The nose knows....or it use to know...
For the past few weeks I have found myself having lost the sense of smell. I am pretty sure there is a direct link from the cold/virus that I had in July and my loss of sniffing ability. I thought that given a little bit of time, my nose would be back to it's full time job of smelling, but it hasn't. The tastebuds have been on a bit of a strike as well. They haven't completely defected as my nose has, but tasting has become absent as well. I can taste sweet,salty, and spicy, but I can't distinguish flavor. It's a bit disconcerting, to crave something and eat it, and realize you really can't taste it. It's become serious. I can not....(hold onto your seats)...taste chocolate.... I can taste it as being sweet but that is it. It's tragic, not being able to taste chocolate, but the lack of being able to smell is bothering me more. I read somewhere that smelling can actually account for as much as 80-90 percent of what we perceive as flavor. There could really be something to that,... the two combining for a total sensory sensation.
Given a choice though, I think I would want my nose over my tastebuds. Don't get me wrong, I have the biggest sweet tooth there is, and maybe because I do still have somewhat of a sensation of taste I feel able to make that comment. The nose stuff bugs me though. I can't smell flowers or perfumes or baking cookies. I can't smell odors, spoiled broccoli in the back of the fridge, chlorox bleach, or things burning. I never thought I would miss my nose so much, or it's capabilities.
I got to thinking about the five sense we all have. I know some people have experienced losing one or more of those senses in their lifetime. Sight, sound, touch, taste, scent....I don't know which I would choose if I had to lose one. I thought scent would be an easy one, but I am finding out it isn't. I wouldn't want to be blind, or deaf, or be unable to feel a hug ...or the hugger. Thoughts of never tasting chocolate again doesn't set well with me either....but the more I thought about it, giving up taste would be a dieter's dream. If you couldn't taste anything, well you might as well eat all of those veggies your mom told you too. Liver would be your new best friend. Junk food would become just a memory and you wouldn't feel deprived. It would be like going thru life just eating rice cakes and celery though ... meal time would be more of a chore than a pleasure....bland would become boring.
...But then I think about chocolate...wonderful, luscious chocolate. It's one of those things that is both a blessing and a curse. It tastes good... it dances on your palate....it has tons of calories and sugar... but darn it tastes good.... or it use too, from what I remember...
It's not an easy decision, making such a choice. If you suddenly found yourself having to choose which of the five senses you had to give up, what would you choose and why?
Would it be Sight?... Sound?.... Taste?... Touch?....
or would you pick your nose?...
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