And When I Notice It, It Brings It All Back

Two days ago I was annoying. I sent out one of those long surveys asking about my friend's favorite this or that. But, it had been a while since I'd done one, and sometimes you lose sight of those little questions especially with your closest friends.

One of the questions was "what's your favorite smell?" The first answer I got back was, "do people really have a favorite smell?"

I was really surprised by this answer. I can think of so many favorite smells. Sometimes certain smells just drift by me, and it brings so many wonderful (or bad) memories to mind.

The smell of the beach reminds me of happy times with my family and as a child, the same is true with: pumpkins, sea water, cooking fish, bread, and so on. Sometimes when I'm awake early in the morning and I can smell the crisp grass it makes me think of band competitions and the sense that the air was pregnant with possibilities. Lately, I've actually noticed that one quite frequently. I get very nostalgic, and I long for those carefree, wonderful days again.

Not all smells hit me the right way. A heavy cigarette smell still reminds me of a classmate's funeral my freshman year of high school. He committed suicide, and I remember sitting in the funeral home's hallway as smoke from the "smoking room" wafted out towards me.

And what about the smell of a loved one and that sense of peace and security when you know that they're near you. I just can't believe that someone couldn't think of a favorite smell. What's yours?