oh....and another realization:

this has to do with positive olfactory association. laundry detergent is very powerful. maybe even more so than perfume. you dont even realize how much of a persons unique "smell" is due to the process of cleaning those clothes they are wearing. if they happen to wash your clothes for you, and then you put those clothes on, it is as if you are surrounded and completely enveloped in their essence. it is beyond description. the only observable external response is most likely a second closer smell of the fabric, a huge smile and maybe even a faint "mmm". and then that scent follows you around for another couple hours, surprising you as you get a wiff of yourself. this whole time your mind is going insane. the connecting systems and synapses are going nuts trying to connect these smells to emotions and memories. it can be incredibly wonderful in a very overwhelming sort of way. i think i will ziploc some of these to perserve their scent as long as possible. an attempt to hold onto memories that slowly slip away as the days become weeks and the images less vivid. or maybe you just have to schedule regular jobs laundry in this alternate environment. dont doubt the power of that nose and the parts of your brain it is wired directly to. and yes, i knew that before that stupid Old Spice commercial that tries to educate the world about smell association and links to the brain.

and since i am not sure i thanked you enough miss i-did-your-laundry-as-soon-as-we-got-in-the-door, thank you once again. you gave me much more than clean clothes.

any and all comments or responses are welcome at dabele@wm.edu