wait... what's "up dog"?
How truly lucky we are to have all these crazy senses! Oddly, our sense most closely associated with memory is our sense of smell. It's incredible; I can be anywhere and get a faint whiff of a familiar smell, at which point I am transported through the time and space of my own memory, back to the original source (or strongest memory) of that smell. When I smell that oh so delicious smell of freshly cut grass, for example, I suddenly find myself in the swing set of my old house, so young again, watching my father mow the lawn.
Every year (or so) I change the perfume I wear most often. Aside from wanting to switch things up a bit, I do this because it provides me with an interesting and accurate chronology of my life. If someone were to ask me what perfume I was wearing my freshman year of high school, I would have no idea. However, if I were to smell each and every perfume I've worn over the years, I could easily tell you what year I wore it, who I hung out with most often during that time period, and who/what made me get sick of smelling that way.
Really good job writing! Your beginning paragraph reminded me of how Ackerman begins her introduction to live in a senselicious world." But you made it more personal and brought your own experience into the paragraph, so it was more easily to relate to.
ReplyDeleteNice!
Also Thank you for that explanation! My sister used to change perfume a lot as well, and since I am the younger sibling, I usually ended up with all her old bottles of perfume. So I could never understand why she had like 7 bottles of perfume that were all open and used only a little bit.
But that is a really cool idea! It is a perfect example of relating smell to memories! :) What made you start to do that or did it just happen over time?
Senselicious! Hilarious. I believe it's sense-luscious, but I argue that both mean the same thing!
DeleteIt's funny that you say that because I hadn't even started to read the Ackerman book when I posted this, then I went and started reading and thought "wow everyone that reads my blog is going to think I just copied her ideas"
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't really a planned out kind of thing with the perfumes. Over time I would get a new perfume and stop using an old one, then if I went back to an old perfume and tried to wear it, it would make me think of things associated with the times I wore it.
also, thanks for the great feedback, it's really helped!
ReplyDeleteI could really relate to both these experiences of the freshly cut grass scent and the changing of perfumes. I change my perfumes depending on the seasons and each time the season changes and I whip out a perfume that summery or wintery I'm reminded of memories I experienced a year ago from that time. I like how you begin the blog by explaining how significant smell is and then giving your personal examples to support it's link to memory. I am curious when reading this, what was your favorite year in perfume scents and do you think you will ever return to that scent again? If so, I hope you get to create even better memories linked to that smell. nice post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Erica! I'd have to say my favorite perfume I've ever had is probably the one I started wearing about a year ago, Someday (the Justin Bieber perfume). I'm definitely not the biggest Bieber fan, but my sister had it and as soon as I smelled it, I had to have it. It's weird, whenever I smell it, I feel like it smells purple.
ReplyDeleteThis second paragraph is a longer essay, all the way! I can see it all. 3-4 pages. 4 or 5 perfumes. You begin with a heading--the name of the perfume--and compose memories associated with that time period and something about the scent. You continue this throughout the essay.
ReplyDeleteMaybe something in the way the scents have changed--the description of the smells--ends up allowing you to write about your own transformation from high schooler to Bieber-scented college student!
I love the "smells purple" thing, by the way. Reminds me that I believe days and numbers have colors. Friday, today, is green, and somehow associated with the number eight. Weird the way the brain connects things, no?
DW
oh my gosh Dave, that's a great idea! Sounds like a masterpiece! I might have to do that!
ReplyDeleteI ALWAYS find myself relating colors and scents. I have a lot of perfumes that smell pink and I have one that smells gold to me. Sadly, I've never had a perfume or soap that smelled green to me. It's my favorite color so you'd think I would have some. Maybe nothing's been good enough to associate with green yet.