Waiting to Exhale
It all started with a childhood superstition about cemeteries. Whenever I was in the car and passing by a cemetery, my sister and I would always cross our fingers (mind you, only on one hand, or else you cancel yourself out) and hold our breaths until we passed the cemetery. It was the beginning of a lifelong habit of holding my breath.
Today, as I was walking to work, a man walking in front of me sneezed twice, without covering his nose and mouth. Not just any type of sneeze, but a nice, big, juicy, wet sneeze. The kind that rocked his body so violently, that he had to stop walking in order to double over during the course of both sneezes. It was when he stopped that I made my move.
I took a deep breath, and hurried past him, waiting until I could hold my breath no longer, followed it with a very long, drawn-out exhale, and began breathing again.
After I resumed breathing like a normal person, I realized that this is something I do often, and most times as a reflex.
I do this when people cough, sneeze, or even walk by me. When I was growing up and would see someone approaching me, I would take a breath and hold it while they were passing me by (is it wrong to say that I do this more with very *ahem* large people?). This way, I would not have to smell their odor, which usually lagged behind them by a couple of seconds. I admit that I do not always hold my breath. If I can gauge a situation as short-lived, I usually opt to just breathe out very, very slowly. The exhale method always follows the breath-holding technique, and is always done through the nose. No sense in tasting the smell too, right?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t always do this, and definitely not in huge crowds. But when faced with a mostly one-on-one situation, it’s just a habit I have.
Am I unusual in doing this? I’ve never asked anyone else if they do this, but there must be many people like me out there. I remember learning in Psychology 1 that olfactory memories are unusually potent. Odor-evoked memories can remind us quickly of people and events that we thought we had long forgotten. So I do not find it so strange that I attempt to block out potentially foul odors (and germs!) by holding my breath and exhaling. Why create repulsive memories when avoiding them is so easy?
Today, as I was walking to work, a man walking in front of me sneezed twice, without covering his nose and mouth. Not just any type of sneeze, but a nice, big, juicy, wet sneeze. The kind that rocked his body so violently, that he had to stop walking in order to double over during the course of both sneezes. It was when he stopped that I made my move.
I took a deep breath, and hurried past him, waiting until I could hold my breath no longer, followed it with a very long, drawn-out exhale, and began breathing again.
After I resumed breathing like a normal person, I realized that this is something I do often, and most times as a reflex.
I do this when people cough, sneeze, or even walk by me. When I was growing up and would see someone approaching me, I would take a breath and hold it while they were passing me by (is it wrong to say that I do this more with very *ahem* large people?). This way, I would not have to smell their odor, which usually lagged behind them by a couple of seconds. I admit that I do not always hold my breath. If I can gauge a situation as short-lived, I usually opt to just breathe out very, very slowly. The exhale method always follows the breath-holding technique, and is always done through the nose. No sense in tasting the smell too, right?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t always do this, and definitely not in huge crowds. But when faced with a mostly one-on-one situation, it’s just a habit I have.
Am I unusual in doing this? I’ve never asked anyone else if they do this, but there must be many people like me out there. I remember learning in Psychology 1 that olfactory memories are unusually potent. Odor-evoked memories can remind us quickly of people and events that we thought we had long forgotten. So I do not find it so strange that I attempt to block out potentially foul odors (and germs!) by holding my breath and exhaling. Why create repulsive memories when avoiding them is so easy?
posted by danielle at 1:12 PM
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