The Tulip Break

I'm reading a book, The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, he is also the author of the The Omnivores Dilemma, another book I've referenced in previous posts.

The chapter I'm reading is all about the Tulip frenzy of the 1600's in Holland. A few things I noted are of particular interest, and relate to beauty.

The picture you see is of a "broken tulip." Most tulips are pure colors of yellow, red, purple, white and even black. When partial colors started to appear like brushstrokes of flamed hues, the European frenzy called, Tulipmania occured.

What they didn't know way back then, was that the cause of this color break was a virus spread by the peach potato aphid. Prior to this, Dutch farmers tried many different techniques to cause breaks to happen. Gardeners sprinkled colored paint on the base of the flower, others sprinkled plaster dust. Anyone who happened to grow a broken tulip was rewarded for their efforts.

One reason for the frenzy is because of how the broken tulip was viewed. "Beauty always takes place in the particular," writes Elaine Scarry, "and if there are no particulars, the chances of seeing it [beauty] go down." It's like when you go to the tulip fields and see a blanket of red tulips with one yellow tulip beckoning to be noticed. Beauty in the particular.

Isn't it interesting that the virus which caused the break, garnered more followers who planted more flowers, thus spreading the virus that would eventually kill the species? Is there something to learn from this now?

How about the way we eat? The way we tan our bodies? Our lack of exercise? I'm not preaching to you...I love Red Robin french fries, Snickerdoodles, Sugar cookies, laying out in the sun, oh and pizza...but I do want to make better choices about these things. A chocolate truffle looks so beautiful with its swirls of milky cocoa and yummy flavors, but am I supposed to eat them en masse while reading?

So, I am going to notice beauty in the particular, then take a closer look at the long-term benefits, or lack of benefits, and maybe just eat one tuffle...maybe two.

The Prime of Life

In this day and age, growing older is looked at much like that of a mouse on a running wheel: forever running but never getting away from time, aging and the future. If you've read previous posts you know my anti-aging remedy dilemmas and quest for something that will erase fine lines, wrinkles, age-spots and so on. But a couple of days ago, I learned a knew perspective that is helping me to see beyond those superficial things, and onward toward fullness of life and the splendor of gray hair (even if it's covered up with "Golden Amber" by Feria).

Eli was a priest of the Lord in Shiloh. Eli had two sons, Phinehas and Hophni who were wicked because they took the sacrificial meat before the fat portions were burned off. It was customary that when the people came to sacrifice, the priests were to get whatever a three-pronged forked brought up after it was plunged into the pot where the meat was boiling. Phinehas and Hophni wanted the raw meat so they could roast it. They wanted more than was their due as priests.

Because of this selfish act, Eli's family would be judged because he failed to restrain his sons and there would never be an old man in his family line. All Eli's descendants would die in the prime of their life.

This was interesting to me, because even though we cringe as birthdays roll around, and we start getting anxious as the years go by, at least we are living and able to see what has been. We will hopefully get to see our children's children, the passing of seasons, the way a maple tree grows over the years.

I consider myself in the prime of life, although that number seems to be going up...isn't it 60yrs. now? So, even though getting older seems dreadful, I'm going to try and look at things differently...I get to enjoy my children and watch them grow. I may still try a few tricks to spruce up the outer shell, but on the inside my heart is still beating, one beat, one day, one year at a time. I'm alive in my prime...!