Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Olfactory Finger


On my run today, I smelled mulberries.  It is a pretty distinct smell.  It was like a wafting olfactory finger hooked my nose and lifted me off my timeline.    I was suddenly back at my childhood home in my old yard.  A prominent fixture of that backyard was a large mulberry tree.  I climbed it.  I ate its fruit and wore the stains of the berries on my feet.  It's amazing how memories cling to smells.  A smell can instantly provide the necessary context for remembering.