Everybody has their own scent. It's common enough knowledge that animals seem to
recognize you if they have met you before, and define this familiarity after
smelling you, not by looking at you. I think that our sense of smell is
underrated. Sure, you can appreciate the smell of Dad's chili or Grandma's apple
pie (no, I -can't- think of any more trite examples than those, in case you're
wondering), but can you sit down in someone else's car and smell a scent that has
no particular name, other than that of the owner of the car. When I moved into
my older brother Sam's bedroom after he moved out, his scent still filled the
room, the furniture, and the closet for weeks afterwards. Eventually, his scent
and mark about that place was pretty much vanquished, but I still get a hint of
it sometimes.
I've experienced all kinds of "mirages." Aside from visual illusions, I'm sure
everyone can identify with auditory mirages. A good example is when I'm playing
music loud and I keep thinking I hear someone calling my name. So I pause it,
listen, hear nothing, and play it again, and eventually learn to shut that
blasted voice off and hope that someone doesn't call me in reality. I've smelled
a few mirages too. Back when Christmas Girl and I were dating, our lengthy
time apart would often be eased by the random scent of vanilla in the air--
primarily at school since this is where I spent most of my time. I would be
walking along, minding my own business when, like a gorgeous blond in shorts and
a sleeveless shirt walking by, the scent of vanilla would catch my nose and take
me back to another time and place.
