Another trip to Wal-Mart is under my belt. I got myself up early today and headed to town before 8am to hit Wal-Mart. I got the third parking space from the door, and all looked well. Why is it that no matter how many carts I have to choose from, I always pick a noisy one?!? Seriously, I walked in this morning, and the cart area was full. I picked one, and immediately realized I had, as always, chosen one with a messed up wheel. I was too stubborn to just turn around and take it back. So, I set off in the quieter than normal Wal-Mart with a cart going CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK the whole way. On a normal trip the clunking would have been muffled out by the crowds of people. Not today, though. I was on my game and at the store before the masses. About 5 minutes into my shopping, all I could think about was the sound of my cart. Then I met another shopper. I slowed, hoping to decrease my clunking and not disturb her. That's when I realized her cart was squeaking with every step. Hahaha!!! I had to chuckle to myself. What is it about shopping carts?? I thought the squeaky wheel gets the oil. I guess not when you're at Wal-Mart!
Now, on to what I planned to blog about today....Smells. I find it amazing how quickly a smell can send your mind back to a specific time and place. I associate many smells with times in my life. I think the place that harbored the most smell-related memories for me was my grandma's house. The most vivid smelling memory of her house is the aroma of BenGay. Every night before bed, my grandma would rub BenGay all over my uncle's back and shoulders. I fell asleep many nights there with the smell of BenGay hanging in the air. Ivory soap also takes me right back to her bathroom. I never knew of them to use any other bath soap. Every now and then, I will go and buy some Ivory soap just to conjure up the sweet memories of their house. Right now I have Prell shampoo in my shower for the very same reason. It's all my grandma used, and I can't open it up without thinking of her. I am thankful for such vivid memories through smell. There's a tangible aspect to those memories that most others don't hold.
Do you know your house smells? I can still remember how certain friends' homes smelled when I was growing up. My favorite was Cindy's house. Mmm. I can't even begin to describe it. I don't know if it was laundry detergent or perfume or air freshener or what. I'm sure it was a little of all of that just mingled together to make its own original scent. Whatever it was, it was always pleasant. I remember friends telling me that my parents' house smelled good. I didn't know it. You can't smell your own scent. It's funny how I still can't really smell my parents' house. I'm there too often I guess. There are times, usually in the Spring, when I do capture a scent memory from my own childhood home, though. It's tied to laundry. When the weather gets warmer, and I am able to open up the windows, the smell of Bounce dryer sheets through the outdoor dryer vent remind me of home.
Oh how I wish I could just bottle up some of these smelly memories. It would be so nice to just call on them whenever you wanted to wander back to those times and places in your mind. For now, I will just continue buying these things on occasion to take me back on demand.
It just cracks me up that you wrote this today!! I told Jon last night, when we were working on the farm, that he smelled just like when we were dating! He thought it was so funny that I remembered that, but I didn't until all of a sudden, it hit me!!
ReplyDeleteBut, I know exactly how you feel about wanting to keep that smell around!! It is very weird how everyone in our house uses the same shampoos/detergents but all smell different. I remember all the smells at Jake's hospital, the way he smelled when he was not sick and when he was sick! My gma used to use Ivory Shampoo and for years after she passed, I would use it just so I could smell her. I miss that shampoo, they don't make it anymore :(
Isn't that funny how the timing of this blog worked out? I was in the shower trying to decide whether to use the Prell when the idea to blog about scents came to me.
ReplyDeleteStetson cologne reminds me of Reuben when we were dating. I loved that stuff. I smelled it on a old guy today at O'Reilly's. It took me right back to 1991.
Let's hope you never forget the smell of Jake. And also, let's hope you never have to smell the hospital smell again. I feel like scent memories are some of the sweetest we have, because they are almost tangible.
Hey, I always get those carts too! Oh, and anytime I jump lines, thinking one is going faster, it never fails...the line I WAS in goes faster! I hate that place too! I have NO idea what my house smelled like! Guess I was used to it and didn't smell anything.
ReplyDeleteI could probably do a whole post on the slow lines. I'm a magnet for them. It doesn't matter if I choose a line with one person in it instead of three people. My line will inevitably be the slower line. The person will have an item that won't ring up, or their payment method won't work, or the cashier is extra chatty or slow. SO frustrating!!
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