Smell

That word is kind of funny. Smmmmmmeeeeeeeelllllllll. When someone asks you to smell something, there is always that hesitation-is it a good or bad smell? I love good smells. They are a memory trigger for me. It's where all of sudden this smell hits your nostrils and memories come to the forefront. If you think about it, all those scented candles you can buy, your choice to buy may have been influenced by a memory it evoked.

My first memory of smell was of my dad's father wanting to smell my curls. As a child, I had a head full of curly hair. Every time the family would go over to my father's parents, the first thing my grandad would say to me was "Come over here and let me smell those curls." He'd hug me tight and bury his nose in my head and inhale deeply. It always made me feel good. A good hug and an acceptance smell. Once I turned 30 I told him to stop. No, just a joke, he died while I was still a young child unfortunately. This is where I got my love of smells from-no doubt.

If you have ever been around babies, well, is there anything better than a good smelling baby? I'm talking right after you bathe them and put some baby powder on them and some baby lotion in their hair and they are so cute. I can't hold a baby without giving them a smell down. Their innocence with good smells is a knockout combination. When I smell baby powder now, I can flashback in my mind to moments with my two sons.

Everybody has their own distinct smell. It may be manufactured with lotions or colognes, but, it is unique to the person. Hence, not all fragrances smell great on all people. There is a movie called "Perfume" that tells the story of smells and scents very well. In it, there is like an ultimate perfume made from the essence of others that leads to the destruction of the creator. Bizarre movie but very good story. We all make judgements about people based on their smell. If someone stinks or has an unpleasant odor, we tend to have a negative opinion about them. If they wear too much perfume, the same can be said.

My significant other once dated a man who could not stand smells of any sort. This I cannot imagine. To me the five senses are to be embraced and not reduced to an aversion. In my opinion, he is a nut case with more deeper seeded neurosis's than meets the nose. I, on the other hand, love to smell my significant other. Yes, I hug her and inhale deeply just like my grandfather did before me. Thank goodness she tolerates it. It helps my memory when I haven't seen her for a while. How about clothes? Haven't you picked up a shirt that has been worn by someone and still smell them on it?

I haven't talked about bad smells because they are just bad. They do nothing for me. I appreciate that I can distinguish good from bad smells, otherwise I may purchase Ode de Dog Poop candles and offend everyone in my house. But, bad smells do not emotional touch me. It's more of a physical alert. I love going into the Yankee Candle shop in Williamsburg. They have hundreds of scents that they replicate that are great fun to smell. And, yes, they do bring back memories.

Well, to smell is to live to me. I love new smells as well as memory inducing old ones. I'm grateful I can smell. Why do I have this strong desire to smell? I guess nobody really nose:)

Keith

Laughter is the Best Medicine

I love humor. I love to hear a good joke or just have a good laugh. Growing up, my grandparents had a subscription to Reader's Digest. Laughter is the Best Medicine was a section featured in the magazine. It told amusing anecdotes and funny stories. There was another section called Life in These United States and one that featured the military. I read them every single month. I loved Mad magazine. I purchased every issue growing up. I bought Archie comics, Richie Rich comics and others of that sort. I wish I'd kept them, they'd probably be worth a fortune by now. I would purchase paperbacks of Mad's featured artists and satirists. I'd buy paperbacks of cartoons featuring certain cartoonists. I just loved humor. I still have quite a few of my paperbacks. Some date from the late '60s.

Humor can be very varied. Slapstick comedy, dark comedy, gross humor, dirty jokes, bathroom humor, puns, double entendres, etc. I really like it all. I realize that some people don't care for some particular types and that's okay. Humor is no different than anything else in terms of taste. My grandfather use to be a big joke teller growing up. He'd laugh just as hard at his own jokes as anybody else. He use to tell slightly bawdy jokes that I didn't understand but I'd laugh anyway with everyone else. I had a neighbor once who started telling jokes at a Halloween party. He reminded me of my grandfather. He had a ton of jokes and told them really well with enthusiasm. He's still very funny to this day. That Halloween he was dressed as a woman with a mustache. Funny sight to begin with before he opened his mouth and told a joke.

Humor does not have to be sophisticated. Bathing my sons in the bathtub, they would occasionally have gas and watching farts bubble to the surface is funny. They'd be laughing before the fart even broke the surface and they were under two years old. Guess they got the humor gene too. Laughing with them is always fun. Laughing to the point of tears is great fun.

