I am smelling like a rose...

I love the way people smell...men especially. My first love, self-proclaimed his scent as "Polo cologne, spearmint gum and manliness". He was a trip. I'm not talking about cologne though, since most dudes wear entirely too much of it anyway. I am talking about that musky, been-through-a-day-of-the-elements, natural man scent. Catch me in the right mood and put a sweaty man nearby... I am toast. I think everyone knows a little bit about pheromones, but recently I learned something that I find unbelievably fascinating. According to scientists, women are actually capable of 'sniffing out' men with different genetic codes than their own. The logic is that we women innately seek a mate with opposite genetics so that we can produce children with immunities to a larger number of things. This intrigues me on so many levels. First of all, it explains why some people (myself included) seemingly have no "type" when it comes to choosing a partner. Now, those that know me would say "Um, Jess...you like Spanish guys and dudes with pony tails who are in bands." On the surface, this is true. However, the people I've had relationships with have been super random, and if you factor in this smell thing, it starts to make sense. Your base instincts can tell you who you should reproduce with, but that doesn't mean you are in any other way compatible with that person. You've got to use your head! I have been obsessed with the olfactory sense forever; it's such a powerful memory trigger! When I was 16, I had a relationship with a guy who I typically only saw on the weekends since he lived in another town and we went to different schools. We were both pretty goth and scrubby at the time, and I'm pretty sure he didn't wash his hair very often. I adored the way he smelled and in an effort to simulate it during the week when I couldn't see him, I began going 2, 3, 4, days without washing my own hair. (I wonder if he is laughing right now, since I know he reads this blog and I don't think I've ever revealed this information before...) I have also wondered if our innate senses can be confused, simply by diversity. When I met my ex, I was instantly attracted to him. He smelled like coffee, cloves and nag chamba incense, which was a magical combination and a welcome change from the stale beer and cigarette smell I'd become accustomed to in my previous relationship. So, were my instincts confused, simply because he was so different? And when you become attached to someone's scent, it stays with you forever. I am 99.9% percent over my ex, yet we had lunch together the other day and while sitting on the patio of the restaurant, the wind shifted and I caught a whiff of him. Suddenly, my brain was transported back 3 years and we were watching a movie together on the couch while I snuggled in the crook of his arm and breathed him in. It threw me for a loop, but I said nothing. I mean, just because we'd evidently make 'super babies' that are immune to everything, doesn't mean we're meant to be. I might start asking potential suitors for a DNA sample, just to save myself the stress of wondering...and if a fella should find it strange that I want to swab the inside of his cheek on our second date, then maybe he's not the fella for me.