The Last Dandelion

Good day, readers. Thanks for taking time to check out yet another installment of my latest random ramblings. Today I just want to talk to you all about a thought that crossed my mind during one of my 7-hour drives from North Carolina to Tennessee. Don't ask why, but today I want to talk for a minute about....dandelions.

That's right.

Why dandelions? Well ever since I can remember, dandelions have always been around; I distinctly remember them in both "regular flower" form and the form of wispy white seed balls that excited all children my age. Growing up however, I learned that these plants are widely considered pests--weeds to be sprayed with toxins and eradicated. What I really wondered as I drove down 75 North was....why? After all, the dandelion isn't a particularly offensive plant. It's a pleasant yellow color; it doesn't have thorns nor does it produce a foul odor. And it's very likely that many people aren't aware of it's several medicinal uses. After a few minutes of pondering, I reached the conclusion that perhaps dandelions are considered weeds simply because they are common. And if this is the case, it sure speaks to the pettiness of the human race. 

Many people don't like dandelions because they choke grass, making it difficult to grow a nice lawn. I can see this as a sound reason for wanting to get rid of them; but what if the reality is that dandelions realize their rightful place on Earth and are simply defending their territory? What if these dandelions that so many view as weeds are really just God's own misunderstood foliage? I began to ponder just how quickly our collective attitude toward these plants would change if there ever came to be only one left in existence. Would it then be revered? Would it be placed in a special greenhouse under 24-hour surveillance to ensure its survival and re-population? Or would it be allowed to wither and die--and with it the childhood pastime of plucking them and blowing those wispy balls until all that's left is a parade of seeds drifting off?

If you apply the dandelion metaphor to other things in life, it really makes you start to think. All I'm saying is, if you hate something, know WHY you hate it. If you want to get rid of something, know WHY you want to get rid of it.

These are the sort of things I think about.

-Nick G.