Stop and Smell the Story

Years ago I discovered the power of my nose.
I am but a mere human but for a human I have quite the sense of smell. (This makes perfect sense to me because I am very blind and can not see a 2 foot letter right in front of me with out my glasses, nature had to give me something. )
I can walk by a person and tell exactly what bath and body works fragrance they are wearing, I can smell a dog pee stain from outside my apartment door, thanks Kahlua!
I can smell when things are still good but about to go bad, I can even smell how many days it has been since Josh washed his hair last.

So it isn't the most important talent in the world, and so what everyone else has the same ability. I may think I have a stronger sense of smell than the average person but in reality I may just be one of few who is detailed oriented enough to smell my surroundings.

This unfortunately brings me to my obsession or love for all different kinds of smells. I love to smell "good", which I realize is a perception.
My favorite smell is a candle fragrance that Yankee Candle put out several years ago called "Midsummer's Night"
It is meant to provoke the sense of romance and beauty that Shakespeare wrote about.
To me it leads my imagination into the halls of Hogwarts and up the towers to the Divination room.

When I was reading the 3rd installment into Harry's battle against evil, I came across a car freshener for this scent and used it as a book mark.
I was surprised to find myself more involved in the world than I ever had been before. It all started when I opened the book where I left the makeshift book mark the day before and felt as if i were standing in the great hall.
I could smell the potions, the thick perfumes and aroma of the old castle. It was a sensation I had only heard about from Josh or my good friends David and Corey.
They always talked about books like they were something you could be a part of and now I knew what they meant.

I have read hundreds of books in my life but Harry Potter series are still my favorite. I wonder how many more books I would read if I could match them all to a scent that would pull my imagination into the words on the pages.

This is kind of sad to admit but I miss that experience so much that sometimes I put light a "Midsummer's Night" candle to try to remember the way I felt as I traveled with Harry and his friends through the castle looking for adventure.