SMELLS

Today at the thrift store I overheard some women talking about smells. Not just ordinary smells - I'm talking about the ones that evoke strong emotional tugs. They started listing them as they hung clothes on hangers.... fresh cut grass, spring rains, fresh baked bread, baby powder, apple pies in the oven, ditto turkey. Sheets dried on the clothesline, a newly cleaned house. pine trees, the ocean. Hair just after a shampoo. One woman mentioned school paste - she said the smell of it takes her back to grade school when they passed the paste around on little scraps of paper. One mentioned a new car. My personal favorite for dredging up memories is the smell of gardenias. I always loved it if I was given one for a dance in high school. I have some shriveled up gardenias in my memory box tucked away inside the blanket chest. I love looking thru it, re-reading the letters from special people in my past, and when I get to those gardenias - I put them close to my nose and can almost smell my youth.