I was talking with some coworkers the other day and the subject turned to the 'old days' (It often does with someone my age). We were discussing great old memories and I mentioned that I had read one time that smell often brings back memories. I can remember all those years ago the smell in my Grandma's kitchen. She was a baker and I mean a big baker. So many times as a kid I'd walk into Grandma's house, not just the kitchen, and smell it: Fresh baked bread. Mmmm... And to this day I absolutely loved the smell of fresh-cut alfalfa (fresh-cut grass is good, too, but alfalfa is the gold standard). And then I mentioned I loved the smell out on the farm right after a nice summer rain. You know, hot and dry for days, then a nice rainfall, and then that sort of special smell in the air.

'Petrichor' someone said.

I thought they sneezed. But no, they said that word. Petrichor.

Now I'm a simple man (no smart-aleck response, please). I thought it was just a nice clean sparkly kind of smell. But I was informed it was Petrichor I was smelling. I pretty much just shook my head, muttered, and walked away. I was sure they were just pulling the old dog's leg again. Having a good snicker on my part. Young wet-behind-the-ears punks.

So I looked it up. I did what I often do, went to my friends at Wikipedia, and found out...yessir, they were right (I hate when that happensThe article said Petrichor was the 'pleasant smell that often accompanies the first rain after a dry spell'.

I'm going to use that on someone someday. If I can remember it.

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