Wax and Roses

Recently, I found a lovely vintage glass chandelier on e-bay which was just like the ones I've been eying for a year, but I got it for half price. No one loves a bargain like me, but as usual, nothing is simple. One of the arms broke in transit. The seller generously sent me new ones, but then everything had to be re-wired. It came with cardboard candle-covers. Th0se are the little white tubes that cover the electric socket that the bulbs screw into. Since I knew my husband was going to re-do the wiring and all, I thought I would replace the cardboard with plastic so it would be easier to clean. Onto the internet I went and found a bunch of these little tubes. Some were plastic and some were wax. I thought this very odd. Why would anyone put wax tubes around electric lights? Wax gathers dust and doesn't tolerate heat. I was appalled to read that these tubes are scented, so that when the lights are on, they fill the room with a "lovely"? scent. Because when people are eating, they want to smell perfume instead of food?

It is definitely not the most wonderful time of the year. It seems like everyone has a new bottle of perfume or 10. For some reason they feel the compulsion to bathe in it. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the ladies room the day after New Years and found an array of creams, scented soaps and even a bottle of spray cologne on the counter. It was all I could do to keep from chucking it all in the garbage. Later I found out that a friend had brought it in; her Christmas presents. She didn't get it at all when I smiled weakly and said, "It's a lot of different smells".

We are likely the cleanest America in history. We bathe and deodorize daily. We wash and press- Most of us don't labor. Why do we need all this fake smell? Fully 10% of the population has asthma. But suggest to someone that they do without their perfume, cologne, scented hair products, scented laundry detergent, scented fabric softener, scented lotions, scented deodorants, scented room sprays, diffusers in their cubicles and they look at you in horror- what do you mean you want to breathe? You don't want to be nauseous, you'd rather not have a migraine? Wow, You are too sensitive. I guess so.