A FEW DAYS AGO I WATCHED A REEL
THAT SHOWED THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
BY SMELL IF YOU GREW UP IN THE 70'S.
I WENT DOWN A NOSTALGIC RABBIT HOLE...
"BOX OF CRAYOLA CRAYONS"
"A DITTO COPY TEST"
THERE WERE MANY OTHERS BUT THE ONE THAT
JUST THE THOUGHT OF IT, GOT ME ALL UP IN MY FEELS WAS
"VICKS VAPOR RUB"
AWWWWEEE YEAH!
THAT WONDERFUL MINTY SMELL OF LOVE...
MY PARENTS, ESPECIALLY MY MOM
BELIEVED IN THAT VICKS.
IT WAS GOING IN THE VAPORIZER
AND ON YOUR CHEST....
IT WAS GOING ON THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET
WITH SOCKS ON TOP TO HOLD IN THE BURN...
IT SEEMED TO BE MAGIC TO ME BACK THEN.
THEN I HAD MY OWN CHILDREN
AND THE NAME WENT FROM VICKS VAPOR RUB
TO "LOVE RUB"
BOTH MY KIDDO'S DIDN'T LIKE LOTIONS AND SUCH.
YET, WHEN THEY WOULD BECOME ILL
THEY NEVER SAID NO TO THE BLUE BOTTLE
I PULLED OUT OF THE MEDICINE CABINET.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE NOSTALGIC
THAN HAVING YOUR MOMMA RUB THIS THICK GEL
ONTO YOUR BODY.
I HONESTLY NOW BELIEVE IT WAS NOT FOR
THE MEDICINAL CAPABILITIES IT HELD
BUT FOR THE TLC IT PROVIDED FOR A SICK CHILD.
I KNOW WHEN MY OWN MOMMA OR DADDY
APPLIED IT TO MY CHEST OR FEET,
THE LOVING FEELING LAST LONGER THAN THE
ICY FEELING YOUR SKIN FELT.
SCIENTISTS WHO STUDY THIS MEMORY CALL IT THE
PROUST EFFECT:
THE PHENOMENON WHERE SPECIFIC SMELLS
TRIGGER DETAILED AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORIES.
IF I HAD A BOTTLE OF VICKS IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW
I COULD CLOSE MY EYES AND BE BROUGHT BACK
TO MY CHILDHOOD FROM JUST ONE SNIFF.
WITH THAT BEING SAID,
I WOULD ALSO BE BROUGHT BACK TO A TIME
WHEN I WAS CALLED MOMMA BY MY CHILDREN
AND THAT FAMOUS BLUE BOTTLE WOULD
ONCE AGAIN BE USED
TO RUB SOME LOVE INTO MY CHILD'S BODY.
ALWAYS RUBBED IN EXTRA CARE,
SEALED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FEET WITH A PAIR OF SOCKS.
MAYBE THIS WAS DONE TO KEEP THE VAPORUB WORKING LONGER
BUT I LIKE TO BELIEVE IT WAS TO SEAL THE LOVE
INTO THE HEART, FOR THE LOVE TO BE BROUGHT BACK
BY JUST A SIMPLE SMELL FROM A BLUE BOTTLE
CALLED VICKS VAPOR RUB.