I had some extra time this morning so I played with Carleigh's hair a little bit. I broke out the round brush, the moose (OK- I know that isn't the moose I mean, but for the life of me I can't think of how to spell the hair product that sounds like the animal...), and the blow dryer. Poor thing has about an inch of growth on the top of her head forward, but the rest is four to five inches long. So there wasn't much I could really do, but Carleigh enjoyed the attention and it sort of resembled cotton candy in the back when I was done. I took my new can of hairspray and lightly sprayed her hair. She immediately asked "What is that smell like?"
And it all came rushing back to me.
You see- I had bought, for the first time in at least 10 years, a can of Aussie. The big, purple, aerosol can. It was on sale and I picked it up for the price. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal in your lives, but in mine, it meant being a teenage girl. My brother's girlfriend wore it, and I thought she was the coolest, so it has always reminded me of coolness. I've always tried to describe the scent, but have always come up short. Grape? Maybe, but not really. So I call the scent "purple". I think I smelled like "purple" for the majority of my high school career. My brother smelled like "cheap cowboy" (aka Stetson cologne) his entire high school career, and since we shared a bathroom, I probably smelled like Stetson in Jr High.
Smells trigger memories, don't they? My friend Elizabeth commented on the smell of Little Italy yesterday, and I immediately associated my own memory with that. There is a certain air freshener that reminds me of the time my cat had kittens in my closet, and that is not a good memory, so I can never buy that brand of air freshener. Cotton seed is home, fresh cut grass is being a kid in Baytown, Polo cologne is the halls of my high school, diesel is my time in the Army, etc.
And standing in the bathroom fixing Carleigh's hair this morning, I realized that some day soon, she will associate a scent with being a teenage girl. Maybe it will also be "purple", although I doubt it. I'm sure Aussie products will be considered old school by the time she has a choice in her hair products. I wonder what smell my kids will associate with home?
What smells are triggers for your memories? Now I'm curious about the rest of you! And what scent would you say Aussie hair products has?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Well, since I have two boys who live outside most days and a 17-year-old Golden Retreiver who can't get up by himself and has a real knack for pooing at the most inopportune times, and a 2 year-old Yellow Lab who loves to drag certain items out of the trash.... well, my house smells like STINK!! Or, as my oldest goofball son says, "STAAN-KEE!" (long A).
But, you are correct, smells trigger strong memories. On cool days, when around traffic, I can return, in my mind, to London, of all things. Some mulches (not most) can, for obvious reasons, send me back to growing up on the ranch....
The Nose Knows.
Old Spice and flannel (fabric) smells make me think of my grandfather. He was a cig smoking, hot coke drinking, front porch sitting, sweet, dear man and I miss him very much!
Smelling Dyl's hair make me think of my little brother that passed away at about this age (2). It's like an instant calm/sadness/gratefulness that flows over me. Not every time. Just often enough!
Couldn't find your email in my email address book... but TOTALLY thought of you when I ran across this site...
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Post a Comment