The Colors of My Walk
I went for an hour and a half walk today. I stopped several times to take pictures of the beautiful flora. We have a unique collection of plants here in the upper desert in Arizona. I passed by a giant blue Spruce, some bright red pyracantha, purple butterfly bushes, olive green cactus, and Agave plants. I also noticed red and yellow roses, massive Cottonwood trees blossoming sunlight yellow. The usual autumn red and gold Sycamore and Maple trees were showing their colors as well!
I also noticed places along the way where weeds were still flourishing. I wondered why are some plants weeds and some flowers? Who made that decision? I felt like we favor one over the other, why? Who decided that one is more worthy?
Then I began to think about what we humans do with these judgments. We decide to pull up and discard the ones we call weeds and to keep and nurture the ones we call flowers.
Maybe we do that with people as well. Maybe some people are not nurtured enough. Not given enough care. Those folks feel neglected. That neglect can turn to antisocial behavior.
In the desert, so many plants have thorns to protect themselves. Maybe we folks grow emotional thorns to protect ourselves. When we feel so ostracized we can act out in dangerous ways.
Maybe the Tentacula in Harry Potter books was once a plant that got treated badly. Then it’s last resort was to attack and try to harm others.
Maybe weeds don’t like to be treated with products like Roundup! Maybe humans don’t like to be treated with toxic environments either.
Like plants, we come in all kinds of colors and sizes and shapes. Organically there is nothing wrong with any of us when we enter this planet. We get trained to create thorns and be afraid by others who are in deep fear.
Almost all of our neighborhood is filled with properties that are manicured to perfection. The tiniest weed is “rounded up”, (intentional pun!) and removed. Our own acre lot is mostly the same as it was millions of years ago with the exception of our house and all that goes with it. I love that we are not removing the weeds. We are going to add to it by permaculturing the land the way it grows in nature. All of our plants and so-called weeds will be welcome!
Let us take time to see all of us as valuable. Let us nurture all of our baby humans and have them grow into wonderful beings! Let us help heal our damaged mature humans with love and caring. All of the colors of our lives are worth saving! From my colorful heart to yours, Thomas