World’s Greatest…

This post is part of the You Write the Title series, and was suggested by Erin. She didn’t say the world’s greatest WHAT, so I’m going with smells.

• Play-Doh. I smelled this last week, thanks to a generous two-year-old who shared his with me – although only because he wanted me to make him a pig out of it – and it was still just as awesome. The smell, not the pig. The pig was pretty rudimentary. Really, I think he was just humoring me in even recognizing it as a pig.

• Old books. They smell like tall shelves and deep thought and cardboard boxes and time. Like discovery and ideas.

• Baby hair. I don’t know what it is, but there is something magical about the top of the head of anybody who can’t walk yet. It’s like they’re just little scratch-and-sniff stickers labeled “Happiness”. (Disclaimer: Do not go off scratching babies and saying I told you to.)

• The air after a rainstorm. I don’t want to hear the science about ions and ozone, I just want to stand out there, soaking wet, and sniff up the clean air like a great big ecstatic bloodhound.

• Men’s deodorant. I know it sounds weird, but bear with me. Some men’s colognes are just overpowering. And unscented boy can be, well… pungent. Especially after a workout. But nice clean guy? Mmm.

• Dry leaves. They smell like dusty sunshine.

• Hot oatmeal cookies. Without raisins, just straight-up oatmeal, baked so they’re still the tiniest bit gooey in the center. This just smells like home for me. Snow days and cozy afternoons and… I’ll be right back, I’m going to go take some butter out to soften.

What’s the world’s greatest smell for you? (And no, no points for the first one to say “napalm in the morning”. I know who you’d be anyway.)