Torn
You know how scents can transport you back to a certain place/time/feeling? We've already talked about how cigarette smoke does that for me. Another big one for me is books. I don't know what gives them their smells (the paper? the ink?) but there are very distinctive "brands" of book scent. One reminds me of this book I got for Christmas when I was seven--it was full of fairy tales and myths. And even though I lost it in a move when I was eight (when you're in a military family you can count on losing 84% of your possessions during one move or another) every time I catch that smell I remember it. If you ever stop by the library when I'm cataloging books you just might catch me burying my face in the pages and smelling them while I relive other, happier book-based times in places like England and Germany. Just pretend you don't notice, 'kay?
Yesterday I had another scent flashback. A guy sat down near me during church and the combination of his cologne and the minty gum he was chewing smelled exactly like the boy I had an all-consuming crush on through high school and part of college. One whiff and I suddenly felt like I should be dancing to "Kiss From a Rose" in my high-school gym at the homecoming dance. It was all I could do to not bury my face in that guy's shirt to get a better whiff. I'm sure that wouldn't have alarmed him or his girlfriend at all.
Only then I remembered how my tragic crush turned out. Church Guy has no idea how close he came to getting his teeth kicked out.
I'm Steph, a librarian and mom of 3 (not sure how that happened). Let's chat books, food, Sumptuous Literary Adaptations, poop, knitting and maybe some crazy Mormon Feminism.
15 comments:
99% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
Whenever my husband smells mildew he is reminded of Brazil.
Coffee always takes me back to my grandparents' house, which is wonderful and sad at the same time, since they are no longer alive. Also, I LOVE the smell of books because books just make me happy and at peace with the world. Needless to say, walking into the SLC Public Library was a treat. Sorry about the tragic crush. We all have at least one of them.
Was that your high school Homecoming theme too? Gadzooks. I hated it then and I hate it now. But not because of my date, although that was weird and awkward too.
The smell of books is so good to me too.
My tragic crush smell is blueberry Lip Smackers. Not that I smell it that often these days, on account of not wearing something so hideous anymore, but if I did, I think I would wax very, very nostalgic.
One of my least favorite bouts of smell nostalgia is the smell of the "barf chips" they'd put on accidents in grade school. Even the mention of it takes me back to my 2nd grade classroom, where one of the 3 Kevins in my class had lost his cookies that day. Blech!
I love the way a page full of freshly written ballpoint ink smells. So sometimes you might catch me sniffing my notes.
Also, now you've inspired me to write my own post about this. So watch for that.
I especially love the smell of older books, the yellow pages and the beautiful cover. Sigh, I wish I were working in a library.
4L
Getting high off of books, huh? Are you sniffing white-out too? That's why you're working in a library.....
My first boyfriend had the distinct smell of Melaluca. Apparently, he had tons of that stuff and used to wash his clothes in it.
I always thought graveyards had a distinct smell to them. I might be really weird for noticing it.
What was the title of the lost book?
By the way, this is your mother, but it won't take my blog name anymore so now I am anon. Anon.
One day on my mission I bought a huge bottle of Nivea lotion. As I was slathering it all over myself, my companion looked over and said "that's the lotion my ex-boyfriend always used". Oops.
My crush smell is, unfortunately, Tide. I've been known to pause and stand desoltately outside of houses where dryerfulls of laundry send bursts of warm Tide-scented air out into the street...
But the smell of books? Definitely the best of all smells. So glad you can indulge yourself by working in a library!
Theres nothing like that 'new' book smell
I remember once during my freshman year of college, I suddenly got a reminder of my mom when I smelled a combo of make-up and cigarettes. (I know...how classy, right?) But there I was, 18 years old and trying not to cry cuz I wanted my mom.
My freshman year, I told a friend that he smelled like my high school boyfriend, so any time I was around him, I was thinking of my high school boyfriend (they both wore Hugo Boss). He said, "Cicada, by the time I'm through with you, whenever you smell this cologne, you'll think of me."
And he was right. That may be one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me.
Post a Comment