Autumn has arrived and with it, all of its scents and perfumes of this season. There is the scent of Bengay that has been spread unceremoniously across both knees. Your chest reeks of menthol via Vick’s vapor rub, which could also be spread above your lips to facilitate easier breathing. Your hair smells of rosemary, tea tree, and castor oil to promote growth and/or hide ever worsening thinning or bald spots. The house and your breath reeks of too much garlic which is being used to lower blood pressure. And you slosh wintergreen alcohol, turned black with the banana peels you have shoved into the bottle for the potassium benefits, all over the ever presenting aches and pains of a typical autumn day. When do you know it’s autumn? It’s when you care more about the benefits of the remedies than what you smell like.
I can so relate to your final line! As I get older, I'm much more interested in how I feel, what benefits I'm getting, comfort, etc. than I am about how I look (and smell) to others. This piece is permeated with strong scents that I could almost smell as I read it. Nice descriptive langauge!
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