My Story: I Have Synesthesia

What My Calendar Looks Like

By Ghia Vitale
QuailBellMagazine.com

I first realized that I have severe synesthesia when I found out that most people couldn’t taste words. As I researched my condition more, I discovered that I am far more synesthetic than I thought. You see, I’d heard about musicians with synesthesia being able to “see” sound as colors, but I thought that the colors had to observable with their physical eyes as opposed to their mind’s eye. I'd think that words and sounds evoked feelings and images as well as color or textural associations. 

I’ve always been far more into music than most people. Now I realize that one of the reasons is that, for me, music is an immersive experience, in no small part owed to the patterns and color arrangements that come up in my mind when I hear songs. Words make the colors really fly and form a more complete image as opposed to just fleeting colored patterns. This sound-to-color condition is known as chromesthesia. The strongest of my synesthesia powers is called lexical-gustatory synesthesia, which basically means that I can taste words. 

The same goes for my taste in poetry, for my preferences are based on an aesthetic that I could never really describe to people. Many times, my synesthetic experience of literary art determines how much I like it, although it’s obviously not a decision that I make consciously. The tastes and colors remain constant, although I often notice different dimensions to them at different times. Some words and sounds are more intense than others.

Later on, I learned that there is a form of synesthesia where the mind colors and personifies days of the week, months, and even years. Guess what? I've got it. This is in no small part to having grown up around brightly colored calendars throughout my earlier years of institutionalization in the public education system. I thought that you might be interested to see what my calendar looks like:

January - Light Blue

February - Green

March - Light blue, a bit darker than January

April - Pink

May - Light Blue, about a half-pitch lighter than march

June - Same as May

July - Same shade of blue as March

August - Orange-Red

September - Green

October - Orange

November - Yellow

December - Green

This is what my week looks like. It also looks this way when I'm planning out my schedules. Obviously, this isn't exactly how they look to me. That would be more fit for a canvas or, even more fitting, a poem:

Sunday is golden yellow and white with a lace texture on the edges. Tastes like orange juice, but more syrupy. Easy-going, but still likes to get a lot done. It seems to wear a cape in how it's a very formal, "official" day and has impeccable manners. Always wears "Sunday's best" and kind of seems like Mary Poppins, a nun, or some other prim and pressed church-goer. Sunday is kind of a girl but mostly not. Bless her heart.

Monday has a predominantly magenta-esque color tinged with pinkish-orange, tastes like some kind of pudding and mushy french fries. More easy-going than Sunday, but is forced to accomplish more. She feels restricted by how she seldom gets the tranquility of Sunday, calmness that would be really good for her, like spiritual growth. Nonetheless, she lets her hair down and unwinds at night. I always got the feeling that Monday felt bad for being Monday. Well, Monday as our society makes of her.

Tuesday is light blue and white, feels like the sip of a beverage. Tuesday is a little sharper and harder to please than Monday. By the end of getting into the thick of the week's endeavors, Tuesday doesn't give a damn and there's more to come, so turn down for what? Tuesday accepts being a weekday much easier than his resentful sibling Monday except, like I said before, he's conservative about his damn-expenditure. (It's a finite amount, you know!!)

Wednesday is pinkish-red and lighthearted, always welcoming the world with open arms. She has a lot in common with Monday; I don't doubt that they have tea with each other on Tuesday. She knows it's her job to assure everyone that everyone's favorite friends Friday and Saturday will be here soon. Wednesday is patient, but she feels like Monday and Tuesday are too finicky. She relates more to Thursday who also shares her happily nihilistic outlook. All in all, Wednesday is a caring hostess whom loves having weekly guests.

Thursday is green with a weird, bubbly, purple-shaded perimeter. She has kind of a grey tinge. Thursday isn't one of those trigger words that induces flying colors in my mind. Thursday is a more business-like version of Wednesday, but just as consoling. Thursday understands that she must be a part of people's affairs, but she gently reminds them that we're all human (even the days of the week).

Friday is pinkish-fire engine red and tastes like fries. Friday has a carefree, liberal personality and loves to party. Friday just wishes the world would lighten up and realize that Friday is how life should always be. Friday's a people-person/day and loves helping people come out of their shell. "It's cool," says Friday,"The week is over! Come join the universal chill-out!"

Saturday is  gray and midnight blue with black and white, has a syrupy but heavy, dark, roasted kind of taste with a hint of steel. (No joke.) Saturday is the edgier version of Friday. Sometimes, Saturday out-parties Friday and they seem to have a healthy competition going on as to who can be the most awesome day. Saturday is demanding, but not bossy. Saturday is real with you because Saturday has seen it all. Saturday wears a black cloak of some kind and prefers dimly-lit clubs, feasting, drinking, watching movies, hanging out with friends, going to shows, and everything else that involves indulging one's senses with primal stimuli.

I feel like I can't do them enough justice in regard to the realities of their personalities. You'd have to taste them for yourself.

#Synesthesia #TasteWords #SeeSounds #WTF #Days #Weeks #Personification #TasteTheRainbow #Personification
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