It was an ordinary day. But, I'm still smelling skunk every time I blow my nose. We recently had a skunk make a visit to our back door where he got in a altercation with a possum over the dish of cat food that's outside our back door. I think the skunk won because there is no way anything could have survived the smell that filtered in through our rear door. It's a few days since that happened and I still can detect that odor every time I blow my nose. This smelling feature that I seem to have goes against what most people over age 60 should still have in their arsenal of physical gifts. The sense of smell is said to be joining the list of balance, flexibility, muscle mass, strength, vision, hearing and hair that many may be losing on the downside of their life. It was reported in the Wall Street Journal that our sense of smell degrades as we age, reducing both pleasure and safety. By the age of 60, half of us will experience some reduction in nose function and by the age of 80 that increases to three-quarters of us. To see how you fare with your sense of smell, hold your nose and close your eyes and taste both chocolate and vanilla ice cream. If they taste the same, you're in trouble! I have a couple of friends that seem to have loss, or never did have, the sense of smell. Not being able to smell a turkey cooking at Thanksgiving or a batch of chocolate-chip cookies any time of the year would be a real downer for me. And not being able to detect a gas leak or spoiled food is a danger. Not being able to associate the smell of a certain type of food with it's peculiar taste would really change my eating habits. Just like color blindness, you can also be smell blind to various scents, which drastically affects taste. Those who hate cilantro do so because they say it smells like soap. For those who are classified as a "supertaster," bitter foods like black coffee and some vegetables come across as especially pungent and unsavory. I have always been proud of my nose. As soon as the fridge opens, I can detect if something is wrong inside. When I put a glass of milk to my mouth, I can tell before even taking a sip if it is spoiled. And, my keen dislike for the smell of cigarette smoke would have given my kids away in a second. For those who may be losing the scent of smell there is hope. Believe it or not, there are exercises that sharpen the olfactory function the way crossword puzzles do your brain. Put aside small jars of spices, pencil shavings and even leaves of plants and sniff them regularly to kick start the receptors in the brain. Experts say do that 30 minutes a day. Yeah, right! The sense of smell is closely tied to memory. The smell of creamed-peas and eggs on toast on the table always reminds me of my childhood. The smell of buttery popcorn reminds me of movies when I was young. But, your sense of smell is not noticeable to others like your sense of sight or the fact that you are losing your hair. No one has to know but you. But I do feel bad for those who can't smell the salty ocean or a newly mowed lawn. I have some loss of hearing and I'm sure some feel bad for me that I can't hear certain sounds. That's why we old people need to lend a hand or an ear to help a friend. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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