Have you ever been in close proximity with a rotting dead animal, and enjoyed the smell? I highly doubt that many of you answered with a resounding “YES!”. Well, agree with you. And, that is why I cannot figure out why many people here (and I’m not just sayin’ Belgium, I’m callin’ all of Europe out on this one…maybe even most of the world) refuse to shower and/or use deodorant. Not that the deodorant over here is the same…it’s more of a perfume or scent for armpits…they don’t seem to have antiperspirant.
Do these people not smell themselves? Do they not wonder why people move away from them on the bus or at the grocery store? Do they not notice the people dry heaving around them? I mean, it’s just foul and repulsive. I just can’t imagine being them. I mean, believe me…I’ve gone a couple days without showering before, but I always apply deodorant to remedy any possible issues. And, it’s just not one demographic, but it does seem to be more middle-aged men than anyone else.
This is not something that I noticed yesterday…it’s been a pet peeve of mine for many years now. I can remember sitting on a train in Italy with my girlfriend, Kelli, when we were juniors in college. The man sitting behind us stunk so bad that I seriously thought I was going to vomit. My husband is constantly texting me that he’s confined next to some foul odored individual on a train. Granted, it does make me laugh, but I do feel bad for him. I mean, if you aren’t going to bathe for yourself, do it for those around you.
One of my strange observations in life is the following. I’m not sure why, but if you are moving, you must prepare yourself for the stench of your moving staff. Cigarette smoke and B.O. do not mix. And, when you have 5+ guys moving about in every room of the house…there is no escaping it! Buy yourself a pine tree air freshener, hang it around your neck, and pretend you are a taxi for an afternoon.
I think my final straw was when I took my daughter into a restaurant bathroom where the men and women share the sink area, and she looked up at me and said…”It stinks in here, Mommy.” I know, you are thinking about bathroom smells, but nope it was B.O. It was so nasty. I quietly shushed her, and ushered her around the man. Later, when we were walking back to our table, we had to walk past his table. How could the surrounding tables eat their meals, not to mention his wife!!! I can’t even fathom having to get that close to the smell. Eww.
Okay, that’s enough of a rant, but let’s be real people. Smelling good is a good thing. Smelling bad is a bad thing. All that crap about the scent of the opposite sex is supposed to be arousing…it’s a total hoax. And, I just can’t let you all think it’s not.
So, in good spirit…let’s sing together…CONFIDENT, CONFIDENT, DRY AND SECURE! RAISE YOUR HAND; RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU’RE SURE!