Sunday, August 9, 2015

August 9: Writing Prompt #221-Smell You Later

Humans have very strong scent memory. Tell us about a smell that transports you.
I would have to say the smells of my pets (past and present, stuffed and real) bring a smile to my face and remind me of special times with them.  For example, I don’t smell it often, but every now and again, I’ll catch the scent of “bunny,” my stuffed rabbit that was lost in a drugstore years ago.  Bunny had her own unique smell that I can’t even describe, and it wasn’t that it was particularly pleasant (especially considering that the way I bathed her was to hold her by the ears and dunk her in clean, toilet water), but it was “my bunny’s smell.” 
When I was home for Christmas this past December, I went through boxes of my stuff from childhood, and I came across a collar and leash from our pet Dachshund dog, Priscilla.  The smell of her “clothes” was so strong.  It was like she was still with us. 

I think sound more than smell takes me back.  Music, certain phrases or lines, accents and language, these all bring specific memories to mind, more so than my sense of smell.  Often my husband or others claim to smell something I can’t, so maybe my “smeller” is not as good as I think it is.  Given more time and an alert mind (one that is not falling asleep right now), I could probably think of a few more scent memories, but this is all that comes to mind at the moment. What about your smeller?  How effective is it at transporting you somewhere else for a bit? 

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