The Thing About Brains

One of my favorite things about brains is when one thing, one small thing, reminds you of one other, very large thing.

A smell or a melody, even the laughter of a complete stranger

When I am asked, “what is your favorite smell?” it is rarely something that I actually enjoy smelling because of the scent, but rather a small that takes my muddled memory back to a place that I keep in the very back of my brain. My grandmother’s basement storage closet is one that comes to mind. My neighbor’s house next door to where I grew up. Nelda. I’ll never forget her no matter how much I drink. Her carpet was white; she had a painting of her self on her mantle. She had been in the air force. Not a general but some high rank; especially for a women back in the day. Must have been like WWII or Korea. She was easily in her 60’s and this was in the 80’s.

She had one of those ridiculous tiny keyboards everyone had in the 80’s with a ‘demo’ button that played the same song as everyone else’s.

Her back door was the same and my grandmothers’.

She drank martinis. I didn’t know that then, I just thought she really liked olives in her water in a funny shaped glass.

Her house always smelled a certain way. It, not just the house, but the whole situation always made me feel safe. As a kid, anyplace I felt safe was well appreciated and visited as often as possible.

Thanks Nelda.