Unfortunately, I have a very diminished sense of smell (and yes, I blame it on that over-the -counter remedy thing), and I've found that I don't always miss it... but then, I can still smell some scents (most flowers, thankfully, because I love them!) if they're strong enough and I can be close enough to them. I've found this pretty handy in alot of "unpleasant" situations and I probably get more offers to change the grandbabies' diapers than most grandparents would under normal circumstances! For whatever reason, there are actually some scents that I'm still sensitive to, although I have a feeling that it's more because the chemicals associated with them have an effect on me, rather than actually being able to smell them. I do worry about things like not being able to smell a gas leak, and I do miss the subtlety of some scents, but all in all, I've learned to deal with it over the past few years.
The ability to taste goes hand in hand with smell - in fact, a large part of what we taste is directly affected by our sense of smell. Know how when you have a cold and are all stuffy, nothing tastes quite the same? Luckily, I like foods with strong flavors, and I have a healthy enough imagination that I can remember the smells that go with most foods. So, while most things taste pretty "normal" to me, if you blindfolded me and asked me to taste different things, I'd have to rely more on texture than taste. I think I could live with that tho!
To lose my hearing would be hard... I'd miss the sounds of the voices of the people I love, the laughter of my grandchildren when something tickles their souls, the music... traditional music, yes, but also the music of life - the wonderful, albeit sometimes annoying, cacophony of sound that fills pretty much every waking moment. It's funny, but when it's too quiet, it's almost painful - like my brain needs some sound to process. I guess I'd have to learn to check my kitchen timer more frequently and go back to waking up 5 minutes before the alarm goes off, and invest in a "hearing" companion pet, but I would definitely miss my hearing
Touch... there's a dichotomy there, I think. If I had to choose between losing the ability to "touch" vs the ability to "feel" someone touching me... I think I would be selfish and want to retain the ability to feel someone else's touch. To be completely devoid of tactile sensation would be quite unbearable I think, but perhaps not as unbearable as...
Not being able to see... I think, for me, this would be the hardest of the senses to lose. To not be able to see my husband's smile, the twinkle in his eye when he's "messing with my mind", to not be able to watch my children and grandchildren as they explore life, to not be able to see an amazing sunrise, or moonlight dancing on water... to be unable to watch the hummingbirds as they hover over desert blooms, or see the rest of the wonders of Mother Nature in her glory... those would be hard. I could learn to read braille, I could be content to listen to the tv (that's what I usually do now since I like to multitask...lol), but being sightless would, I think, be the worst for me.I know if I did lose one or all of my senses, that somehow I'd learn to manage, but...Now, I'm curious... what about you... which of the five senses could you manage without? Leave me a comment and let me know!
I'd like to thank the following shops for allowing me the privilege to feature their great items to illustrate this post!
nose magnet - ArtAkimbo
Monsters Don't Just Eat People, They Eat Value Meals - Original- KillTaupe
1920s Anatomy. Music to The Ears - SurrenderDorothy
Lost. Touch. 1 - ApertureAgog
Boo Boo Bandit - ACEO original fine art print- PamlicoBee
5 comments:
I really have never thought about that before.
I remember a high school friend who lost his eyesight and the devastation he felt from it. He told his dad, "Dad, I want to see. Why did I have to lose my eyesight? Of all the things I could have lost, why my eyes?".
He died not long after that. His hurt from losing his eyesight has never left me.
i think i can give up smell....sound and sight and touch will be very hard....specially sight. i wear contacts a lot and i hear a lot of horror stories about ulcers from contacts that cause blindness and more....i will be very very devastated if that every happens to me so i am extra careful with my eyes
Hearing - I think if I couldn't hear, it would not isolate me from others of the world in ways that I couldn't compensate or replace - at least that's my fantasy. If I had a choice I'd like to stay crisp on all senses there are :-)
Ha! It's not hypothetical for me; thanks to some serious neurological issues, I've lost them all from time to time.
Touch is the worst. Without touch, there's no knowing what is happening to my most immediate person. The only way to avoid bodily harm is constant insane vigilance, and it's incredibly alienating to not be able to feel another's touch.
Hearing I can do without, much as I enjoy it when it's working. I'm a reader and painter and internet addict, not a music person, and most human communication is nonverbal anyway.
Still, I've done without vision pretty well! You'd be amazed how quickly other senses adapt. People think this would be the dealbreaker, but I have to say, a lot of the anguish is self generated. The main problem is balance! I have a lousy sense of balance anyway.
Taste and smell are pretty much the same thing. A lot of joy disappears when those go. Eating becomes a requirement, instead of something to look forward to! On the bright side, it makes weight loss easy.:/
Touch is the worst. Everything else can be adjusted for, but nothing else ever takes the place of touch. Er. Or so says someone who's had a chance to try it.:)
When I get a bad cold I do lose my taste buds and I can't smell, it's very frustrating, but I suppose I could live without them. I think I would miss my sight the most.
Thank you for the feature, that was very sweet of you!
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