Sweet Smells
Ever notice how people and their apartments tend to have distinct smells? I’m not talking about BO. I’m talking about that unique blend of perfume, laundry detergent, scented lotion, and hair styling products that is instantly recognizeable. Tonight I saw my aunt for the first time in a long time, and as soon as I hugged her I was transported back in time to six years ago, spending the night on her couch, throwing Dia de los Muertos parties, watching burning candles in the dark and thinking about the intrusion of otherness into daily life, watching tapes of an old eighties TV show called Probe, going on spontaneous road trips to Indianapolis for book signings. It’s a smell that says love, a smell that says growing up, a smell that says “here is a safe place.” It’s a smell that reminds me of all I have learned and of how far I have yet to go.
Someday, I want to be a smell that means something to someone, too.
