Not weird, but not common these days.
Was more common in a years past.
I tend to associate smell with memories, like grumbacher oil paints and sawdust remind me of grandpa's workshop and certain perfumes remind me of certain people and places.
you're right. Smells do trigger our memories. I was a child during the Great Depression. We lived in a shanty with no electric or plumbing. We heated with a fireplace and cooked on a wood stove. So those smells do bring back memories of a simpler, innocent time. Frying bacon always reminds me of my aunt.