The Sense of Smell...

The sense of smell is an incredible thing. You can be taken back in time to a moment you had not thought of for years. It can change your emotions, giving you a peaceful feeling that you hadn’t felt in ages, and yet, you’re not sure why. You can relive memories, people, and feelings with a fleeting whiff of, you don’t know what, from somewhere or something around you. Sometimes I smell this certain flavor, I don’t even know what it is, and I think of a blue and pink rabbit necklace that had a button on the back that you pushed for it to play music. My grandmother gave it to me.

On this particular occasion, my sense of smell hit me like a ton of bricks. It said, “Jenny, sweetie. You stink”.

I got back to my 6X8 foot hotel room after a 12-hour day of workshops with my organization. I knew I was pretty grungy, so I grabbed my hotel issued towel and waited my turn for the community shower, conveniently located directly beside my room. When I heard the water shut off, I waited for the creak of the door, indicating departure. I made my move. I had a lovely, hot (too hot) shower that lasted twice as long as it should have, just because I wanted to savor the precious hot water. I toweled off, put on my pajamas, put a towel around my head, and began the 3-foot hike back to my matchbox. I struggled with the key at first, but didn’t get frustrated because I had just, 30 minutes prior, taken a Uganda pharmacy Diazepam to help me sleep. I finally put my newly acquired African weight into it (thanks rice), and the door flew right open. That’s when my sense of smell yelled at me. My room stunk like a dirty person. How could I not have realized at the time that I stunk so badly? I had no idea. It took soap, shampoo, and scalding hot water to cleanse my nose of the day, and of myself. I never once thought throughout the day that I might smell like a combination of feet, sweat, and wet dog. You can get so used to a smell, that you stop noticing it. It takes just a short absence, or a shower, to help you realize upon return, that you did, in fact, smell revolting.

Oh, the sense of smell…it’s an incredible thing.