It’s been brought to our attention over the last few years that smells can trigger memories better than almost all of our other senses.
“When nothing else subsists from the past, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered· the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls· bearing resiliently, on tiny and almost impalpable drops of their essence, the immense edifice of memory” -Marcel Proust “The Remembrance of Things Past”
So, given my recent array of events – namely being my gigantor breakup that happened about six months ago – I’ve run in to an interesting predicament. Upon packing my things to move to Seattle on Sunday, I came across a bottle of perfume – my “signature” scent, Diesel’s Fuel For Life. This is pretty much the only thing I wore over the duration of my three year relationship, and on whiff of it brings back floods of memories – the bars we went to, that shirt I wore when we went to our favorite restaurant, the hours and hours spent sitting on the couch watching various History Channel and Food Network programs.
I still like the smell, but is it worth all of the residual memories? I’m unsure.
So my question to you – when a major life change occurs in your life, do you or would you change your scent?
I’m thinking that I might want to ditch this [beautiful] bottle and look for something new, to symbolize my new chapter.
But what?
Should scents align with the projected future? Will light and airy indicate a carefree and happy future? Will sandalwood and musk make for a dramatic and sensual time?
What is your signature scent, and how do you choose? Do you change it up when major life changes occur?