Munching on Peace, Enjoying the Perfume While We Wait
Many years ago, I took a self-guided tour of the hospital where I would soon have my third child. Entering the wide front doors, the gentle aroma of a pleasant perfume filled the air. Emerging from the elevator onto the floor of the maternity ward, the scent was there too! In fact, the scent was prevalent in every nook and cranny of the hospital. I marveled at how, clearly, the hospital management had the scent piped in! Of course, I reasoned, they would do this to quell the fears and queasy stomachs of visitors and patients alike. Brilliant! On the way out, I stopped at the hospital gift shop. Behind the counter were two elderly ladies, both white-haired. One had a whisper of pale blue rinsed into her white hair, making it look a little like cotton candy. I kind of gushed at both of them, "I am amazed that the hospital has piped in scent! Everywhere it smells so lovely! The hospital administration is brilliant!" Th...