When I was little, a lot of people probably thought I was weird. I smelled EVERYTHING.
I smelled my friends' clothes and hair. I smelled my Super Nintendo for years after I got it, because that new game smell was one of my favorite smells in the world. I smelled weeds and dirt. I even smelled bad things....my first instinct if I'd killed a bug or cleaned up a mess or touched something was to smell my hand. I freaked my friends out as a teenager by smelling my Magic: The Gathering cards just after I bought them.
I also had a chemistry set I loved to play with for years. And again, only now that I'm a grown woman, do I see how those two things go together.
I love perfume. I always have. I've always had a soft spot for it....I've always loved giving it as a Christmas gift, seemingly above all else. I've always loved shopping for it, smelling it. I tend to go straight for the fragrance counter, much to the dismay of whoever is with me. It seems like - with the exception of my girlfriend (she had to be my soul mate!) - anyone I drag into that department gets headaches or starts sneezing. My love for fragrance not only makes me feel weird, but annoying too. But I can't help it! I've always been attracted by the all the different colors of pretty bottles, the emotions brought on by certain perfumes, the inspiration I get...
But I know I'm part of a very small, special group of people....a group of people who generally appreciate art, music, and wine more than the average person, too. A group of people who probably also smelled everything as a kid. And knowing this makes me feel humbled and happy.
My happiest memories are tied in with smell. My heart gets heavy with longing remembering the smell of late winter soil back home, crisp in the cool air with just a hint of moisture. It reminds me of climbing a hill near my house in the country during the cooler months, looking out over countless acres of farmland, fields, and woods. Or the smell of honeysuckle deep in one quiet summer, just on the cusp of adolescence. The sweet, strawberry-speckled smell of Gonesh "Perfumes of Orchards and Vines" incense on nights early in the spring of 1995, when I was just beginning my fascination with Medieval History. Or the scent of youthful femininity without any added fragrance...one of the most sensual, romantic, delicate smells possible.
Now, I embrace my strange habits. I think life is meant to be sensed with all five of our senses, and I realize how much fun I have with perfumes. I'm always going to endeavor to *keep* having fun.
Now Smell This had an excellent article on the differences between people who simply *like* perfume....and those that *love* it,
here.
When I was little, a lot of people probably thought I was weird. I smelled EVERYTHING.