Common Scents

They say, when they're not busy saying other things, that our strongest memories are associated with the sense of smell, or maybe it's emotional reactions, and I would agree.

What's curious about that, for me, is that scents aren't memories that I can call up at will. They're more passive than that, and my memories associated with them usually only show up when triggered by something outside me. I can remember the look of someone, or a scene, I can summon the sounds and sometimes the tactile sensations of events, but I can only recall the smell generically.

It's more like emotions, I think, than anything else. Humans don't remember pain, emotional or otherwise, as a realistic event. We remember that fire burns us, but not the actual perception, and "make up" a generic pain when we recall the memory. This, of course, saves us from the trauma so it's a good thing.

I can remember feeling like shit when I've been dumped, but not precisely what it felt like. Some things I only remember because I can describe them to myself, and I think the same sort of thing goes with what I've smelled.

Maybe it's because I lack the words to describe the scent, or maybe it's because I'm male and am more visual than anything else, but when I remember the scent of my ex's hair, I remember the names "fruity" more than the actual scent.

Yet, if I catch a whiff of that scent, my memories (as they've predicted) are much stronger than if I just bring her face or carriage to mind. The association is there, and it's a strong one, but it's not one I can summon. I remember the smell of garlic in a salad, but, honestly, only recall the name garlic and invent what that smells like. I don't really recall the particular garlic unless something external triggers it. Then, I can.

I can sit here and imagine the smell of the ocean, of a crowded bar, of a pillow that someone I loved has slept on, but I know that my memory is more constructed than recalled. But, if some past scent is presented to me, I involuntarily recall an associated event, and I think that's very cool.