In tough situations, sometimes humor is the best way to break the tension or lighten the mood. When my mother was dying of cancer, I remember moments when humor was used to offer levity to a dire situation. My mother would often be the one to try and lighten the mood. As relatives have passed away, humor works wonders at funerals. Remembering funny stories about your loved ones always brings a smile to your face.

Self depreciating humor is great when you have the right person involved. Having the self confidence to make fun of yourself or relay a less than stellar story about yourself can add to the humor. My brother is great at telling stories about himself that always leave me laughing. The same stories to boot. The jacket is probably his most classic.

So, I hope everyone has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, I know people that just don't laugh. I think that they just can't relax. I do believe that humor can be just what is needed to help us cope with life. It certainly helps me.

So, take two jokes and call me in the morning.

Doc Keith

The Kiss

Remember your first kiss? Is the kiss overrated? Do you like to kiss? How many movies and tv shows hype and glamorize the first kiss. What's a kiss's purpose anyway?

I still remember my first kiss. It was the summer of seventh grade and this girl that I had liked found out that I liked her. The typical exchanging hand written notes from one friend to another with the do you like me stuff. After much pen and paper used, it was decided that we liked each other. Mind you, instead of just asking each other, we used the most convoluted method possible to communicate. Gotta love those thirteen year old skills. Well, we ended up a mutual friend's house one hot July eve. We had been talking to each other once we found that we had mutual interest in each other. Every one else there at this person's house was aware that this was the first time that we were together since the news of mutual admiration. It was decided that we needed to kiss. There wwas tall bushes in the yard so we left to go behind them. It was almost one of those ready, set, go kind of moments. We looked at each other, smiled, closed eyes and kissed. More like touched lips, but it qualified as a kiss. I was invigorated. I felt changed. I felt that my journey with the opposite sex was getting ready to take off. I learned to kiss with this girl. We took our time exploring as any thirteen year olds would. The lesson didn't go very far.

My grandmother taught me about different types of kisses. Specifically how Eskimos and butterflies kiss. She said Eskimos rubbed their noses together to kiss. So we'd do it together and laugh. She said butterflies fluttered their eyelashes together. So we'd get real close and flutter our eyelashes together and laugh. This was before I was thirteen and knew more advanced types between non kin opposite sex humans.

One New Year's Eve, I had a steady girlfriend and we were celebrating at my grandparents house. There was a lot of family there and friends of my grandparents. I was over eighteen and, in the seventies, I could drink beer. I did drink beer. Well, the countdown happened like so many have-ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five ,four, three, two, one, Happy New Year! So at this point in my family you kiss every one to wish in the New Year. My girlfriend was standing next to me so I planted a special kiss for her including a little bit of tongue. Now, on to the rest of the crowd. I will never forget this next moment for the rest of my life. Polly Dunnington-a very close friend of my grandparents-think 60+, was leaning up for a kiss. My mind temporarily snapped. I thought I was kissing my girlfriend still. I leaned down and kissed her with a wet tongue! I still remember her reaction. She looked up at me and just said "Whew!" She had a huge smile on her face and I was taken aback. I didn't say a word and went on kissing with very tight lips.

Kissing is an art form. Some kisses you watch and just make you want to go out and kiss. Other people kiss and it just makes you cringe. I enjoy kissing. Now there are different types. The romantic kiss, the kissing cousin kiss, the parent/child kiss, the baby kiss, the kiss and make up, the kiss off, the kiss my ass, etc.

Kisses to me represent affection for the other person whether passionate or a lot less. There is a genuineness to it because your defenses and personal circle are down. Most people enjoy being kissed by people they care for. It shows affection and we can never have enough of loving care.

So, have you kissed someone today?

Keith

Nags Head Part 2

I could go on and on about Nags Head because it has been such a part of my life. From my parents and grandparents taking me there to me taking my kids there, the trek continues. Nags Head has such a rich history. You have all the pirates who lured ships to the shores of the Outer Banks to pillage to ships-Blackbeard being one of the most famous. You have the Wright Brothers with their first flight taking place on the dunes of Kitty Hawk. One this one peninsula that is less than one mile wide at parts.

My grandparents and their children would rent a cabin and bring the whole extended family down. Usually close to twenty plus people. You had to accept the cot on the floor or the couch as your bed. Married couples got the beds. It was great fun. As we have gotten older, I reminisce about those times when we all just got together and caught up, fought up and spent time together. It was a definition of family to me. I don't think those moments will ever be recaptured. But, I was very fortunate to have them personally. I believe that both my boys love Nags Head and will go there in the future. I will continue to trek down there when I can. Hopefully with the two boys-yeah, I realize with Hunter's baseball it may not be summer.

