The Grandest Summer Afloat

Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. Now, among homo sapiens, the "Cater nose" is one of the most well tuned, sensitive noses. Yeah, we smell. As previously discussed, I do not have the best memory. However, with my highly attuned olfactory system, sometimes memories from the dark, cob-web filled crevasses of my mind will flash to the forefront. A smell is the quickest way for me to remember something or someone. Every time I smell "lovespell" I immediately think of my ex-girlfriend Jessica. I probably always will.
I recently switched deodorants. Not so much the brand, but the flavor. It's Old Spice "Pure Sport". (I firmly believe this is a misnomer. If anyone has every played sports, or been around someone who just played sports, their scent is not one I wish to APPLY to my underarms.) Nevertheless, I switched to Pure Sport. I must have used this scent before, because the memories started coming during my first application. Chief among those memories was my summer spent in Nashville. That's right, my new deodorant brought back memories of my summer in Nashville. All hail the power of the Cater nose.
It was the summer of 2006. My roommate Evan and I decided to up and move to Nashville for the summer. We crammed into a basement apartment with his twin brother. We got two jobs. One- we worked on the street team for a weekly arts and entertainment publication called "the Nashville Scene". That was fun, but it's for another post. Our primary occupation that summer was banquet serving aboard the General Jackson Showboat: The Grandest Showboat Afloat!

It was unlike anything I've ever done. It was stressful, but really fun! The scent of Old Spice Pure Sport makes me think of walking down the steel ramp toward the 300 foot river boat. I'm about to begin a dinner shift. People are running around frantically setting their tables, getting the food on board. The Singers (the stars of that evening's show) are smoking outside the boat (wanted to punch them). My stomach churned with the anxiety of knowingly walking into something you have no idea how to do.

I always survived. I'd be exhausted, but I finished every shift. I even had some tip money in my pockets after some shifts! With this year ending, some people are heading in brand new directions. They are entering new environments, starting new jobs, getting married, moving, etc. It is my prayer that these people find solace in the fact that they WILL come out of this new thing with a better understanding of life than they had before. This is how we grow. Change is not a bad thing! Whether you're changing jobs or changing the scent of your deodorant, go for it. You'll be better off for it!