Sandy Supposes....

P.U. Perfume

PROMPT: War Chest Wednesday! Write the first thing that comes to mind when you think of one of these three smells: spearmint, paint remover, or strong perfume/cologne.

          Whew! Can you imagine these three scents combined? Would it be a gum-chewing house painter with a fondness for after shave? Perhaps this could describe a manicurist doused in spearmint eau de toilette?

          During my lifetime, I have met several different women who doused themselves in perfume. One was my boss' first wife. She could best be explained as high maintenance. She always indulged herself with weekly salon appointments for her hair and her finger nails. Hours were spent sitting in chairs and being pampered. Stylists trembled when she pitched a fit. She was a foot stomper, and a door slammer. I associate her signature scent with temper tantrums. Long after she stormed from a room, her cloying cologne lingered, and poisoned the air. Its sickly cloud preceded her entrances, and raised alarms.

         I don't know if my boss had no sense of smell, or a diminished one. His second wife also was heavy-handed with perfume. She was a hugger and air-kisser. When she approached and leaned in close, tears sprang to my eyes, and I gasped for oxygen. It could have been caused by the tightness of the embrace, or my light-headedness due to fresh air deprivation.

          I associate powerful perfumes with my French teachers , too. Each one of them preferred to wear dresses, and high heels. Maybe I noticed because my Mother rarely chose to spray herself with scents, she had asthma.

          I like how a strong scent is portrayed in a cartoon as a shifting, billowing blob with fingers capable of tapping people on the shoulder, or tickling noses, or tugging, or pulling. Remember the Pepe le Pew cartoons? The perfume is ultra alluring, and irresistible. It seems to wreak more havoc with men than women.

         Perfume commercials accentuate the sensual sexiness of colognes. They promise attraction. seduction, action, satisfaction.

         Perfume can be a powerful potion, but a little goes a long way. A slight spritz is more than enough. Granted it's probably a more pleasant smell than some other substances, so why assault everyone with a walloping whiff?

         Haha! Now I'm humming a classic to myself, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', or am I thinking of 'Smells Like Nirvana'?