The Power of Olfactory

Sometimes, on a more rare occasion than I would prefer, my sense of smell takes me to places in my memories. A reminder of kindergarten, the homes of lovely friends, a holiday celebrated with family and many other things.

But there are 3 very distinct reoccurring scent transportations that I have experienced in my last 10 years or so of life. 

2 of which are the smells of my Grandpa Buck and my Pa. Grandpa Buck smelled of coffee and old house and summer. Pa smelled of gasoline and oil and hard work.

 This is the only digital picture I have of Grandpa Buck, taken with my first ever digital camera.

 

 This is my favorite picture of Grandpa Buck.

 

My Pa, such a cute old man.

 

This is a young Pa, and my favorite picture.

 

The first time I went to the IHOP on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh I almost couldn't control a fit of tears. I opened the door and was hit by an overwhelming smell that was strikingly similar to that of my grandpa Buck. Since selling the farm, I hadn't smelled the smell in a few years. I have caught it a few other times in various people and places but never as strong as the IHOP on Hillsborough Street. 

The smell of Pa happens more often. Sometimes when I pump gas and accidentally drip on my shoe I get to enjoy the smell of Pa for a few days. Whenever I attempt changing my own oil I smell Pa. He would be proud of his grand girl that wants to even attempt changing oil. I still remember the look of joy and pride on his face when he found out I was learning to drive a stick shift for work. He was proud of his girls and that smell reminds me of that. 

The third smell is of a country. The country of Haiti. I guess it's sort of weird to smell a country. But sometimes, most often on a warm sunny day, my nose transports me to that small, impoverished, dirty and beautiful country.  The smell is of warmth and fire (and maybe garbage). Each time it hits I stop and look around to examine the landscape and make sure I have not transported back to that place. 

 

It is amazing to me how our design is capable of this function, that scents are so tied to memories it can stop us in our tracks. One small waft of a smell can take you to places you may have even forgotten existed. 

To smell the real deal and be in the presence of either of my grandpas or back in Haiti is something that I would gladly pay a high price for. But for now, I am at least glad I have the memories and the olfactory senses to take me back to places I sometimes forget. 

A Review of Sorts: The Great Gatsby

* if you haven't read or seen either, I might give away the ending, so readers beware.

A Review of Sorts: The Great Gatsby

Hannah L Wickline

5/17/13

 

As we got up from our seats in the theater, none of us said a word. I am not sure if it was a little relational awkwardness, the late hour, or just the weight of the movie itself. But after such a story as The Great Gatsby, I didn’t know if I felt like talking about it or just getting in my car and having a good cry on the way home. (I chose the latter.)

     As a lover of books more than movies, I find it necessary to have a book fresh in my mind if I am going to watch the theatrical rendition. Thus, I read The Great Gatsby just 3 days prior to seeing the movie. [I may have read it in high school, but I cannot fully remember. I know I remember Daisy and the yellow car and the accident.] Generally, I have a strong dislike for a book turned movie as they often take liberties that make me question why they think they can write the story better than the original author. This production did not give me that feeling. The flashy lights and sparkling dresses at the parties were just as I had pictured them. I am open to disagreement, but I think if the book were to be a movie, and it has been made that way a few times now, this version was an exceptional interpretation.

The actors fit the characters so very well. Daisy was just perfect: her look, her sad yet hopeful eyes, her voice and charm. I appreciated Mr. Maguire as Nick, but his voice was a little lacking for me in the narration. And who better to play Gatsby than old Leo. He fits that time period and crazy/hopeful character to a tee.

One of the things I was most excited about was the soundtrack. I had heard that Jay-Z produced it and knew it would be fabulous. I am a sucker for many things and Jay-Z is one of them for reasons I really do not know. The soundtrack was indeed as I suspected. Fabulous. I love movies with modern music, but set in time periods past. The cross over of life and ideas just seems so right.

My favorite thing, which I was able to notice having read the book just a few days before, was the adhesion to the original text and the script that came across the screen from time to time. The first and last lines and Daisy’s feelings about being a fool were all word for word the same. The graphic description of the accident from the book was very accurately portrayed, chest gash and all. This made the movie for me. If they had strayed from those classic and steadfast lines, I think I would have all together disliked the movie.

