Posted by j mc on July 20, 2004 at 07:34:36:
In Reply to: i'm curious posted by giveawayboy on July 20, 2004 at 00:36:18:
: Bill: 18)Do you like the smell of chlorine in a public pool?
: John: Actually yes. It's one of those redolent smells that brings to mind feelings I had at other times in my life. Another one is that faint gasoline smell under the awning at a gas station at night in the rain, and another is the smell of orange-scented dish soap on your hands after you wash them with it. And if you're really curious I'll tell you what those things remind me of.
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: Bill: Yeah, tell me, I'm curious.
The chlorine thing is from the years I spent as a lifeguard, as well as before that when I was training to become a lifeguard. This came on the heels of my years of depression and were some of the most contented times in my life.
The gasoline smell, under the awning at night in the rain is from my early childhood when my Dad worked at what is called a "tank farm", or the place at the airport where they store the jet fuel. Jet fuel has this slightly kerosene smell and my Dad always smelled like that when he came home. Gasoline always smells like that under the conditions I mentioned, and it floods back all the feelings I had of being with my Dad as a young child.
And the orange-scneted dish soap comes from my first visit to Japan. Alissa's dish soap smelled that way, and so after washing dishes, my hands smelled like that for hours later. This was also a life-changing time for me and Kathy, in more ways than many may think. Being in a foreign land, with no agenda, in close quarters with another friend- it taught us alot about ourselves, and helped heal alot of personality flaws we all had. So now that smell brings back the contented feelings I had there.
It's funny how you wouldn't be able to point out how that smell affected you until it happens later and all the memories flood back in. Smell is an underrated sense.