Smell and memory are closely connected. "A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people's moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it's sometimes called the "emotional brain," smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously....When you first smell a new scent, you link it to an event, a person, a thing or even a moment. Your brain forges a link between the smell and a memory -- associating the smell of chlorine with summers at the pool or lilies with a funeral. When you encounter the smell again, the link is already there, ready to elicit a memory or a mood. Chlorine might call up a specific pool-related memory or simply make you feel content. Lilies might agitate you without your knowing why. This is part of the reason why not everyone likes the same smells. " http://health.howstuffworks.com/smell3.htm

Is it possible that I would remember a whole lot more from my past if I could smell? I don't think so. I'm not a great storyteller for how events unfold or the order of a joke but I do remember quite a bit from my childhood and I have a great short-term memory (bonus for university exams). There have been studies done, however, showing that memory paired with smell evokes more emotion than other memories. I don't have a smell associated with childhood birthdays or high school lockers or camping. I remember them but could I be missing out on the feeling of them? Should I care? I don't really care because I've come to terms with not being able to smell but I think it's an interesting question. Am I a less emotional person because everytime I inhale, it's the same? Am I more able to deal with challenge or emtional events because I have one less thing that will trigger emotion?