Senses

Considering the simple features we take for granted

Some+say+the+eyes+are+the+windows+to+our+soul.

Photo by Erin Conner

Some say the eyes are the windows to our soul.

One, two, three, four, five. Touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell — those are your five basic senses. Your five basic senses that you take for granted everyday without even realizing it with no clue what life is like without them.

You have touched someone else’s skin today, you have felt the weight of something under your fingertips. The lines that trace your palms and outline your fingers enable you the gift of feeling, with this gift you can create the most wonderful of things.

Relationships, art, structure, and balance all are made with this sense, giving you memories you couldn’t possibly forget; your first pet, first mess, first time holding your hand in theirs, first child, your last goodbye.

Touch, is the individual’s way of getting a timeless grip on every single thing they will ever do.

You’ve eaten or drank something today, how would you feel If I told you that was your last time ever knowing the taste of something?

Say goodbye to the delectable world of food that you have been taking part in since the minute you were born. Taste makes your eyes light up and your smile emerge, you can taste not only the food in your mouth but also the words that leave your lips.

Without taste, our pallets would be filled with meaningless nothings.

You’re reading this right now, in this very moment you are using the beautiful gift of sight. Sight is your ingress into the world, without it we would all live oblivious to the gifts that surround us.

The breathtaking colors and textures of the natural wonders on this earth would become mere thoughts in our minds and sounds in our ears, rather than visual memories instilled in our consciousness forever.

A life without sight is a life without value.

You have heard the three most sought after words, ‘I love you.’ At least once in your lifetime this has been spoken to you whether it be by your parents, significant other, friend, stranger, whatever the case may be you have been fortunate enough to hear this.

Your working ears have provided you with words of love, wisdom, sorrow, dread, surprise, and so much more. Your hearing gives you crystal clear noise in a world of silent static.

Imagine living not knowing what your favorite someone’s voice sounds like, imagine not being able to hear the words to your favorite song, imagine living without a clue as to what any of these things are like.

Sound is the beautiful reality of what’s left to us to interpret.

You have smelt the aroma of your most favorite place in this world, the perfume on the neck of your person, and the steam from your desired pasta dish sitting right in front of you.

Without this gift of smell these scents would float into oblivion, you would walk without the incense of fresh air. Smell gets your nose tingling your facial expressions flowing, and the butterflies in your stomach flying.

A universe without smell is a universe without essence.

Recently a fellow student, senior Constance Davis, gave a speech where she referenced how we take literature for granted everyday, so what about our senses?

Our five basic senses that allow us these precious memories we hold so near to our hearts, yet we never take a moment to appreciate them.

Our five basic senses that people around the world are forced to live their lives without one or more of them every day, who would do absolutely anything to have that sensation just one more time.

So senses —  touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell allow you and I this very fortunate life we live today.