider. Among the ingredients were: apple juice, sugar, whipped cream, and last but not least, cinnamon sticks, which were to be used as garnishes. The cinnamon sticks, with their aroma filling the air, were placed in a cup to be passed around so that each student could get two. Unfortunately, the cup was two sticks short. Luckily, I was the last person to get the cup. The girl next to me looked like she was about to cry because she was the only one who would not have cinnamon sticks in her cider. The …show more content…
Research suggests that olfactory triggered memories produce higher emotional arousal than memories triggered by verbal information (Willander and Larsson). A possible explanation for the strong link between olfaction and memory emotionality may be that the olfactory bulb is linked to the amygdala, associated with emotional experience, and the hippocampus, associated with memory (Reid, Green, Wildshut, and Sedkides). The other senses are processed by the thalamus (Jones). In addition, scent can also aid in triggering nostalgia (Reid, Green, Wildshut, and Sedkides). When I smell cinnamon, I can clearly relive the moment I first entered my house and the moment I made a new