As for the story itself, at times when I read the book I was a little confused on characters and who was speaking to whom. For some reason, I got confused on if Jordan was a man or a woman at one point. The movie made these things clear. Having seen the movie I now have a more clear understanding of all the happenings and goings on.

The Great Gatsby is a very small window into the possibility of a time that was. A time that was roaring with who knows what. If this story could have been true, I do not know, but I am glad that it was fictionalized for the generations to come. It is depressing and heart wrenching and beautiful. When I left the theater I felt as though a truck had hit me, much like the yellow car.

It is a story of love and lust and how those two things can and cannot exist together. A story of love of self and temporary pleasure wrapped around a man that hoped so much in a love of past that he bought a house and built it around an idea; a question of the possibility of loving two people, albeit differently, but simultaneously. The love was right, but the timing was off. The timing was right, but the love was off. The parties were grand and the building spectacular, but the hole in their hearts couldn’t be filled.

     It is not a story of redemption, which is what we are often looking for. But a story of an unpleasant reality of what happens when we work to control our circumstances focusing purely on self and temporary desire. Gatsby’s intentions may have at times even been noble, but his identity and idea of life were just that, ideas. He had not built a life based on truth and what really is. The green light flashed across the bay and gave him an ever-growing hope in something he had no control over. When the green light became reality, his world spun out of control leaving him floating face down in a swimming pool pondering what could have been.

     Overall, both book and movie offer quality entertainment and thought provoking storyline. Could it have been real? I don’t know. But it is interesting to ponder the ideas presented thus.

Internet Lacking

My blog entries have been lacking this week.

Reason #1: I haven't really had any bright ideas to write about.

Reason #2: It is the time of year when everyone who works at a camp is about to run head long off  the cliff which is called summer.

Reason #3: The wi-fi signal at my house may or may not be blocked by a large pile of logs.

[A few weeks ago the facilities crew did a great job of cleaning up the field where rocks and mulch and logs and firewood live. The field looks great and well organized. However, this time frame coincides with the Internet becoming inconsistent to not working at my house. The Internet at my house is a wi-fi signal that the IT guy here at camp rigged up from the maintenance building across the field. (as it is free, I am not complaining that it is not working, just stating the fact) It is working on the other side of the logs, thus the theory of the logs being the problem.]

Those are my reasons.

Hopefully I get some bright ideas soon, jump ever so gracefully off this cliff, and can move some logs this week.

Until then, blogger, we shall not be as well acquainted.

30 by 30: Amendments

I like my list. I don't actually want to change it.

But.

As it turns out some things might come up this year that didn't come to mind as contestants for making the list.

And their function will be to be the B team and sub in just in case I don't make it on any of the items on the A team, the original list.

So far I have 2.

Thing 1. Rent a car.

Since turning 25 I have intended to do this, but have never had the need, until this week. My mom and Tim came down for short visit and rode back to OH with them. The plan was for my dad to bring me back, but he was under the weather and could not. After bouncing around ideas and ways to return southward, I landed on car rental. And by mom's suggestion googled a coupon code and saved $100.

I got a 'complimentary' upgrade (aka, we don't actually have the car you reserved online) from a Ford Focus to a Nissan Sentra. I must say it was much nicer than my car and pretty fun to actually have some get up and go under my foot.

 

Thing 2. Try as many interesting chocolates as I can.

 

This has apparently become a strange addiction for me. I like chocolate (preferably dark) with stuff in it. Almonds, toffee, coffee, etc are all great, but I have taken a liking to trying the ones that just sound strange. For example, chocolate with crystallized ginger. Sooooo good. Who know?! Coffee with sweet potato and pumpkin, not so good, but not so bad either. The jury is still out on that one. So I am going to start a list of all the interesting chocolate I find and try.

 

If you find any and want to give it as a gift please send all gifts to:

 

hannaH L Wickline

100 Look Up Lodge Rd

Travelers Rest, SC 29690

 

or if you think of any more good ideas for the B team, feel free to share!