So..............I got on the bus headed back for my apartment this evening. Sat at the front (cause it was available), and the bus filled to the capacity that people had to stand.
I crossed my legs at the knees. Two last guys get on. I did that "tuck" you do with your foot to let them get by. The first walks past me, the second stops riiiiiight in front of me and decides he's going to stand there. So now I'm stuck with my foot in that slightly awkward "tuck" and faced with two options: hold my foot there, or uncross my legs.

Soon that wasn't anywhere near important, for as soon as I had mentally processed my dilemma, the breath was sucked straight out of me. I don't know what was up with this guy. He must have had a "smell radius" of about twenty feet. I was getting the brunt of it. It was a horrid concoction of sweat, piss, general body odor, dust, I think even a band-aid, and a smell not unlike what you would find if you were to inhale near an opened pencil sharpener. I continuously held my breath for the duration of the ride, and when I had to release, I wasn't looking forward to drawing the next breath. I prayed he would get off at the first stop. Nope. The second? Nope. The third? Oh, heck no! The person beside me got out of her seat to get off, and he decided he was going to sit right next to me. The next stop, a couple of girls, chinztily dressed, got on the bus. I couldn't immediately tell, but by the time I took my next breath after their arrival, I realized they apparently had on enough perfume to somewhat weaken the stench. He and the girls who had just gotten on got off at the next stop.

I will never underestimate the power of the air element for so long as I shall live!

The person who sat across from me on her side of the bus exchanged looks of relief with me. My stop came after the next one. I inhaled deeply, appreciating the breeze that tugged at my body. I even pulled up a handful of grass to sniff just because I was thankful I hadn't completely lost my sense of smell.

It was through this that I feel that I have come closer to sharing an experience not unlike one of my totem animals, the fox. I can only imagine that this is what we must smell like to canines and all other species with superior olfactory senses.

My head is still swimming...