Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)

Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)
Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

A Bad Smell

I know I Twittered about this already, but some issues are so heady and important that they can be both tweeted and posted.

I discovered this morning a new and profound disgust for the unholy smell of scalp. The bus I was on was putrid with the stench, and it permeated my clothes, my pores, and my very being. I was on the verge of gagging for the whole trip, and when I alighted, onto the polluted city street, it was like waking up in a bed of roses.

Do you know the smell? If not, walk outside, find an unkempt youth, give them a quick vigorous head massage, and then smell your finger tips.

Scalp is not the worst smell out there, and in fact a newly shampooed scalp may be enjoyed in small, controlled doses. But it can fall quickly into decline. Infrequent washing, over-frequent hat wearing, or hot weather may putrify, ferment and mature this delicate smell into something that can only be tackled by a priest with some garlic and a wooden stake.

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