12th Anniversary Of Persolaise – And A Moment To Reflect

It was almost exactly two years ago that the world went through a major change: I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what it was. The pandemic is not yet over, and several voices in the scientific community continue to state that we must not act as though the danger is completely behind us. Back when the era of lockdowns and isolation and eerie silences began, I published a post in which I wondered if it was appropriate to continue working on a blog that is concerned with relatively trivial subject matter. Now, as Persolaise.com turns 12 years old, everything around me feels even gloomier than it did in 2020, so I once again find myself questioning if it isn’t somehow insensitive and pointless to keep writing about perfume.

I don’t want to use this platform as a place to express my views on the current state of the world. That really wouldn’t be appropriate. But I can’t get away from the fact that the amount of suffering around the planet at the moment has risen to deeply alarming and despair-inducing levels. And I’m not just referring to what’s happening in Ukraine, which is terrible enough, of course. Afghanistan is in the middle of what many are calling the largest humanitarian crisis ever. Millions of children in Yemen are living through what Unicef describes as “a living hell.” And there are several other countries dealing with their own problems, related to conflict or poverty or ill health. In short, it feels as though our poor little planet is a very troubled right now.

In the face of all this, it can feel wrong to compose posts and broadcast videos about oranges, peonies and vanilla. I see that my dear friend Neil Chapman, of The Black Narcissus, is feeling the same way, although as I type these words, I don’t yet know how his readers have responded to his post and whether he’s come to any conclusions about what he should do next.

I’m not planning to stop Persolaise.com any time soon. For one thing, I’m nowhere near ready to leave behind what I’ve spent the last 12 years building up: I feel there’s still so much more to be done, so much more to say, so much more to smell. For another, I do genuinely believe that, no matter what’s going on, there’s always room for thinking about and appreciating beauty. It may not be much room, but that’s okay. We don’t need a mansion: a tiny corner will do.

So, as this site marks another anniversary, I want to say that although my posts here don’t always mention the prosaic realities of the world, I am aware of them, as I’m sure you are too. And I hope that, in a small way, visiting these pages helps some of you to escape from and cope with the difficulties you may be facing in your life.

I remain grateful for your support, encouragement and kindness – now, more than ever.

With my very best wishes to each and every single one of you,

Persolaise

[I’ve made a donation to Unicef’s fundraiser for children in Ukraine and I thought some of you might be interested in learning more about it. Here’s a link: Unicef ‘donate to protect children in Ukraine’ campaign.]