A Random Thought

[Nast]

A memory came back to me when I was in the shower tonight. I remembered that when I was younger I could distinguish people, their homes, and their possessions by their personal scent. Now, most people neither smell good nor bad, it's just somehow the smell they carry.

I was in school when someone had left a jacket in the classroom. My teacher asked me if I knew whose it was, and I said "I might," and then sniffed it.
"Oh," I said, "That's Austin's."
My teacher acted surprised and called Austin over to see if it was his. It turns out it was! My teacher bent over and sniffed him
"No," she declared, "He doesn't seem to have a special Austin-scent. You know, Nast, that's really weird."

I also have a tendency to notice places' smells a lot. It doesn't have to be particularly distinctive like, say, your mother's apple pie. It could be the botany lab, or a specific supermarket, or a 99 cent store. Does anyone else have similar experiences? Or am I a total freak?

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Actually scent is as strong of a memory trigger as sight. Maybe even more so as even babies recognize good scents from bad.So no you aren't odd in that respect. 


I've come home and known the kids have had friends over just from the smell of my house.

[Iason Ouabache]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/158985

You're welcome.

[NotPublished]

I wouldn't say its odd, as Khara has said smell is important ... sometimes you just notice some of your friends scents and you become familiar with it

... guess its slightly creepy 

[Jenne]

The nose going directly to the brain means the sensation of smell is very visceral, or so I learned in biology oh so long ago.  It makes sense that memories triggered by smell would be so powerful, then.  I think smell seems to become less noticeable as we age, however, as we become accustomed to the smells of our surroundings (including the odors of others), and our nosehairs/mucosa within may become damaged by various things that are introduced to them (like smoke/smoking, for instance).

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think it's perfectly normal. Everyone has a different personal smell... it's just that some people are more sensitive to odor than others, and some people also are more conscious of it.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

No, most people have their own smell.

Some do not, but most do.

[Jenne]

My husband has NO body odor.  None.  Weird.  I dont know why, but the little bacteria dudes do NOT reside in his lymphs whatsofuckingever.  So he never has to wear deoderant.  When he sweats, he just smells warm and sorta salty.  That's it.  So bizarre (and lucky for me, since BO is not a turn on, fr frls).

[NotPublished]

Whats wrong with BO?

I like some peoples smells ... some have a nice smell!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm not talking about BO/stale sweat, at all. I am just talking about the personal aroma everyone exudes from their skin. Like EOT smells kind of warm and buttery.

[NotPublished]

oh I read warm batteries..

Though I know what you mean, the natural state ... sometimes you get a sniff of the aroma and you think "Wheres

• person hiding?"

[Jenne]

"warm batteries"?    I knew you weren't talking about that, Nigel.  The smell you're talking about I usually find at the base of the neck near the hairline.  Something highly pheremonic about that place on the body.

[Triple Zero]

HE'S A WEREWOLF, LYNCH HIM!!

[Rumckle]

That is slightly odd, but not really weird or anything.
As noted above smell is strongly linked to memory, so perhaps it has something to do with how your brain is wired to remember people (as oppose to objects, places, etc).

That said, the scent of my mum's house always makes me really happy when I go there.

[Nast]

I've also noticed that my smell changes from time to time. Sometimes it's more fruity, sometimes, more yeasty, sometimes more vinegary. It's like I'm in a constant state of fermentation.