That sweet smell of memories

I could smell Sugar.

Didn’t know the source, and I really didn’t want to care. It’s a rainy day, so maybe someone brought in fresh doughnuts. That scent of the warm glaze spread through out the office, tickled my nose, made me hungry. No, that’s wrong because I had breakfast. It made me crave them. It was through concentrated effort that prevented me from tracking them down and eating like a starving man.

What’s funny is it’s not like I have great memories of doughnuts. Every Sunday morning, between church and Sunday school, I’d be able to get one and hot cocoa. It was like clock work, without fail. Being an outdoor lover, it was the only solace in having to be inside for 2hrs. And closer to present day, it was the only perk at my last job. We had limited 401k, no bonuses, no raises for 6 years across the board. But every Friday it was doughnuts. But that job was hell, and I’m very glad to be gone from there.

So what is it? Could it be that sub-consciously my body knows what that smell means? That if I was to eat one, or more, I could “feel good” for all the wonders that occur with change of blood sugar. The same could be said about my morning of coffee. Until I finish my first cup, my brain feels like mush. But sometimes even just smelling the coffee brewing, I become more alert and wired. So what is the connection? Am I nothing more that a human version of Pavlov’s dog?

At the same time man is a different animal, in that we can prioritize. Being able to control that impulse, redirect it or halt it completely in order to reach a higher goal. For me it’s fact that the past 3 days, I’ve been 203 and change. I’ve been on a hell of a plateau, and this is the closest I’ve gotten to my goal in awhile. So I said no. Prevented myself from that seductive snack, and was able to stay focused on the long term goal.

To wax abit poetic, the mind knows but the body remembers.