Mindful Living, Perspective and Post-Earth Day Thoughts
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As I read posts written by writers I respect, I realize just how important history is to create a compelling story. Our relentless focus on the “new and improved” is one reason I find contemporary culture baffling and in some cases, downright dangerous.
If I had a nickel for every dandelion/weed-killer TV commercial I’ve seen in the week since Earth Day, I’d be wealthy.
The apparent disconnect would be funny, if it were not so tragic. But what really takes my breath away is the fact that dandelions were featured in seed catalogs as recently as the 1950’s. If our grandparents planted dandelions why are we so dedicated to poisoning them?
Somewhere along the line (I won’t get on my soapbox about pharmaceuticals) we shifted from importing and planting dandelions as an early food source for bees, encouraging honey production to an enemy to be poisoned.
I haven’t done the research, but have no trouble hypothesizing that maybe the bees are leaving because of all the poison we’ve spewed over the past 60 years or more.
Part of being a writer is looking at something ordinary from a fresh perspective. So, what keeps people from seeing the pretty yellow flower with the nutritious roots, leaves and flowers as an ally rather than an enemy?
We wonder why there is war and mass murder. Well, we massacre plants and animals we fear or simply don’t like. We show our children that annihilation is a way to solve a problem. Our culture has a belief system rooted in mastery over nature instead of stewardship of the life around us.
We gather and exclaim our horror at the impending consequences of Global Warming. But we’ve known about this for the last half century or more and deliberately chose to support unchecked industrial growth over protecting our land, water and air. (Oops, getting close to the soapbox).
Luckily, the rain has stopped long enough for me to get outdoors and gather dandelions for the world’s best tasting fritters. I hope everyone who reads this article has the chance to look at a dandelion with a new understanding - and check out my dandelion blossom fritter recipe.
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JJ Murphy has been eating wild foods since her farmer parents pulled weeds from the veggie garden and she ate the weeds. JJ continues to forage and write in
Topics: history, perspective, bees, dandelions, nature writing |