Smells
October 04, 2006, 12:35 a.m.
Sometimes the connections I've formed between an image and a smell (or a word and a smell) are so strong that just seeing something makes me smell it. Yesterday, a commercial for this barbecue restauraunt was on tv, and all of a sudden I could smell barbecue in my apartment. It was so strong, it was like someone actually set the grill up in the middle of my living room. And it persisted for hours. It was so persuasive, and just... real. After awhile I actually got up and looked around the kitchen. Just in case, you know? And then today, there was another one... Damnit, now I've forgotten what it was that kicked this one off. But the point is, I just love that. In a way it's offputting, because it reminds me how incredibly gullible mysenses are, and how subjective my perception of reality is. But it also makes me feel powerful in some odd way because I can conjure up an experience of reality which is completely real- to me- without even trying. Plus, it's just nice to have your apartment suddenly full of the smell of your favorite food or flower or perfume.
I also form strong connections between certain words or pictures and certain people. Sometimes when something reminds me of Philip, (or Bill, or Armand), and I really start to concentrate on him I might see him out of the corner of my eye. It's kind of the same experience, I guess. I like that one too. But it's the smells that really persist. If I look too closely at the guy across the street, I'll be able to see that he isn't the guy I wanted to see. But even when I look for the smell and I can't find it, it doesn't neccesarily go away.
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