There is an interesting plant called plantain (not to be confused with the "banana") that grows just about everywhere you can walk and a lot of places you can't walk. Now this plant, be it ever so humble, was once called the "White Man's Foot" by Native Americans who recognized that the plant closely followed the advance of civilization. If you were to take a walk in any area around your home where plants are growing, you may just find one or two of these creeping about.
So at this point, some of you may be saying to yourselves, "Okay...a weed. You're talking about a weed?". Yes. Yes I am. My teacher and I were taking a stroll around her gardens one warm, spring day. She was introducing me to the different plants and herbs that she grows intentionally and ones that grow naturally in and around her property. We walked to a particular corner where she had some flowers growing and there, next to the flowers, were these weeds. She had planted them there. I asked her what was special about them and she began to speak. When my teacher speaks, I listen. She instructed me to take a leaf from the plant. To do so, I was to grab the leaf near the base of the plant and pull firmly and sharply. It was pointed out that leaving the plant in tact and not taking all that it had to offer at once, would mean good medicine for the future as well. She walked me over to her outside basin and told me to rinse the leaf off. Once I had done that, it was into the mouth for a good masticating. As I chewed on this weed, she asked me what I felt. I told her that it felt cool in my mouth. The taste was certainly bitter but the green drool it produced was very cool.
The rosemary plants on the other side of the fence were giving their nectar to some mud bees that happened along. My teacher swished one with her hand inadvertently and it took notice of her. She, on the other hand, did not notice the yellow jacket and it proceeded to land on her hand and take a little nibble. The look on her face when that thing bit her was of utter shock and pain. Mind you, I had already put some of this plantain salve on my arm where a patch of eczema exists to feel the cooling sensation on my body, but I had some left in my mouth. The next look on her face when she peered up at me said only one thing, put some on my hand. So I grabbed the rest of this pulpy salve from my mouth and placed it directly on the area where the mud bee had bitten her. It was the perfect learning and teaching opportunity. She taught me some of the many uses of this common plant and I learned how to appreciate a weed.
I was on the road this weekend with some varied driving conditions and started taking a look at all the other people that were in the same situation I was. We all had a destination and the ambition to get there. Not all of our destinations were the same, not all of our ambitions were the same. We were all on the same road for the moment though. I had the opportunity to teach an inexperienced driver who was showing off for her juvenile friends. After several miles of watching this teen driver bebop back and forth between lanes without regard for distance or response time of other drivers, it was my turn to dance with her. I pulled close to the car in front of me knowing full well that she would try and shimmy between us in order to pass the person she was tailing. I kept watch in her mirrors for the signs that she would be coming over at any second.
Sure enough, just as the car in front of me cleared her she came sweeping right in at which point I slowed down, laid my hand on the horn and gave her the look to let her know she almost hurt someone. Her reaction was one I was not expecting so I moved up through the lanes. My intentions were quite clear to her when I merged into her lane with a narrow margin of comfort. She had an inquisitive look on her face that echoed a bit of regret and fear. I gave her a look through my side view that assured her I was not there to harm her or her friends. She was driving close enough, still, that she could see me and she got the message I was purveying. A few hundred yards up the road came the opportunity for her to learn about following too close when the traffic suddenly stopped. No one hit anyone, thank God. From that moment on, she kept her distance and didn't cut anyone else off...at least for the next 35 miles or so.
Two separate instances with separate details. Each one has its lessons. Be aware of your surroundings. Have an open mind about every thing. Encountering a weed can be a great learning opportunity. Drive safely.
The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition, nor to insult or demean anyone or any being. Please respect this boundary. Otherwise, anything goes.
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