It is seven in the morning. The sky has a dull glow of the most beautiful purple, red, orange, blue, and yellow. I put on my robe and slippers and step out onto the porch. I close my eyes, stretch my arms and back, and take a deep breath in. All of the smells from the city come rushing in, like giant Ocean waves pouring over me. My mind is making a memory of these smells. Some are good but others are bad, and some are even indescribable. I smell the dew that is ever so delicately placed on the grass. It has a hint of dandelion and roses. It almost smells like a freshly bathed child. This is the smell of life. I smell the trees, so fresh and clean. It smells of pine, which brings up memories of Christmas. I smell the exhaust from cars that are passing by, which stings the soft lining of my nostrils. I smell the lake. It smells of rotten fish and other water creatures that have passed into the great abyss. My mind wants to just block out that smell! It reminds me of the inevitable ending of our existence. I smell the chemical plants. They smell of sulfur and oil. I want to block out that smell, but at the same time I can't turn my nose away. It reminds me of a hard days work. I smell the left over residue from trash that was burnt the night before. It reminds me of a camp fire with its pleasant smoky smell that you can almost taste. I smell the trash that has been left on the side of the road in large bags. It is mixture of smells: rotten food, diapers, beer and some that I can not even describe. It makes me think of all the chores that must be done that day. I smell sawdust from the construction site. It almost takes my breath away. The overwhelming aroma of dust fills my lungs and I have to cough a little and shake my head to move on to the next smell. I smell a heavenly scent of dryer sheets. Someone is doing laundry, probably getting ready to head out into the world; taking that monotonous journey they must take every day to survive'¦the drive to work. There is a scent that is known all too well in our neighborhood, the smell of burning tires mixed with ammonia. This would be the smell of meth labs that are constantly running in various houses. This is a smell that I would not miss and wish would go away completely. Tears run down my face. This smell burns my nose and eyes as if I was standing over an open flame. It just reminds me of how hard it is to make a good living, so people resort to drug dealing to take care of their families. In the end, it only tears families apart. I need to move on to the next smell, this one is making my heart ache inside. It takes me a few minutes of hard concentration to move onto the next smell. This one is a much more pleasant smell, the smell of food. I smell chicken and smoked meats. My mouth begins to water. This reminds me of just how blessed our family is, that we have good food to eat every day. I just stand there and take it in, wishing that was all I could smell. The last smell is that of dog and cat poop. People don't take the time to clean up after their animals, which leaves us with the ripe stench of their pet's leavings. This reminds me that there are so many different kinds of people in the world with different styles of living and personal values/priorities. I am thankful that this world is so diverse. It would be boring if we were all the same. I open my eyes and realize I must now start a new day. All of these smells are just a reminder that God is giving me another chance to exist. I look forward to smelling life everyday, hoping that a new smell will come my way.

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