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?