Living with all Five Senses

My 8-year-old daughter recently asked me to help her list all the five senses. Together we went through sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. All of these are important to everyday life, but they are not the five senses that immediately come to mind for me.

In my mind, the five senses all SLUTS work with throughout their lives are as follows:

1) Fashion sense. In my case, this is a lack thereof. I'm proud to say that my fellow SLUTS have developed this sense much more adeptly than I. There's not any particular fashion that's required for one to have this kind of sense — just a well-honed understanding of what looks good and represents who you are. Also, knowing what kinds of style says "I've had at least two kids but I'm still a hottie" is a plus.

2) Street sense. To many, this may mean knowing how to avoid (or find) corners with drug dealers or recognize oncoming traffic dangers. But to SLUTS, it also means knowing where to find the best lattes, a good table for lunch, one-of-a-kind used furniture and accessories, and the shops that satisfy your fashion sense (see above). It also means know where to find everything you need at which stores so you can quickly get in, get out, and get on with it. Having a good sense of direction can makes one's street sense even more acute.

3) Horse sense. This is, quite literally, at least a passing understanding of horse flesh and the ability to pick a winner or a close runner up, either at the Kentucky Derby (the Holy Grail for those with horse sense) or at a regional steeplechase. SLUTS who can combine horse sense with a good recipe for mint juleps, mohitos, or other festive cocktails are a breed apart. (No horses in your area? You can apply horse sense to whatever runs through your world.)

4) Business sense. We're not a stupid bunch. In fact, all of us currently posting under the SLUTS banner are self-employed and the primary breadwinners for ourselves or our families. Generations before us, our predecessor SLUTS mastered the art of the deal. Thanks to them, we have at our disposal an arsenal of traditional and modern persuasive tactics and we're not afraid to use them.

5) The Sense God Gave a Dog. This is perhaps the most important kind of sense anyone can possess. In other cultures, it is referred to as "common sense," but we SLUTS prefer to think of ourselves as anything but "common." This type of sense is recognized with comments such as "She's got a good head on her shoulders." But it's more notable (and memorable) when absent, as in "He ain't got the sense God gave a dog." And remember, we're talking hound dogs here, not poodles.

So there you are - five senses. Any I forgot?

- Betsey