While married, we had started to have a family vacation with neighbors. They were similar in scope with their family dynamics and there was synergy between us. We probably went on a joint vacation with them for over five years. It was great times. My brother and sister have gone down to Nags Head on a number of vacations together in recent years. The ties of the Outer Banks are strong.

The restaurants are great-Black Pelican, Tale of the Whale(Whale of the Tale, Tale of the way to be)-never could say the name of that restaurant without adding the parentheses part, Sam and Ommies,Weeping Radish and others. The jet skis, the waves, the golfing, celebrating the fourth of July, chilling on the deck or hot tub with some adult beverages-it can't be beat in my opinion.

Tony Bennett sings "I left my heart in San Francisco", but, I leave mind in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Put your sunscreen on and watch out for the hot sand.

Keith

Nags Head, NC

I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I think of it as my second home. I first went to Nags Head when I was eight or nine years old. That's my first memory anyway. My family use to rent a cabin oceanfront from the local pharmacy. I believe it was Miller's Pharmacy. It is no longer there. The cabin was up on stilts-a standard way to build in Nags Head. It had no air conditioning. If you've been to the Outer Banks, you know it gets really hot in the summer. Well, the cabin had lots of windows that you kept open to let the ocean breezes blow through the house. The house was hot just the same. You'd sit at the wooden kitchen table and put your arms on the table and they'd stick to the table. You could feel the skin tug as you pulled your arms from the table. Sleeping at night was always coverless. You'd wake up in the morning and your head would be slightly wet. However, going to sleep at night hearing the ocean waves crash the beach was great sleep inducing music. You'd have to bring your food from home because there were no grocery stores in Nags Head. A local trading post-Calhouns I believe, was the only source for additional food items. The week's stay was always great. I loved going in the ocean and riding waves in whether on board or just body. There'd be days where the waves were wild and others where they'd be mild.

That was over forty years ago. Things have definitely changed. I still have some great memories with my family from those early years. We also stayed in some cabins that weren't on stilts. I can't remember their name but they also weren't air conditioned and on the cramped side. A local guy in Hopewell owned a cabin down in Nags Head. I believe his name was Elmo Parr. He owned a local BBQ joint in Hopewell. One time, Elmo and his friends offered to take my dad and me flounder gigging. It is done at night in the dark. We packed into his truck and headed to the Oregon Inlet bridge. Right before we got to the bridge, we turned off the road onto sand. We four wheeled it to somewhere under the bridge. It was low tide. There were all these little water causeways where the water still flowed. We were getting ready to walk in them. The gig was a long pole with a spear on one end and a rope with a knot tied to the other end. The concept was you'd spear the flounder, then slide it along the pole to the rope where it'd slide down and be dragged in the water behind you to keep the fish fresh. There was also a light pole that you'd place into the water near the sands surface to look the outline of the flounder in the sand. It was totally dark so that light in the water was the only source by which to see. Seeing all the sea life at night in this environment was amazing. Watching large fish swim between my legs was a little freaky but cool nonetheless. The water started out no more than knee deep but it got to points where we were in to our shoulders. It was an experience I'll never forget. We got a boatload of flounder and fried it up the next night.

The water at Nags Head can be very tricky. Sandbars can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you can walk for a long way out with the water no more deep than your ankles. I remember one time with my sister we were walking on the sandbar and we noticed the sandbar shifting. We ran towards shore to escape the shifting sand but my sister made a wrong move and stepped off the bar into water over her head. It freaked both of us out. She swam out of the water just slightly shaken.

Another time I was carrying my brother on my shoulders with my sister and her friend along the ocean at night. The tide was coming in and eating up the entire beach. We had to climb the dunes and come back to our cabin by the road because the tide had come in so high. My parents were worried sick because they had noticed the tide and thought we could be in trouble. They were very relieved when they saw us arrive back from our excursion.

This is a good place to stop for now. I have more to say but at 1am, I'm getting tired. Thanks for reading so far.

Keith

Weinergate

I really feel sorry for Anthony Weiner. That New York congressman who tweeted his way to Weinerville. I mean if you grow up with Weiner for a last name, it ain't going to be easy. Children can be so cruel. However, if you realize that your last name can subject you to ridicule, don't throw fuel on the fire.

Late night talk shows have had a ball-two in the case of Weiner? roasting him. God, two puns in one sentence. It may be the lowest form of humor, but it is funny. The man spent nine days denying that it was him. His account had been hacked. Then, he admits he lied and there is six women who have tweeted plus with this man who has been married just over a year.

