The Senses

The senses of the body are very intriguing to me. The senses are closely linked with the memories we store. The senses can make memories so intense that they feel real.

The sight of something can remind us of a place or a person or an emotion. The sense of taste can remind us of summer days at the pool, holidays with family, good times with friends, intimate moments. The sense of touch can send shivers through the body.

The sense of smell is said to be the most intense in recollection of memory. For me, the scent of certain laundry detergents, certain flowers, certain spices, the scent of a lover's skin...those all instantly take me to very specific places or very specific people. It can be intoxicating, overwhelming, blissful.

However, I would contend that sounds are just as important as scents. No matter where I am, certain sounds can instantly transport me to another time and place. The wind rustling through the leaves of trees, birds singing, crickets chirping, tree frogs croaking, take me to a very warm and inviting place in my youth. A place that is so special to me. The clinking of plates in a sink or cabinet take me to a warm summer day where the house is quiet except for the sounds of every day life. The sounds of waves crashing on a beach take me to a bright sunny day on the north shore of Oahu. Certain songs stir something deep within my soul.

Then there are voices. There's that voice that rings so true and so clear in my mind. It's that one voice that when you hear it, it's as if those are the only words you've ever heard spoken. That's the only voice you can remember ever hearing. Instant transportation to somewhere so ethereal, I feel like Inever left. There are a handful of voices that affect me this way. So deeply that I can become unaware of anything around me. When I'm affected by sounds so deeply, I can't help but feel it's just as strong, if not stronger, than scent for me.