Blissfully blanketed in a sea of ferns, Ixora buds, Lilies and Chinese roses my mother engages in a gentle conversation with whom may seem as "nobody" to all but her. Interspersed by squirts and splashes of water, the stench of fertilizer and loving pokes and prods into the soil, is a secret dialogue between human and plant.
Or is the plant involved at all?
A child for the longest time believes with fierce diligence that almost everything around has a soul, ears, intention and the ability to dialogue even though he/she may not have the vocabulary to express this belief. As adults, we sometimes engage in conversations with similar child like innocence.We expect that our lost keys with tell us where they are if we call out, there will be a response to end our frustration when we wring our arms in the air with a "I cant believe I did that!!! or a quiet "You can do this" coax just before a race,an exam a meeting will be lead you to desired results. I've watched multifaceted, nearly unfathomable philosophical ponderings being expressed to a puppy, a computer being kicked with an angry demand for it to work again, and my favorite; drivers raging into thin air at the recklessness of a stranger in a car despite an ocean of distance between them.
In fact, take a moment, look away from your computer screen right now and listen. You may hear a voice say "I don't talk to myself" or "Yeah! I do that all the time!".
The plant, the keys, the pet and the machine are secret totems of the even more secretive dialogue that exists within us, all the time, about everything. Not even meditation exists without dialogue, does it? Whether one believes it's God, the Universe, an Angel or our mind that speaks into the quietude of meditation, in the facade of silence is a voice. Always.
This blog is not about my mom or the month long study conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society about talking to plants. But it is inspired by both. My mom talks to plants because she believes(along with the Royal Horticultural Society)that it helps them grow.
I believe (and I don't have fancy backing by any society, Royal or otherwise) that talking to plants, your pet, the air or your laptop helps you grow. Through poetry, watercolors, a jersey with ones favorite football team on it, a sigh , watercooler gossip or a Facebook status messages, we are a species that is always in dialogue. We share and communicate, all the time. The best part? This is not pointless pontification! If there is a voice that speaks, there is a ear that listens. Whether it is your own or someone else's, it exists.
For my mom, it is her Ixora plant that grows richer and better as a result of her voice. But in fact, it is the Ixora that is listening and its my mom who grows. For in our secret dialogues and questions about our lives and the human condition, we move forward. By questioning, sharing, listening, discussing we move a little closer to what we all want to believe; that our life has meaning, it gets better, suffering is ephemeral , and we are not living an abyss of unknowns and uncertainties. While I cannot promise that this blog will de-mystify the mystery of life, I do hope that by retrieving the lost art of questioning we can engage in a conversation of curiosity about it. We may never figure life out, but wouldn't it be worth it to enjoy the process of 'not-figuring'?
Hear a voice asking ," So what is your point?"
My point is that by virtue of being human, we all have voices that guide, misdirect, encourage, judge and in essence talk to us all the time. This blog is about and for that voice. It is more importantly, about the hidden power in dialogue and sharing about the human condition that connects us all.It is to honor the process of growth that we engage in when we communicate.
Just like my mom talks to her plant with silent faith that it helps the growing process, I am writing this blog with faith that you, my reader, will engage in a similar journey of growth with me.
The topics although pulled from my life, hold promise to be about yours as well- primarily because even though you may not share similarity in nuances of life events, I am certain that there is similarity in experiences of the soul and the mind. In each will be a question for your voice, for your Ixora plant to wonder, question, play with and grow.
This blog is about life and our relationship with it. It is about growth, ends, beginnings, change and monotony and everything in between.
It is about the closest relationship that exists- the relationship between you and your life.
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