Final Blog Post, All the Senses, Smells and Bells, Zach Dagan

By -
     For the final blog post, I figured I would talk a little bit about the senses I have experienced today while running and what I have learned from taking Smells and Bells this past semester. From taking this class, it has made me become much more aware and appreciative of the senses I experience day in and day out. Our senses are vital as they play a role in almost everything we do.

     I just went for a run outside with my puppy(picture included) and there were a few senses that caught my attention. First, my sense of smell. While running by my neighbor's house, they put a fresh bed of mulch around their mailbox and trees. The smell was so strong that it made it difficult for me to breathe. Usually I love the smell of mulch because it puts me in a content mood because it reminds me of all the nice spring days like these. I just could not bear the smell while running as it felt like it was taking the oxygen out of the air. My sense of touch/feeling was also brought to my attention. I began to sweat and could feel drips running down my forehead, neck, and arms. This feeling of drenching in sweat is enjoyable to me. Being an active person, it is stress relieving and soothing to feel this sweat because it lets me know I am getting a great workout in. However, some sweat got in my eye which burnt, which is not a feeling I enjoy! For sight, I saw many birds, the clear blue sky, and my dog running beside me. These sights all provoke happy emotions because they are all things that are pleasing to see. I heard one noise that was unsettling. It was a house alarm that went off while I was running. This brought back memories of when my house alarm went off one time which really scared me at the time. There was really no taste in my mouth while I was running and there was no sign of a sixth sense unfortunately. However it is interesting how many senses I noticed in this 30 minute period on my run.

     Smells and Bells was a very interesting class and challenged me to really pay even more attention to my surroundings which is always important. I also use the knowledge I have gained from this class towards my religion and other religions as well. It is very important to understand other individuals religions and cultural differences. You grow as a person that way. I want to thank JBK for teaching this class and doing his best teaching virtually during this pandemic. Stay safe everyone! 

Comments

  1. Jonathan Brumberg-KrausMay 12, 2020 at 10:28 AM

    Your reflection reminds me of how I felt, too, during the first time I taught this class. I became much more aware of sounds, touches, smells, and sights (I'd already been pretty attuned to tastes) that I hadn't paid attention to as much before.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amidst the Pandemic

By -
Image
I think having the opportunity to take Smells and Bells and then experiencing a worldwide pandemic came with good timing. Oftentimes, we’re so rushed to get from one one place to another that we miss out on what happens around us. We’re so accustomed to the lifestyle of being busy that it has become the norm for many of us. However, the pandemic has forced us to slow down. We’re now appreciating everything that we had previously taken for granted and noticing things in our surroundings that we have never noticed before.  Take this quarantining/social distancing as an opportunity to be more aware of what you experience through the senses. I don’t think my senses have necessarily heightened over the past 5 weeks, but I am actively making the choice to pay more attention to what I see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. I like going on nature/mindfulness walks and basking in the sunshine out in my backyard. This morning, I could hear a faint noise from the wind, hear the birds chirpin...
Read more

Food in the Afterlife

By -
Image
In Religion in the Kitchen: Cooking, Talking, and the Making of Black Atlantic Traditions , Perez talks of Ashabi and her grandchildren providing food offerings to their ancestors. This immediately reminded me of the practice of food sacrifice in early China. I've taken Chinese language classes for about 7 years now and in one of the lessons, we learned about food as well as the history of food in Chinese culture. Ashabi and her grandchildren would give food offerings to their ancestors every day. This included nine beverages (coffee, liquor, and water mixed with sugar and molasses) and nine square pieces of coconut topped with red palm oil and guinea pepper. The offerings would also include whatever food was dropped on the ground. In their house, food dropping on the floor signified more than it would in common American households. It signified that the ancestors wanted that food and had willingly made it fall to the floor. They also used dishware that had been chipped which was...
Read more