How do you hold your head up in public after all that? How can you say you will continue in your job as a congressman after you've been found dilly dallying with young women in a lewd sort of way. Does he get a Bill Clinton pass? Before this broke, he was a far left leaning democrat blathering about his socialistic causes. I felt he was a joke then. I felt he was a dick. He has since acted like his name with the current dilemma. Well, whatever he did before this personal crisis, it is the only thing that he will be remembered for now. Did his last name dictate his inevitable future behavior?

This is why I love politics. Politicians can make things so much fun. It's only a matter of time till we elect a Ms. Pussy. I can't wait!

Happy times,

Keith

The Only Thing Constant is Change

Boy, I've been hearing that line for a long time. It is so true. I guess that's why it is still around and being said. Change is not something that is universally endorsed by all. Some people just like things the way they are and don't want to change. They would be considered dinosaurs and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs. So, what's the big deal? Why is it necessary to want change and at the same time want some things to not change?

Stability comes to mind for those that want little or no change. They have their little foundation built the way they want it and just want to continue living that way. Watch out for the flood waters. You've seen movies based on this premise. Obscure guy living his life with his same job for years. Obscure guy loses job for reasons beyond his control. Obscure guy loses it mentally and goes on killing rampage. Kind of a drastic take on reaction to change, but, real nonetheless. My sister does not have a debit card. She writes checks everywhere. She lives in a small town so she can get away with it. If I'm in line at a store and see a person paying with a check, I get irritated. How can this person still live in the dark ages. How can they slow down this line with their paper check? Did the new technology pass them by due them being locked in a closet at the moment of this change?

What has not changed in the last ten years? My children-change, my life-change, cell phone-change, job-change, television-change, President-change-Obama lovers happy with your change now?, city you live in-change, your attitude and beliefs-change, books-change, etc. Everything that we know continues to change. 100 years ago changes came at a much slower pace. It was a steady and slow kind of change. Now, hold on to your hat, you're in for a helluva roller coaster ride. The real catalyst for all this change-technology. It to me, has changed our lives drastically.

Last night I was out eating with my two sons and my significant other and they were sitting at the table playing games on their phones. They'd stop and text others and then go back to their little iPhones. Our conversation was limited based on trying to balance games, texts, emails, and real time conversations. This is not unique. They'd do it with their friends as well. They are one reach in their pocket from their phone. But, are they really staying in touch or building up a barrier between human interaction? Text is abbreviated language reduced to minimalist communicating. Tweeting is limited number of characters. Tweeting is mass communication to everyone but no one. You put your thought out there and some people pick it up and others don't even know what twitter is. Are we really getting better at communicating or just increasing the options?

I love technology. I absolutely love cell phones. I've had mine since 1996. Same phone number but quite a few different phones. So, a combination of not wanting change and embracing change? Video games amaze me know. I loved the Atari system and Pong when it first came out. I loved the 8 bit Nintendo system. Now it's PS 3, X Box, Wii and motion sensors to immerse you in the game even more. The graphics are so realistic. I wouldn't trade my HD tv for anything. The old cumbersome tube tv's of old were so old school. The Internet is so wild and crazy. What a wealth of info out in cyberspace. This Blog has benefitted by the Internet being here. And yet I'm communicating blindly. I have no face to look into as I write, just an iPad screen. So, I'm communicating as a broadcast. Yelling from the top of a mountain or tower to whoever hears me.

So are we better communicators or worse nowadays? We are better at processing vast amounts of info quickly but weaker at the interpersonal skills between two people. We just don't spend enough time one on one without artificial forms of communication getting in the way to make us lazy at really paying attention.

So, back to change and our lives. Is it good? There is no easy answer. I'm accustomed to it now and know there is no turning back. However, I yearn for the easier days when dinner at the table with all eyes on each other were the norm. Not, let me be entertained every second with sensory overload that satisfies my short attention span. The human touch can't be replaced or replicated by modern technology changes. Oh, but it'll try with some kind of virtual reality.

I know that five years from now I will be embracing openly or begrudgingly all the changes that rapidly will come. I just hope that my old school sense of family and friends doesn't change and yet I know it will. I just hope the changes are for the better.

Well, in this blog I changed directions quite often. I changed my mind and erased a number of thoughts. I love change even thought I often go kicking and screaming as it occurs. Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes- Jimmy Buffett- my paradise poet. Till we meet again. Can you spare some change?

Keith