It's Happening: Smells of the Season
By Julie Perine on April 23, 2023 from It’s Happening
This past week or two, I’ve really noticed smells of the season: the fragrance of spring flowers and trees, backyard barbecues, and freshly-cut grass. I’m sure you’ve noticed the same smells; those that transform us to summers of the past and spark excitement for the coming warm, sunny months. Today, I’m sharing a blog I wrote almost a decade ago; one dealing with this very thing. Enjoy the rest of the spring and the amazing summer ahead!
March 2014
In the safe, warm confines of our family TV room, I was enjoying the smell of an aromatic candle which I lucked upon at a Pier I clearance sale. The scent is Moroccan Oasis and to me, at least, it smelled like sandalwood or like fragrant seaside plants.
At the same time, I was scanning my Facebook News Feed and noticed the post of a friend about how she loves the smell of jet fuel in the morning. Perhaps not appealing to most as sandalwood, the smell is pleasing to her likely because she loves the adventure of travel. The sense of smell is said to evoke more memories and emotions than any other. So, what is it that triggers your sensory system and brings good thoughts to mind?
A former fellow news reporter occasionally mentioned that she loved the smell of the ink in the press room. A whiff of ink meant that the newspapers were rolling off the press and the reporting so important to her was about to be put in the hands of eager readers.
Oddly enough, I like the smell of hair bleach. Yeah, that’s a weird one. Chlorine brings to mind a specific swimming experience as a little girl and every time I spell lilacs, my grandma comes to mind.
Some like the smell of freshly-cut grass, gasoline or nail polish. Easier to relate to, perhaps, is being drawn to the smell of spring rain, salty ocean breeze or fresh laundry. Such types of scents are replicated for the making of products intended to bring thoughts of a beach atmosphere – or take one back to comforting
thoughts of a carefree childhood. The same holds true for scents like pine, wood smoke or apple pie.
thoughts of a carefree childhood. The same holds true for scents like pine, wood smoke or apple pie.
There’s a scientific reason – something to do with an amygdala and a hippocampus – as to why smells can bring on specific memories, heighten or lower mood and even make people more or less productive. But the bottom line is that certain scents were linked to events, moments or emotions during childhood, infancy – or even in the womb. Isn’t that crazy? Thus, different people like different smells, depending on whether it triggers a good or bad memory – and sometimes they’re stored so deep in the memory bank, we don’t even know what they are.
That’s pretty interesting food – or rather smells – for thought.
