1970's Summer

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Seriously... this darn game follows me everywhere!

My friend Betsy joined me for a beach day, and apparently when two Mahjong instructors spend the day together, a couple of games are inevitable. I had been curious to see how well my little square beach table would work, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was just the right size to hold our racks and tiles, making it a perfect beachside Mahjong table. Who knew?

While the game itself wasn't surprising, I nearly fell off my beach chair when Betsy pulled out a tube of sun gel. The brand is now called Vacation, but the tube was an almost exact replica of the legendary Bain de Soleil Orange Gelée. The moment she opened it, I was instantly transported back to the 1970s.

If a summer day in the '70s had a signature scent, this was it.

That unmistakable orange fragrance brought back memories I didn't even realize I'd stored away. The gel still comes in the iconic tube with the little metal key you twist at the bottom to squeeze out every last drop. As you smooth it on, your skin gets that glossy, sun-kissed shine that glistens. 

I have no idea why the original Bain de Soleil disappeared, because it was an absolute cult classic throughout the '70s and '80s. I couldn't order my own fast enough! Naturally, I bought the gel, the spray version, and was tickled pink that it came with a Bain de Soleil air freshener. Now my car smells like a summer day from 1970 year round.. perfection.

The funniest part for younger generations to wrap their heads around is that the original Orange Gelée didn't even contain sunscreen. We actually slathered it on to attract more sun! It wasn't until the late 1970s that they introduced a whopping SPF 4. Today, the Vacation version includes a standard SPF 30. 

It's amazing how much has changed. Seat belts weren't mandatory and I don't know of anyone that wore one. People always made a cocktail for the road, no shade thrown on drinking and  protecting our skin from the sun wasn't something any of us thought about. We certainly survived a different era, though we've learned a few things along the way...although not all lessons learned seem to be for the better! 

I ended up spending eight wonderful hours at the beach, putting in a full day of lounging, laughing, playing Mahjong, soaking up the sunshine, and taking a delightful trip down memory lane. Throw in a little online shopping, and now every beach day, and even every car ride, will smell like a 1970s summer.

Sometimes all it takes is one familiar scent to unlock a lifetime of memories.

"Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days." — Doug Larson