SCENT OF A CITY…

Ever notice that certain cities have a particular scent? Those familiar with large, urban cities like NY, New Orleans, Chicago, etc. know exactly what I mean.

A few months ago I was in New Orleans and found that I missed the familiar scents of the city…both the good and bad (great food, the water, and Bourbon Street after a night of partying)! Odd, but true! Tonight I am in New York…another city with a distinct scent…the diverse cuisines available at the food carts on every corner, the smell of bagels wafting from the store fronts, and garbage piled up on the curb.

When I could smell, I often complained about some of the less savory scents and often used them to slam these incredible cities…they were a distraction for me. But now that I can’t smell, I have an entirely new view of both cities. The scent of the city has become more about the people and the visual tapestry that make them so vibrant and alive. This became crystal clear as I stood outside my midtown hotel tonight and simply let the city envelop me!

Yes…New York has a scent, New Orleans has a scent, Atlanta has a scent. Insert any city and the statement is true. However, what I have learned is that the scent has nothing to do with what we smell (or can’t smell) and everything to do with the people, the sounds, the architecture, the pace of life…in essence the unique elements and characteristics that make the city sing!

I now look at cities differently. I now listen to cities differently. I now have a greater appreciation of my journey as it is teaching me a whole new approach to life. I may be smell-less and tasteless, but I am scentless no more!

As always…I am the Tasteless Gourmand!