Ok, so this prompt wants me to journal on about a memory I wished would disappear. When in reality I find it hard to do so. Sure there are memories that I wish I didn't have...just like I am sure everyone else has memories they sometimes wish they didn't. The problem lies in wishing they weren't there. I can take this prompt in two different ways.
The first way to take it is as it is read. Wishing they would disappear does by no means mean I wish the events that lead to the memories would have never happened. So taking it this way, I would say that there are many I wish I didn't remember. Events that lead to pain or disappointment or even sadness. But that being said, I must take this one step further. There is that old saying that "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger." And you become stronger because you have learned from those events that cause you ill emotion. But, if I magically could forget all those moments of sadness, hurt, and disappointment...how would I learn from those moments? I mean all those moments make you who you are. And this leads to the second way I could take this prompt.
The second way I could take this prompt is that I could say that if I had memories I wish would disappear it is like the whole moment attached to those memories did not happen. And therefore, we are stuck where we were before. Having not learned from those moments that caused us pain or hurt. And without those moments we would not be the people we are today. I know for a fact I would be different without those moments. Because it all leads down to that saying that you can never truly know happiness unless you have also experienced sadness. You would have nothing to quantify things against. You cannot compare two things you have not experienced. It would make it harder for you to sit there and talk about how happy you are because you can't say..."I feel happier today because yesterday I stubbed my toe against the desk". Those moments (even as small as stubbing your toe) allow us to make that needed comparison, so that we may truly understand our emotions as a whole.
And so having skirted this entire issue, I end this here now. I do not wish to list those moments I would choose to forget, because they make me who I am. And there is no one I would rather be in this moment.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
What Does Love Smell Like?
Ok.. so this is my attempt at writing from a prompt. The prompt that was chosen for me was: What does love smell like?
Well, to me love can smell like all kinds of things. I think that it is a purely personal thing. I mean it all depends on what you associate love with. To a lot of people they associate it with family. And therefore you might come across someone who says that love smells like home. Or some other abstract thing like that. Because to me..home may spark other olfactory cues than home would for you. Heating with wood our home always smells earthy, but someone who heats with gas probably would say that home smells like something else.
Or perhaps someone would associate family with holidays…and holidays with dinner. So they might say love smells like fresh baked bread, cookies, or mashed potatoes. Perhaps they would blanket the whole idea and say that home smells like food or dinner. But again, they could say anything because it is a personal thing.
Then again that is only one type of love. If you associate love with a significant other you may say that love smells like their cologne or perfume. Maybe their shampoo or laundry detergent. Again this is completely up in the air. They could associate anything with love. Likewise, one relationship to the next, that olfactory association with love is likely to change. Because everyone has a different natural odor, and everyone wears different things. And sometimes even when we like the smell of one cologne on someone, we may not like that same cologne on someone else. Just depends on their nature smell.
And then you may have people like me who associate love with abstract things that make no sense to anyone else. To me love smells like a few different things. One being rain. Like that smell that fills the air after it has rained. I can't even describe it. I mean sometimes it almost reminds me of the ocean, which would make sense. But other times it doesn't at all.
Another thing I associate with love is the smell of laundry that has been hung outside. And I had to stop myself from saying the smell of sunshine. huh. But regardless, there is a crispness to the scent of clothing that was dried outside in the wind and sun. To me that is a love.
I could name so many things that I associate with love, like moss, dirt, fresh brewed tea, Tide, Degree deodorant…I mean there are a multitude of things that I associate with it. But if I were to name them all this entry would end up being far longer than I think it should be.
So I will end this here. If you are bored and have time to ponder this question, think about those smells that you associate with love. It makes for a fun time.
More Later
Well, to me love can smell like all kinds of things. I think that it is a purely personal thing. I mean it all depends on what you associate love with. To a lot of people they associate it with family. And therefore you might come across someone who says that love smells like home. Or some other abstract thing like that. Because to me..home may spark other olfactory cues than home would for you. Heating with wood our home always smells earthy, but someone who heats with gas probably would say that home smells like something else.
Or perhaps someone would associate family with holidays…and holidays with dinner. So they might say love smells like fresh baked bread, cookies, or mashed potatoes. Perhaps they would blanket the whole idea and say that home smells like food or dinner. But again, they could say anything because it is a personal thing.
Then again that is only one type of love. If you associate love with a significant other you may say that love smells like their cologne or perfume. Maybe their shampoo or laundry detergent. Again this is completely up in the air. They could associate anything with love. Likewise, one relationship to the next, that olfactory association with love is likely to change. Because everyone has a different natural odor, and everyone wears different things. And sometimes even when we like the smell of one cologne on someone, we may not like that same cologne on someone else. Just depends on their nature smell.
And then you may have people like me who associate love with abstract things that make no sense to anyone else. To me love smells like a few different things. One being rain. Like that smell that fills the air after it has rained. I can't even describe it. I mean sometimes it almost reminds me of the ocean, which would make sense. But other times it doesn't at all.
Another thing I associate with love is the smell of laundry that has been hung outside. And I had to stop myself from saying the smell of sunshine. huh. But regardless, there is a crispness to the scent of clothing that was dried outside in the wind and sun. To me that is a love.
I could name so many things that I associate with love, like moss, dirt, fresh brewed tea, Tide, Degree deodorant…I mean there are a multitude of things that I associate with it. But if I were to name them all this entry would end up being far longer than I think it should be.
So I will end this here. If you are bored and have time to ponder this question, think about those smells that you associate with love. It makes for a fun time.
More Later
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