I once heard somewhere that each person has a scent that is only detectable by one other person's nose. The random fact stayed with me, but it didn't ring true until I was swept off my feet by someone who I thought to be the best smelling guy in the world. I believe that there is someone out there for everyone, and maybe scent is the key to finding your mate. Let's call it "love at first smell."
My roommate mentioned this weekend about how her boyfriend's smell brings a smile to her face. I thought it quite coincidental that she would tell me that fact right around the time I was pondering the myth.
I got to thinking, and realized that there are a countless amount of nose-related tales.
After I heard the scent theory, I began looking up nose superstitions. For instance, it is bad luck to pass an ambulance unless you immediately pinch your nose and hold your breath.
Another nose superstition is that if your nose itches, it means someone is thinking about you. My grandmother used to tell me that if you have an itchy nose, you would soon be kissed by a fool. If only one side of your nose itches, it supposedly means that a fight is in your near future.
My mom used to threaten me that my nose would grow if I lied to her. Years later, while she and I were fighting (as teenage girls and their mothers often do), she told me that I was such a brat that I "would cut off my nose to spite my face."
All superstitions aside, there is biological evidence supporting the "love at first smell" myth. Inside each person's nose is a vomeronasal organ (VNO), most often referred to as the "erotic nose brain." It's a part of the nose that differentiates between smells, and it also links smells to memory.
There are so many scents that remind me of my childhood, even before I was old enough to make memories. Certain soaps remind me of my grandparents' house, and the smell of hot summer nights reminds me of when I used to play little league. The smell of cloves brings back each Christmas that I sat in a little wooden chair and made tree ornaments with my grandmother. The smell of syrup reminds me of when I was growing up and my dad would make pancakes every weekend. Bug-spray fumes bring back the days when I would stay out late on the Fourth of July playing with my cousins and celebrating the holiday.
It astonishes me how people underestimate the power of their noses, but I must admit, I used to be the same way.
During a class discussion last semester, the professor asked us which sense, if forced to give one up, would we be willing to sacrifice. Immediately, I decided that smell was the least important, and I would be willing to give it up before my other senses.
I have since done a complete 180, and realize the importance of my nose. All of my memories are locked inside my head, and they can be accessed with a key as simple as a sniff.
I have articles of clothing that belong to my boyfriend that I occasionally find in a drawer or my closet. Without thinking, I bring them to my nose for a big whiff, and I then begin reminiscing about our memories.
They say "when you fall in love, you just know it." Maybe it's because your nose tells you.
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