The Smell of a Place

Have any of you ever walked into your Grandma's house and felt instanstly comforted by the smell of her kitchen? Have you ever walked past the ice cream stand and smelt them making homemade waffle cones and felt the urge to indulge in a cool treat? Have you ever gone outside after a long rainstorm (if you are living in Alberta this last month this one will really apply to you) and taken a deep refreshing breath of cool, rain air? If you can relate to any of these things then you will agree with me when I say that the places we love most come with a specific smell, unique and distinctly their own.

Amongst the busyness of life I usually forget to stop and simply smell. I can find myself caught up with what's going on in my own world and forget that there are wonderful, small gifts we are given on a daily basis like smell that remind us we all have stories, histories and memories that are apart of us.

On Monday afternoon I stood up from my desk to take a break from the computer screen and take a stroll outside to catch a fresh breath. As I walked down the sidewalk I was instantly overwhelmed by the smell of summertime in Hay Lakes. It is a beautiful blend of pure prairie air, freshly cut grass and the perfect blend of dusty breeze. It is a smell that took me instantly back to my childhood when I roamed the village streets with my cousins, playing from morning until night, only breaking for the odd ice cream cone and meal. This wonderful smell of summertime reminded me of memories that perhaps I don't often take the time to think about enough anymore. Being in Hay Lakes this summer has offered me many new learning experiences and new insights into complex topics. But, maybe even more important than all of that is it has reminded me that the memories I cherish most about being a child can be called upon in a heartbeat if I simply take a second to smell.

I suppose today I challenge all of you to take the time out of your busy day and indulge your senses with a few familiar smells. You might be surprised by what you discover and pleased with the realization that even though we grow up, move away and change, we can be warmed every now and then by the smells that are linked to our fondest memories.

I am learning that what makes our rural communities so important is not a question that can always be answered by a few well thought out sentences, or even by research, but instead if you are present, can sometimes be found in the prairie air.