World Peace

My plant has a shiny new leaf.

I know this wouldn't normally be earth-shaking news, but hell, I have a blog now and I can write about any stupid shit I want. That's the beauty of blogging--the most inane things become monumental while world hunger, peace in the middle east, and the AIDS epidemic get moved right into that boring pile of...actual news.

Don't get me wrong. That leaf is a beauty. It's newsworthy. I've watched it unfurling for a few days now. It started out tightly wound and hiding behind all the big-brother leaves, but then with a distinct act of courage it poked its tiny, curled-up self right through the masses and started making its way. I think it knew it was shinier and greener and more capable of oxygen production that all those other average-joe leaves.

Then in an act of defiance it unfurled its glossy greenness and jettisoned around the corner of the wall so that it would be recognized as the rebel leaf that it is. It's the best place...it really is. Most sunlight, better air and more focused, individual talk-time by me--its proud steward and conservator. This leaf knows how to get it when the getting's good. It's bigger, it stands up straighter, and it's out in front.

The thing is, it probably doesn't realize how much its individual success has benefited the entire plant. It gathered a whole lotta sunshine today and shared its photosynthetic abundance with the roots. It pioneered an exciting new direction and broke ground on uncharted territory. And better yet, it got noticed, which got the rest of the plant watered by me.

I love this leaf. If I had a camera I'd take a picture. I might even name it.