I Hesitate to Admit It

I was diagnosed with congenital anosmia around 1973 to 1975. My father never had a sense of smell either. I remember the doctor explaining it to my mother with an anecdote about someone born without sight who later gained it by happenstance. He believed I had all the faculties, but that for some reason my brain did not acknowledge a smell or return the proper response to it. I do sometimes get watery eyes or a runny nose for no reason I can tell, before others confirm there is a strong or pungent odor in the room.

I am 63 now, otherwise healthy, and I view myself as mentally stable. But I have always felt inferior, left out, and even sorrowful about my inability to smell. Though I hesitate to admit it, it has affected my life. Sharing with others is important, so I have no problem sharing my experience here.

— Jim