They say smells are strong memory triggers. For me, there are even some that I can recall without even smelling them, like the chlorine smell of the hospital room when both of my kids were born.
Last night I decided to light the
scented candle to drive off dinner’s odors. Except my handy fire starter
clicking wand turned out to be out of juice. I needed matches. But aside from
the occasional candle, we have absolutely no need of matches any longer.
After a protracted search, I unearthed
a big box of wooden ones.
I struck one and
immediately was reminded of my wicked teen years of smoking. And for some
reason, that harsh pungent smell brought me even more specifically to the anticipation
of the first puff, when the taste of the match itself would travel through the
cigarette. (In my defense, I haven’t touched or wanted a cigarette since fall
of 1969)
It also took me to all those cold
mornings later of starting the wood stove when we were first married and trying
to reduce those oil bills.
And in the next second, it was a few
years more and I was at Girl Scout camp, overseeing a herd of twenty kids, at
least one of which by nightfall would be vomiting down the side of her upper
bunk in the cabin.
Good times.
I love the smell when a match is first lit, and lighting a match sucks oxygen from the room, so I strike a couple when there is a bad odour in the smallest rooom in the house.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post on aromas. It brings back some memories.
ReplyDeleteAromas are indeed memory triggers - for good and for ill. Cinnamon takes me on a magic carpet ride, back to my mama's kitchen.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't used matches in ages either, but I do remember that distinctive smell! Fortunately for me it's more about lighting candles than vomiting. :)
ReplyDelete