I was thinking about how certain scents take me back to childhood experiences. One of my favorite movies is "Someone Like You," the main character Jane (Ashley Judd) talks about how scents are very closely linked to emotions. She also talks about having the part of her brain responsible for the sense of smell removed so that she can forget about an ex-boyfriend. I don't think I would go that far, but I do agree that scents are closely related to emotion.
The smell of bleach reminds me of the Deseret Gym. I learned how to swim, play racquetball, and jump off the high dive at the the Deseret Gym. My dad used to give us "sharky" rides in the pool. We also used to buy ice cream sandwiches from the vending machine on our way out. Every time I clean my bathroom I think about the gym because I clean with bleach.
It really isn't Spring until you have smelled a lilac. I remember the lilac tree at a rental property my parents owned. I spent a lot of time in the yard while they did work at the rental property. We would "play" with the water chestnuts that had fallen off the trees. In reality my parents had tricked us into cleaning them up. There is also a lilac tree up in Hoytsville at the graveyard I would visit every Memorial day with my Nana and Mom.
I love the smell of freshly cut grass. Every time I mow the lawn I think about running around in my parents backyard barefoot in the Spring. I also remember pulling up hand fulls of grass to bury my feet in.
The smell of freshly baked gingersnaps reminds me of my Nana. She always had a gingersnap for us when we would visit. Sometimes they weren't so fresh but every time I see a gingersnap I think of Nana.
So what scents take you back to your childhood?
