Funny how sensory impact interacts with your pre-awakening brain.

As I walked down the street this moring on the way to my train, I was accompanied for about a block by a pervasive vomit-like stench. It wasn’t strong enough to make me want to vomit, but it was enough to make me pick up my pace that little bit more to get beyond it.

I was in the clear after that, until I emerged from the 57th Street station, and I was confronted by a wave of funky-musky odors. Not as bad as the previous odor to hit me in the face, but still, I could have done without it.

So I get past that, and while I’m walking the final couple of blocks to the office, with the gross smells still lingering in my mind (and maybe even my moustache), I’m wishing my sense of smell was maybe less acute.

Which led me to wonder about how your senses start eroding over time.

Which reminded me of the “Hollywood Squares” joke from old man Charlie Weaver:

Q.: Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?

A.: My sense of decency.

Not so much my personal sense of decency, but certainly, mornings like this hint at a loss somewhere, by someone.

Anyway. Happy Monday.