“By trying to be distinct about what you smell. Everything has a scent, even if you think it doesn't. You can smell much more than you realize, but there's a tendency for things to overwhelm you, and that's the common problem.”
“Okay…” I note, following everything he has said so far.
“This morning, we're going to do an exercise. I want you to try and find me in the woods.”
“That seems easy en—”
“On smell alone,” he adds. He produces a blindfoldfrom his pocket.
“What?” My voice goes up an octave. “Grant, I can't—”
“You can, I'm sure of it. Now, you just have to prove it to me and yourself.”
Grant takes the blindfold and secures it around my eyes. He makes sure that I can't see through it at all. While he does this, I take a small whiff of him, letting his scent flood my senses.
Once my ability to see has been stolen, I realize that my other senses begin to compensate. The slightest brushes of his skin on mine feel like electricity shooting through me. I even get closer to him, so the accidental touches happen more.
Sadly, Grant finally steps away, but his scent remains, almost like a cloud around me. I keep taking whiffs, in awe of how great he smells.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Nope,” I reply.
Grant chuckles a little. “Once you begin to feel like you've lost my scent, I want you to come running. Okay?”
I nod in response. The next thing I hear is the sound of Grant zooming into the woods. I do as I've been told, waiting there, just at the edge of where the trees start. Grant's scent still lingers around me for a while, until it slowly disappears.
Soon, it's almost like I can't tell if it's still there or if I'm imagining it. Eventually, I know for sure that it's gone. My heart gets a sinking feeling, and I realize it's time for my search to begin.
As I enter the woods, the fact that I'm blindfolded becomes an even bigger issue. I can smell everything around me, from the trees to the smallest blades of grass, to the birds that have made this land their home.
I can also smell some small animals running in the distance, and while I'm pulled toward that, my main concern is finding Grant.
I take measured steps through the woods, walking in one direction, hoping that it helps me find Grant. Still, with everything I can smell, there's no hint of Grant's scent. My frustration grows the deeper I move into the woods.
Why can’t I get this right?
I pause for a second before I get too angry to do anything. This time, I take a few deep breaths to reset and then start again. I stand in place, trying to filter through the scents that are being thrown my way.
In the jumble of all of these, I finally find the one I'm looking for. In the darkness, Grant's scent feels like a small golden thread.
I walk in that direction, avoiding the trees and obstacles in front of me using only my senses. Soon, I'm able to jog and even run through the forest without hitting anything, while still pursuing Grant.
This golden thread gets thicker and thicker, until it becomes like a rope that pulls me through the woods. I happily let it pull me in, dragging me through the forest with ease.
I can do this!
I gain more confidence the further I go, feeling this tug as my nose sniffs the air. Soon, it’s almost as if my nose has nothing to do with it. The tug pulls me further and further until I finally hear Grant’s steps.
“I've got you now.”
I pick up the pace, running as fast as I can. Grant is clearly not running at full speed because I catch up to him easily. Once I'm close enough, I launch myself off the ground, tackling Grant to the moist earth, and straddling him as he lies there.
I take off the blindfold triumphantly. “Yes! I did it! I—”
My eyes lock with Grant's, and it feels like my heart is going to burst from my chest. A very strong tightness grips me, and the look on Grant's face shows me that I'm not alone.
Eventually, release comes, and it feels like I'm finally breathing normally for the first time in my life.
