Doomed?
Some people envy me; but I feel like I am cursed. You see, I have an acute sense of smell. I have been compared to a blood hound and a beagle. Trust me. It’s not as much fun as you might think.
Oh sure, it’s wonderful when you’re walking on a secluded beach in the early morning, and the waves bring to the air a fine-misted freshness. And it’s great when you want to inhale the aroma of your favorite flower. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing better – unless it’s food.
We all know that the senses of smell and taste are diabolically tied together somewhere in the Frito Cortex, that part of the brain that controls the urge to pig out. And yes, it is true that for those of us who are overly-olfactoried, we can detect all sorts of delicate spices and nuances of flavor. But how often do we get to use them?
Just as smelling baking cookies is a heavenly delight, so is smelling burnt ones a nightmare. And while enjoying a gourmet meal is exquisite, enjoying something poorly-prepared is a death sentence. Just like anything in life, the “blessings” of this supernatural sense of smell are both good and bad.
Question
Face it, there are lots of things out there that smell bad enough already without having the ability to draw in its scent like a spinning screwdriver to the frontal lobe. Have you ever walked past a city delicatessen dumpster in August? Or how about when the city maintenance workers are on strike? Am I making my point?
And everyone loves Fido (from the Latin “to trust” ergo: faithful), but have you ever gotten a good whiff of him after getting caught in the rain?
Why do you think dogs are so nice to people? It’s because they already know how bad they smell. That’s why they are so grateful that we let them in the house and give them food (and all the other great things we have to do when we walk them.)
So (getting to the point here) my question for today is: Do you think there are more GOOD or BAD smells in the world? I REALLY want to know what you think.
I am undecided at this point. I guess it depends on what we have for supper – and since that might be fish, that could sway my vote.
SMILE!!
Stepping Out with an Agoraphobic 
I have a keen sense of smell, too. And yes, it can be a curse. I hate the smell of unwashed hair, People who think they can fool me by washing up without a full shower or shampoo, have another thought coming. I hate the smell of raw hamburger. In fact the smell of most meats turns my stomach. I’m always smelling things that other people don’t smell like mildew and mold. I can even smell the inside of the toilet holding tank even when it’s closed. I hear the sense of smell lessons as we age. Well it better hurry up cause it doesn’t seem to be working.
I know what you mean about certain things bothering you. I can smell it when someone walks by my house smoking a cigarette (even with my windows shut) and that smell makes me ill.
Okay I am biased being that I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I think we have become obsessed with “bad” smells to the point we cover everything in toxic chemicals we call fragrances and then call that a “good” smell. So putting that tirade aside — not from a lab — but only counting real smells — I think there are more good smells. But I spend most of my time in my garden or walking in the woods. 😀 Dang you just reminded me I have to change the cat litter. Now THERE is a wonderful smell. 😀
Yes, I was VERY interested to hear what you would say — and agree that maybe some things that were not called “bad” years ago now have that label because people can make money out of it.
That being said, I would tend to agree with you that there are probably more good than bad, or else how could we ever stand it?
Still, what do I know? 😀
Maybe I would give a different answer if I lived in a large city — since everything is so dense (oops I don’t mean that personally to anyone). But then again in a city like NY there are all the great smells from bakeries and ethnic restaurants. 😀
I AGREE WITH COLLEEN— EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE A WARPED SINCE OF WHAT IS A GOOD & REAL & NATURAL SMELL OR SCENT & WHAT IS REALLY A TOXIC SCENT!!!!!!! AS “CLEAN” DOESN’T SMELL LIKE ALL THE TOXIC CRAP EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK IT NEEDS TO SMELL LIKE!!! I DIDN’T USE TO HAVE A BLOOD HOUND NOSE– BUT WITH MCS I NOW DO— IN ORDER TO TRY TO ESCAPE THE TOXIC CHEMICALS EVERYONE SEEMS TO USE WITH NO THOUGHT AT ALL– THAT IS DESTROYING OUR AIR SUPPLY– WATER SUPPLY & FOOD SUPPLY & OUR EARTH & KILLING MANY OF US!— I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART– IF PEOPLE STOPPED USING THE TOXIC KILLING CHEMICALS & TOXIC PERFUME– & ALL THE SCENTED CRAP— THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY TRUE — NATURAL WONDER SCENTS BEFORE EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY HAD TO START WEARING & USING TOXIC CHEMICALS TO CHANGE WHAT THEY WERE SOLD AS SMELLING GOOD– WHEN IT IS NOTHING BUT TOXIC & SMELLS TERRIBLE!!! OK— SORRY— I’LL STEP OFF MY SOAP BOX NOW— 🙂
I hate the smell of skunks in the middle of the night – they wake me up. That is a natural smell that I could live without 🙂
AMEN STEPHANIE– WE CAUGHT ONE IN OUR LIVE TRAP— IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG TO GET A RUG THROWN OVER THE TOP OF THE TRAP– SO THEY DON’T MAKE YOU SMELL EVEN MORE!!!!! 🙂 RELEASE IS FAST ALSO!!!! 🙂
🙂