Indentifying People by Smell

For many blind persons including me, we often use our sense of smell to identify objects and things. When I was able to see, I used to use a combination of smell, touch, and my limited vision, but now it is different. My sense of smell is extremely keen these days and at the best of times I also use it to identify persons. Yes, you read correctly: I use my sense of smell to identify people.

Believe it or not, we each have our own unique smell. I will not go into detail to describe the smells of my family and friends, but suffice it to say that this is how I identify individuals. Smells also remind me of different people. The men's cologne, Old Spice, reminds me of my dad who passed on so many years ago; whenever I smell it I think of him. In like manner, there is another men's cologne that reminds me of my brother Robert who passed on two years ago. The smell of baking bread reminds me of granny, the fragrance of spring flowers reminds me of my mom, and so on.

Certain smells remind me of other things. The smell of paint reminds me of the busy Christmas holiday season. The smell of Greek food reminds me of Montreal. The smell of sweaty socks reminds me of the ice skating rink. Many things and places are represented in my mind by smell.

Here are some other smells for you to ponder. The scent of pine reminds me of a cozy room. The smell of wet grass reminds me of a spring day. The smell of a baking pork roast reminds me of Sunday dinner.

I'm sure if you were to think on it, you too could probably come up with some smell identifications of your own. Many of our most intense memories and recollections are tied in with the sense of smell.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your accessibility and special-needs business consultant, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and experiment with your sense of smell and see what memories it may trigger. You may be pleasantly surprised.