New Leaves

“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and the years you have lived.” Hellen Keller

A few days ago, I had a conversation with my husband about our car.

“I smell gasoline. It seems to be coming from the back, near the gas tank,” I said.

“What do you mean?” my husband replied. “Let me go check it.”

My husband walked to the garage and began sniffing around. He sniffed the engine, inside the car, and around the gas tank.

“I don’t smell anything. It doesn’t smell like gas to me. You might be smelling the rubber from the tires,” he said.

I looked at my husband and scrunched my nose. “Hmm, I think I am right. I think there is gas smell and we should have it checked out”, I said.

A few days after that my husband I were heading out to dinner. We walked into the garage to get our car and I smelled gasoline, but this time so did my husband.

“Hey, I think I smell gasoline. It’s coming from the car”, said my husband.

“Yes, it’s the same smell I smelled a few days ago when you told me it was rubber from the tires”, I replied.

I was right; my husband had our car checked, and there were issues with ‘the gas canister. You might think I’m telling this story to show I know more ‘s about cars than my husband, but that’s not the case. I’m sharing to highlight my great sense of smell.

I have a strong sense of smell that helps me assess air quality before I even enter a room. I’m not sure how long I’ve had this unique ability, but it likely developed because I’m hard of hearing and nearsighted. With my hearing and eyesight diminished it has led my other senses to become more acute. This phenomenon, where one sense is weakened and others become stronger, is called sensory compensation. It’s when the brain adapts by reconfiguring unused areas to enhance the remaining senses. You can read more about brain placidity regarding senses here.

Being hard of hearing and having vision problems can be challenging. People use their sight to help those who can’t hear and vice versa. In my case, both senses are affected, so I depend more on my other senses: taste, touch, and smell. Smell seems to be my strongest sense.

A strong sense of smell has many advantages. The smell sense can serve as an early warning against immediate environmental dangers.

Chemical awareness: Spotting harmful fumes, unsafe cleaning products, or chemical leaks to prevent getting sick.

Gas detection: Detecting dangerous gas leaks from home lines or appliances before they cause a fire.

Smoke awareness: Noticing fires early, especially while sleeping or from another room, to help people escape quickly.

Spoiled food: Recognizing bacteria, mold, or bad smells in food to avoid getting sick from it.

And there are more advantages to a strong sense of smell. Smell affects how we experience flavors since taste and smell are connected.

• Flavor: Identifies ingredients and taste profiles.
• Appetite regulation: Uses food aromas to guide dietary choices.
• Ripeness tracking: Determines freshness of fruits and vegetables without cutting.

While having a strong sense of smell can be a positive trait, it can have its downsides. Strong scents from things like perfumes, cleaners, or food can lead to headaches, nausea, and loss of appetite. I choose unscented cleaning products to not overwhelm my nose. You’d never find products like Gain or Tide in my laundry room for this reason. When I cook, I like foods that have pleasing aromas; if something doesn’t smell right, I won’t eat it. Having a strong sense of smell can complicate interactions with people and animals due to the various and sometimes unpleasant odors they emit, including musty hair smells and bad breath. Pets have distinct scents that can be overwhelming and have to be overlooked for social reasons if visiting someone else’s home.

I wish my hearing and vision were stronger. Humans acquire most of their learning through sight and sound, so being weak in these senses creates challenges daily, especially when doing things I enjoy, like watching movies or listening to music. However, my strong sense of smell helps me enjoy the aromas of things like popcorn and lilacs, adding positive aspects to my life. What I do know is having a great sense of smell is a blessing. Besides, if someone needs help detecting a gas leak, my sense of smell could easily win by a nose.