Margit’s Note: Trigger Words

By Margit Detweiler

(Photo: Adrianna Dufay/ TueNight)

Cue, feeling:

A sprig of mint in a cube-jingling glass of iced tea = My grandmother (famous for her refreshing mint tea) + relaxation + it’s summer.

The word “coffee.” Sure, the aroma too, but just the word makes me want some right this second.

The buttery, salty smell of a damn Auntie Anne’s pretzel stand = Eat me.

Most of my triggers are food-related, and often my downfall. I could be eating like a champ, tracking my progress, feeling healthy and happy and then the sight or smell of a Dough donut triggers me to kneel at its icing-slicked altar.

Triggers are so varied and so powerful. They include various cues that can result in immensely happy feelings or incredibly traumatic ones. The crackle-bang-pop of fireworks signal summer and pride for some; terror for others.

We’re exploring all manner of triggers in this issue — from those positive, sensory delights to the words that set us off down a very bad path, to the literal “finger on the.”

Because the worst kind of trigger is the one you can pull.

Our line-up:

• Laurie White talks about teaching on a college campus in a gun-filled climate.
• Judy McGuire explores how positive triggers can prompt instant ahh’s.
• Amy Barr refuses to take aim at the critters in her yard.
• Susan Linney dodges alcoholic minefields.
• Susan, Adrianna and I ponder the power of scent.
• And Adrianna Dufay just can’t get shelter from guns.

Happy Fourth of July, y’all. Stay safe and enjoy.

Love,

Margit

Originally Published July 1, 2014. Updated April 4, 2021.