I have written about the senses before. I am sure I wrote about the internal argument I was having with myself about whether if I had to lose the sense of sight or hearing, which one would it be. I don't believe I never resolved it back then. Now? Well, you'll just have to wait because today I want to talk about another of the senses. That is the sense of smell.
In this day of COVID, the senses of taste and smell are very important. One early symptom is the loss of one or both. I remember reading somewhere that the sense of smell brings back a memory before any of the other senses. I can't prove it, but I believe it.
This morning it was a crisp 41 degrees outside and sunny. The smell of logs burning in a fireplace was in the air. I have lived in 14 different homes, but only two had fireplaces. Immediately, I thought of both of them. I could see them very clearly in my mind.
But the one smell above all that takes me back to a vivid memory is the smell of diesel on a cold morning. I am taken back in a second to a motor pool in West Germany during the late 1960s when I had a tank company. I could see the line of M60A1's as I walked the line and talked with the crews. (The photo below is one of M60A3's at Grafenwoehr, a training center we regularly visited.)
Some were working on the engines while others were doing track maintenance. We tried to schedule maintenance in the afternoon when it was warmer, but sometimes it was impossible and we had to work in the morning cold. I would have the mess sergeant ensure we had hot coffee in urns available for the men (I can't remember any soldier who didn't drink coffee back then, but I am sure there were a few). I really miss the Army when I remember those days.
Another smell is the aroma of Lipton's Noodle Soup, again in the cold of the morning. It takes me back to a particular street on Ft. Leavenworth post, in Kansas. I would run down that street in the early mornings on the weekends, someone would always be cooking the soup. You don't know how many times I almost stopped and asked for some!
BTW, If you go to my February 29, 2012 post, you will see how we kept warm back then!
I remember one episode of MASH when Hawkeye was exposed to the smell of mold. It brought back a memory of a trauma from his childhood.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember that one. I'll have to look for it.
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