Weeding is one of the activities where it is easy to let your mind wander - and still be safe. For some reason it is also a time when I hear my Dad's voice in my head. I don't remember my Dad being a great gardener, and I have no idea where he learned his wisdom on all things green. Somehow I don't think it was at his mother's knee. One of my tasks in this great yard work adventure was pulling weeds. Why I don't know other than it kept me busy and out of my Mom's hair. However, pulling weeds had some very specific requirements. The first time I dead headed a dandelion and put it in my bucket I learned that NO, No, no, you did not pull off the heads and call that weeding. You pull it out WITH the root. The green part with the little roots showing. A later lesson was about BAD DIRT. I seem to have progressed from pulling out the weeds, green leaves and roots, to digging them out. Again, there in my little bucket was a dandelion, green leaves, roots and a small amount of dirt clinging to the roots, since like a good little girl, I shook off the still useful dirt and put it back in the hole. Hmm, NO, No, no, you do not put the BAD DIRT riddled with weed stuff back in the hole, it will just grow another weed. I think this lesson must apply to life somehow. I am sure my many years of Catholic school education reinforced the importance of ridding your life of all manner of bad habits, bad friends and bad influences.
Back to my garden. Some weeds, I pull out roots and dirt and banish them to either the compost heap or the dump. Some I nudge and hack off their heads when I have clean hands, no desire to get down on my knees and am going mainly for appearances. I do admit that on the days when I am determined to get all of their little roots and seeds and whatever else it is slightly satisfying to see a pile of weeds no longer taking up space. It is however exhausting. And just like bad habits the minute I turn around they are back.
I think I will find a tall glass, some ice and make a Tequila Sunrise with that very nice tequila I tracked down. I think it will give me perspective.
Vanity the ultimate gotcha.
Vanity 1. Heels, shoes. They were my addiction. I loved being able to wear heels, sandals, cute shoes. Even if they were slightly uncomf...
3 comments:
I don't think I ever believed digging up dandelions had a real purpose. After all the grass was going to grow anyway and the weeds always came back. And I was pretty sure that despite all diligence I wasn't going to get all the root. Weeding was just one of those senseless acts that grown-ups did like eating lima beans or drinking coffee. I just hoped it was almost time for lunch and it usually was and lunch always made sense for everyone.
Hmm, why didn't I think of that and just relax and work slowly. This may be the crux of the problem. Had you only offered this insight 20 years ago, I could have saved mucho money and hours on therapy! Assign me a task and I will dog it to the ground even when I know it is ridiculous. I have to take a much broader view.
My dad really liked you. Starting to understand why: Weeds = bad. Well-earned cocktail = good!
Post a Comment