Sunday, December 05, 2010

To Suit Myself

This morning I pulled the word smells from my word jar. Yesterday I pulled the word winter and decided I didn't like it (even though I promptly took a photo to go with it) so I changed the rules to suit myself.

I bet there are quite a few people in recovery (or not)out there who can identify with that tendency. Thankfully I'm changing the rules on something harmless. Before recovery, especially, I changed the rules on just about anything that didn't suit me and would like to change them for other people, too, to suit me as well. It's amazing that people cooperated but they did. The ones who didn't, didn't stay in my life too long. You know how that is, the healthier someone else is it can be like shining a flash light on your own sick state of mind and the light isn't too comfortable.

The smell that catches me off guard is when I'm doing dishes and suddenly it smells just like it does when one is camping and washing dishes in the open air. I love that smell. As soon as I notice it it seems to disappear and I am left wondering how it can appear and disappear so suddenly. The other day I recognized a smell that put me right back in the hallways of my high school. Then it vanished. And nothing beats the inky smell of a a new book. Hard to find that smell anymore.

I prefer the smells of nature to anything else. Far more than food, or perfume, or humans. How about you?

5 comments:

Andrew said...

Oh yes, I often have scents come to me that remind me of various happenings and what not.

You are not alone in this. ;).

Anonymous said...

Yes, me too!

annie said...

I believe one of my favorites is the smell of pink hyacinths when they are blooming.

And puppy breath.

And babies.

And countless other things too!

Emily J. said...

I love this idea - and your reflections.

Peter said...

I have a poor, unreliable sense of smell. I rejoice even when the unpleasant ones come through.