Fragrances

I spot-cleaned the carpet this morning, and the fragrance from the cleaning agent stirred some old memory of perfume or the scent of flowers, but I could not resurrect the memory completely. It made me think how much of our memories are tied to fragrances. The scent of Old Spice aftershave, the fragrance of a wild rose bush or the faint scent of the lily-of-the valley, all conjur up memories. There used to be a wild rose bush beside the road on the way to Aunt Marie's house, where we lingered for a few moments to enjoy the scent, when it was in bloom, of course. My husband used to use Old Spice aftershave, and if I caught a whiff of it now it would bring back memories of those carefree days sixty-two years ago, when we were young and romantic. The daphne bush growing outside my windows sends forth a strong fragrance that can be enjoyed all the way out to the street.
Some memories are tied to particular places. My grandma's soap always smelled like lemon. My Aunt Kate's house had huge lilac bushes growing in the yard. My family home had a fairly good-sized apple orchard which sent forth the smell of apple blossoms in the spring. I will never forget the fragrance of Pond's cold cream. It was advertised with a slogan that read "She's lovely! She's engaged! She uses Ponds!" I found to my discomfort that Ponds did not make me lovely, nor did it lead to my being engaged. It gave me a severe case of exzema which caused me to be sent home from school, and took weeks to clear up. It had a strong fragrance that I well remember.
The scent of the cleaning solution has faded now, and I still cannot remember what it reminds me of. It gave me something to ponder on, and did get out the spots, so I came out ahead, anyway.