Scents and sensibility

Most people have a well developed sense of smell, but for the olfactory inclined the world amounts to more than sights and sounds. It’s a world of scents and sensibility beyond what the average person can imagine.

Whether we pay attention to them or not, scents are everywhere: in the grocery store, the farmer’s market, the gas station, the beach, the fields, the forest, the street, the car, the restaurant, the bathroom, the bedroom, the office, the barn, the newspaper... You name it. There is a scent for all things even those we think have no scent at all.

Just for fun, pick something you think has no scent and smell it. Come on, try it! Pick the item up. Close your eyes. Bring the item up close to your nose and slowly... inhale. You may not be able to distinguish what makes up the scent but your schnozz will undoubtedly smell something.

I don’t think my sense of smell is necessarily more developed than that of the average person. But there are some scents that “get me” more than others. Some scents have triggered all kinds of memories, eerie associations to time and place, hearty giggles and even brought emotions to the surface I thought had dissipated.

My favourite scent by far is what I call the “lover scent.” My experience has been that when two people share not only a bed, but also deep rooted feelings, one or both begin to emit a signature scent, a scent that can be picked up even across a crowded room. Sounds a tad crazy, I know. But, to me, there is nothing more primal, powerful and all the while comforting than being in the presence of the lover scent.

I am grateful for having experienced it and... I look forward to experiencing it again. :)