Sunday, March 04, 2007

I have a friend with a signature perfume. It smells wonderful, even if I can never remember the name of the perfume. She sprayed it on the tissue paper of a gift she gave me and I kept the tissue paper for a long time.

My 6th grade son has a signature smell too, but of a more organic nature.

I don't know why smell is such a powerful memory trigger. Every now and then I catch the scent of the apartment we lived in for 2 months in England when I was 9. Old Spice and pipe tobacco remind me of my grandfathers. My parent's house smells like home, some combination of coffee, roast beef, and fabric softeners. And does anything beat the combination smell of suntan lotion and salty air?

What are your olfactory triggers?
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Many times, when I'm outside, scents of "nature" make me remember times in the past. Not really specific times.
I have a really strange one besides that.
When I was growing up, we used Scotch tape (brand) to wrap packages. It had a distinctive smell, not so much any more, but still when I smell it I think of Christmas past that were full of wonder and excitement never duplicated. And when I'm at my parent's house to decorate for Christmas, all their old decorations have a smell that remind me of the same times.
Down our 4th and 5th grade wing of the elementary, that same very organic smell hits you like a brick wall. And my son does his best to contribute. I still wonder why there was no deodorizer installed down that hallway? I need to meet with the Superintndent

11:12 AM
Anne said...

The smell of fresh baked bread reminds me of my great-grand mother's house at holidays. She'd do most of the cooking long past the time she could see. I was very lucky to have great-grand parents until I was in my 20's.

10:21 PM

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