Smells

I was reading a post on Mati's blog today and she was describing these dresses that she had. She told the stories and memories behind these clothes and why everything was special. I decided to comment because that is what we "do" when we read these posts. This is what I said:

"Clothes hold a lot of uses both functional and emotional, they trigger things because they were there when the events happened. They witnessed them, heard them, even smelled like them.

My friend came to visit me and I didn't wash his t-shirt for the longest time because his smell was so familiar. That little piece of cloth brought back 4 months of wonderful memories and he wasn't even wearing it. "

My sense of smell is extremely powerful, I think it is one of my strongest..it makes up for the crappy eye sight I guess. If a person smells good to me that scent will stay in my brain forever and for years I will automatically associate that odor with them. I had this boss, Tracy once who use to wear white musk (which is my favorite) and now whenever I smell it; I think of her. It isn't that she was super important in my life, but for some reason that scent has become her defining characteristic.

I like Briana's comment about persona and how we take on different traits from people, which help us along in developing our own identity. I feel like sometimes I meet people who have maybe taken too much or never developed these traits any further. Do we ever really progress or are we all just recipes...a concoction of different attributes from the people we meet along the way. I looked at my last post and re-read the adjectives I use to describe myself. Are these really the words people use when my name is mentioned or are these the things I hope they say?

One thing I pride myself on is my realistic perception of who I am. Are you really living up to who you think you are?

Comments

[paradise]

i once knew a kid back in college who had no personality of his own and would take on the traits of whoever might be around him at the time. we called him "the leech" b/c not only did he leech off traits but also, stories. doesn't work that well when those he borrows from know each other. lol. anyway, i agree. we do take on different traits from ppl to help us along in developing our own identity (though most of us won't do it to the extent of the leech). i'm changed by the people i meet, some have had profound effects on the way i think, and that can really be a good thing.

[MIJK]

I always amazes me when I swap something or buy something from someone who works at home that some of their smell hcoems with it. Often I never seen someone or heard hetr voice buy know a tiny bit of their smell. It makes it so wonderfully personal..