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You see bright colors. You hear loud noises. You feel the soft touch of clean linens. You taste the sweet sensations of fresh food. "You smell" is an insult.
In an era of pleausrable sensory experiences, the sense of smell is often ignored until something disturbs it. Once this sense is disturbed, it is often times cursed or blamed for the odor. It isn't the nose's fault your friend hasn't bathed in a week.
There is a common understanding that people who have beautiful eyes are desireable, those with soft skin pleasant to hold...but what about the nose? It's only mentioned when referred to as a schnozz or awning for the mouth. The notable noses we think of are Gerard Depardieu, Abe Lincoln, Jimmy Durante, Barabara Streisand and Joe Namath. The wonderfully cute noses of the world are often times unnoticed, or overlooked in favor of other bodily attributes. There is often times something a little unpleasant about the nose (mucus), but does anyone have a keen interest in saliva, ear wax, skin oils, or tears? All of our senses have something a little suspicious about them, but the sense of smell seems to get the worst record.
Working outdoors has taught me all about allergies. Though I have none myself, the phrase "oh, my nose is killing me" is all too common. Ladies and gentlemen, your nose is not killing you...the ragweed is.
Also those few people who snore, continue to give the nose a bad reputation. In an attempt to prevent such an occurence people often put the BreathRight strips on their nose. This flimsy piece of plastic makes even the most beautiful of faces look like they misplaced a BandAid.
The nose doesn't even get its own doctor. They get thrown in with the Ears and Throat. The ass and foot get their own doctors, so why is the nose part of the Extra-Value Meal of doctors? Once again, the least valued sense gets the short end of the stick. One could argue for rhinoplasty, but that is an attempt to change the nose from its natural state, thus making it seem inadequate. The nose is an extremely important part of the human body. Sinusitis, Sinus and Allergies, Colds, Sore Throats...all of these condition have to do with our beautiful schnozes. One search engine came up with over 64,000 sites dealing with simply "the nose".
And don't forget about nosebleeds! As children, most of us have gotten knocked in the face and the result was us running around having to hold our heads back and pinch our noses. Nose bleeds can also be caused by allergies, or simply the irritation of the inside of the nose. While annoying most of the time, nose bleeds can also be informative. Letting people know that they may possible have bleeding disorders, hypertension, or arteriosclerosis...all of which give off nosebleeds as a symptom.
Celebrate your nose. Thank it for fresh bread, sandalwood, your significant other's perfume/cologne, clean air, and the nuzzle. Take time to stop and smell the roses, it's the least you could do for the most underrated sense.
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