You know exactly who I'm talking about. Is her desk three cubicles away? Has she brushed past you at Starbucks (and you could tell she did for hours afterward)? Perhaps you've ridden three floors in an elevator with her (could you hold your breath that long?). In any case, she left her mark on you. So to speak. You were compelled to think of her again and again, even if you had never lain eyes on her before.
And, worse, she was probably depressed. And you could tell because she was wearing so effing much perfume you could hardly breathe. There. You DID know who I meant, didn't you?
There's an apparent link between depression and a loss of the sense of smell. Which explains a LOT, if you ask me, because people who don't smell well often, uh, overcompensate in the scent-application department. You know the thing where you spray a bit in the air and then walk through it? These people gargle it, bathe in it, and liberally douse themselves with usually the most noxious of scents. I know you know who I mean.
I'll take this a step further and state that French women don't get depressed. Not only are they thin (from walking everywhere), healthy (the wine thing), and well-dressed (after all, they're French), but French women, Parisian women especially, smell great. I know, that's against the whole French-people-are-casual-about-bathing thing, but my memories of the Metro in Paris, and Paris in general, have a lot to do with catching a random whiff of some fabulous perfume.
Okay, culture rant over. So please, if you know of someone of whom we speak here, let's hope they get help. So you can stop holding your breath. Interestingly, aromatherapy can help with depression and also with regaining their sense of smell. Huh. Chicken? Egg?
P.S. This absolutely goes for men as well. You know who I mean.
Photo: jokestarter.com
