I had full intentions of not falling off the face of the earth again. I really did. I promise I didn’t get through NaBloPoMo and promptly give up the blogging ghost, but I haven’t been able to catch a break.
I shan’t bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that I’ve had lots of *ahem*stuff*ahem* going on since I last posted, but I, and the others involved, shall work our way through them as best we can.
I’ve known for a long time, as much as I don’t want to admit it, that I’m pretty dependent on affirmation from other people. While I’ll take it in any form that may present itself, the one that’s really effective for me is touch.
A pat on the back, a hug, a kiss, a hand in mine–these are the things that really penetrate into my heart. Certainly, not all of these are appropriate all the time or from all the people I know, but with the people I’m really close with, touch is how they can best show me they’re proud or they’re happy or they care.
I got to thinking about how much touch does for me, and I started wondering about the senses and how much we use them every day. I mean, each and every one of them have become so much a part of who we are that we don’t really notice them much anymore, at least not consciously. What would it be like to be without one? What if one day I woke up and couldn’t hear, or couldn’t see?
I have a friend who has anosmia. In other words, she can’t smell. She’s been that way since she was born, but I never knew it until just about a week ago. But, that means she’s never smelled warm, baking cookies or barbecue or any of the other goodies we all love to smell. Alternatively, she’s never smelled a skunk or vomit or any of the other baddies we all hate to smell.
So what would you do? What would your life look like if you woke up without one of your senses? Particularly the one you prefer (for me, touch)?
If I woke up and couldn’t feel, that would in reality mean I couldn’t walk or anything like that either, but for our hypothetical situation, let’s just assume I lost the ability to feel the touch of other people. I don’t know what I’d do. Unless I know someone, I tend to actually avoid touch. I suppose it’s just sensitive on both ends of the spectrum. But, I’d be incredibly sad if I couldn’t feel my girlfriend kiss me, or if I couldn’t feel her hand in mine.
It’d be a world of confusion and misery. Especially if I’d known the feeling my whole life, and suddenly it was gone. I can’t even imagine how people feel when they really do wake up from an accident or illness and have lost one of their senses.
Truly, just the thought makes my heart break. So, how about you? What sense would you fear losing the most? What would life be like without it?
Going deaf would be very hard for me. Not being able to hear the piano? I cry just thinking about it. However, not being able to see would also throw me into the pit of despair. I can’t imagine a life without sunsets and rainbows and lightning and fireworks and blue skies and napping kitty cats. (Hello, girly list.) I don’t really touch people all that much, but I do get accustomed to feeling things and cuddling up with soft blankets and the aforementioned napping kitties.
So… If I had to lose a sense, I would go for either smell or taste. I don’t need either of those to play piano, and there are times when I’d rather not smell my cats. (I certainly don’t want to taste them.)
sight – this would probably bother me the most because I would no longer be able to drive, watch movies, surf the web, etc.
hearing – I already watch everything with subtitles or closed captions if available so it wouldn’t be so bad to lose my hearing. I would miss hearing my 28000 song/audio book collection though.
touch – if given your hypothetic situation, it would also not be a really big deal to me. as much as the affirmation from others in the form of hand shakes, hugs, etc. is good, I also don’t like anyone that I don’t know or have a really close relationship with to touch me. in fact, I almost hit a friend of mine yesterday because he touched me. I almost couldn’t control myself.
smell – this would likely bother me the least even though it would affect my sense of taste as well; I love food, I just happen to be rather picky about what I like. not having to smell all the bad would likely out weigh the no longer smelling the good. I’m not a big fan of perfumes and colognes because most people use way too much anyways.
in short sight would bother me the most and smell would bother me the least.
Not being able to smell really hasn’t affected me to the degree that you describe, however, I’ve never been able to smell so there isn’t a feeling of loss. It does affect my daily life, and in much more practical ways than not being able to smell flowers, rain, etc. I’m not much of a cook, mostly I believe because I have a hard time distinguishing between any kind of spices…they are all the same to me. Because I can’t smell, I don’t believe I can taste more than 25% of what other people can. It can also be dangerous because I can’t smell deadly gases or fire. The list goes on…
Like most people, losing my sight or hearing would strike me the hardest blow. Without sight, you become lost in the world you inhabit; without hearing, you are cut off from it. I can’t say which would be worse because I think they would be equally as devastating.
Rachelskirts: Any way you slice it, losing a sense would just suck.
Jake: So, I’ll make a note never to touch you. Ever.
Chelle: Hey, sorry for talking about you and whatnot, but our conversation the other day really got me thinking about it all.