Take Time to Smell the Roses

Of all the senses, smell is not the one that is thought of as the strongest. Despite this fact, smell can conjure up a wide range of emotions and memories from the past. For instance, when I detect the faint scent of buttered popcorn, it takes me back to when I was younger and got to visit my father, who always took me and my sister to the movies. Fond memories of our brief times together pour into my mind just from that smelling popcorn. Not only food, but smells of nature and even weather changes immediately take me back to specific times and places from the past. Burying my face in a heap of flowers reminds me of the time my grandmother brought me to Coyote Hills, where a greenhouse filled with bright red roses and tulips were displayed, and butterflies circled over my head.

Smells not only bring back memories, but also stir up powerful emotions. Whenever I smell wet grass, specifically after it has rained, a victorious and triumphant feeling builds up in me, and can’t stop smiling. I remember striding to the finish line in my middle school P.E. class, scoring the best time I had ever gotten running a mile. The smell is so faint and subtle, yet the emotions and memories tied with it are overpowering and consumes all of your mind in that moment. While smell may not be the strongest senses, it stirs up very powerful emotions and memories, which are deeply tied to who I am. Smell may very well be one of the more dominant senses connected to consciousness and ultimately, identity.

With a sense so important, it may seem puzzling to ask why it is so hard to stop and smell the roses. But this chaotic life just wont let us rest. We are always being told to work work work for the future, but don't get a chance to be in the present time. We need to be reminded to take a deep breath and just be still, appreciating life for what it is right now.