Secret Confessions
It would have been criminal to stay indoors on a day like this. The jogging trail called and I heeded its siren’s song. The sun was setting earlier than I expected and the fading light filtered through the trees, dappling the sandy path.
At any given time I pass lots of people on the trail. I normally have my headphones on, thoughts about a million miles away, but I have to admit that I take a secret joy in catching the scent of passers-by.
No, I don't have some odd sweat fetish or anything like that. Eau de gym sock never did much for me either. Allow me to explain:
Here we are, two people going opposite directions in the middle of a forest. I'm in my world, they're in theirs, we've got sunglasses and headphones and other things to insulate ourselves and distance ourselves from one another, but in their exertion I'll catch the faintest scent of their shampoo or soap and it's this completely disconcerting, intimate moment.
Despite the pains we take to distance ourselves from each other and be left alone, I am left feeling like I know a secret about them. It's completely revealing and I go into little internal fits of joyousness because of it.
So what impression do passers-by have of me? I'd imagine Dr. Bronner's peppermint, baby. At least I hope so. Liberal amounts of liquid DBP + scrubby gloves = nirvana
Currently spinning:
Liz Phair ~ Girlysounds demos
At any given time I pass lots of people on the trail. I normally have my headphones on, thoughts about a million miles away, but I have to admit that I take a secret joy in catching the scent of passers-by.
No, I don't have some odd sweat fetish or anything like that. Eau de gym sock never did much for me either. Allow me to explain:
Here we are, two people going opposite directions in the middle of a forest. I'm in my world, they're in theirs, we've got sunglasses and headphones and other things to insulate ourselves and distance ourselves from one another, but in their exertion I'll catch the faintest scent of their shampoo or soap and it's this completely disconcerting, intimate moment.
Despite the pains we take to distance ourselves from each other and be left alone, I am left feeling like I know a secret about them. It's completely revealing and I go into little internal fits of joyousness because of it.
So what impression do passers-by have of me? I'd imagine Dr. Bronner's peppermint, baby. At least I hope so. Liberal amounts of liquid DBP + scrubby gloves = nirvana
Currently spinning:
Liz Phair ~ Girlysounds demos
posted by locus sigilli at 8:20 PM
2 Comments:
"I'll catch the faintest scent of their shampoo or soap and it's this completely disconcerting, intimate moment."
I love this too. Sometimes, i'll be walking along with a companion and become completely distracted by the scent of a passerby. It's worse when the scent is a familiar one, but I can't place it. I spent three days once trying to figure out a scent before I fianlly tracked it down to the way my great aunt's house used to smell when I'd go to visit her over @ 164 S. Firestone Blvd. Man, that was a cool house. And it always faintly smelled of candles, stale candy and old perfume, but it was so wonderful.
It's amazing the way smells infect one's memory.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's such a visceral, immediate reaction, especially upon smelling a familiar one. Steeped in memories, indeed.
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