Tags
#AtoZChallenge, A to Z Challenge 2016, A-Z Blogging Challenge, Damyanti Biswas, house plants, mother-in-law's tongue, orchids, Project Why, Rottweilers, Samuel Johnson, writing
P is for plant.
I love houseplants. There’s not as much weeding involved as with plants out in the garden (and the Hadedas can’t attack them and for the most part my Rottweilers can’t unearth them). Still, is it nature or nurture or just circumstantial that some grow and some die?
My orchids a few days after I got them. Now there’s nothing left…
I’ve been thinking a lot about how circumstances influence writing.
Perhaps Damyanti’s #AtoZChallenge posts about Project Why have been influencing me too…
Anyhow, back to me. I’m really not good at keeping plants alive. It’s gotten so bad, that my dad took all my houseplants away to save them from me. Now, all of a sudden, they’re no longer dying but thriving. And as far as I can tell, he’s only giving them water. So how are they magically growing under his care, while committing suicide under my watch? Apparently plants are like chickens: either they like you or they don’t. (I’ve had chickens commit suicide via Rottweiler because they didn’t like me…)
Apparently I should stick to succulents (though judging by the state of my garden – which I totally blame on Hadedas, not on my black thumb – the succulents are way better off away from me). Perhaps I should get snakeskin or mother-in-law’s tongue (same plant, different patterns on leaf)…
So, writing: are you the kind of writer who will die if I give you too much or too little attention?
Mother-in-law’s tongue (1 ) or orchid (2
):
which houseplant are you? One that flourishes under adversity (1) or adoration (2)?
The first will only make flowers when it feels its very survival depends on it. The second only flowers when properly nurtured.
Though I am posing this question on writing, it can be asked about anything in your life. So just substitute “writing” with whatever is more important to you (though I can’t think of anything right now).
Click on image to see in a bigger size. PS it will take you to another site (Dropbox), but you can click back to this window 🙂
Congratulations, you’ve just learned something about yourself. (I hope.)
“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” – Samuel Johnson
So which plant are you? Or are you a bit of both? Writers’ emotions are in a constant state of flux, so it’s okay to be tough today and at other times a little insecure. Do you have a green thumb? Or do you kill plants by merely looking at them?
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I do flourish under adversity. Thanks for the mention of my posts 🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Honestly, I am no good with plants. Like really no good. So I stay away and just admire them. 🙂
I found this question thought-provoking: “are you the kind of writer who will die if I give you too much or too little attention?”
I write because I love writing. Like what I said before, for me writing is like breathing with words. 🙂 On the other hand, it took me so long before I started blogging because I am too afraid of critiques. Also, my blog’s now so active because I have consistent readers who never fail to make my articles more special.
So.. do I write more under adversity, or more under admiration. I think it’s in between. 🙂 I write on my own. I mean I write about topics I know and care by heart, and I blog because I have lovely set of readers who never fail to show support. 🙂
Thank you for that question! 😀 I hope my answer made sense! 🙂
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From one writer to another, your answer made complete sense 😉
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thank you very much! I’m glad it made sense. 😀
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Adversity for me. I also cannot grow a thing. My mom and my daughter can, but it skipped a generation with me. Great post. The chart was awesome!
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Glad you liked it 🙂
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A friend gave me a lovely orchid. A few weeks later, my daughter asked, “Mom, why are you watering that plastic plant?” Re your survey, I’d rather be an orchid, for the mother-in-law tongue bites. I find myself between, sometimes immune to what others might say, sometimes motivated by deadlines and commitments to others (and myself). But if I don’t write, the day feels incomplete. Maybe you should try African violets with one of those self-watering pots you only refill once a week. That way you’d have some flowers with a dependable watering schedule! Write on!
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I’ll try the self watering pot and violets, thanks 🙂
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I have never been great with house plants either – which is strange because all women in my family are avid gardeners. Go figure… I am the kind of writer that thrives on deadlines. Which is why I usually pitch ideas and not finished manuscripts… 😀
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
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Thanks for stopping by 🙂
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Oh definitely adoration. If I am lucky to get so much as a long listing in a writing comp or an encouraging rejection it encourages me to keep at it. 🙂
Susan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Keep writing! 😉
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I would love to find out what it’s like to flourish under adoration, but I suspect, I’d go all shy and weird and try to duck out of the room. I’m doing okay under minor adversity. I don’t think I need more obstacles and challenges, but having to fight for writing time does make me more productive with it.
@mirymom1 from
Balancing Act
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I wonder if that’s why my orchids died: they became shy and weird…?
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