The Value of Land / October 26 2006
Last night I dreamed I was working in the garden. Well, not working as such, more like struggling. Struggling with various tenacious tree-like weeds and pernicious and painful adult thistles and native cacti. Everything had to go. But it was such a futile battle against nature. At least the battle was fought in my head, fought remotely from my comfy bed.
For my sins, I have ignored my small back garden all summer and I have consequently grown more and more frustrated, I have become devoured by guilt, I am drowning in shame that I could have let it overgrow so.
I know that some time in the next few days, I shall have to get out there and toil inexorably amongst the agonizing and unwanted vegetation. I know that before the weekend I’ll be up to my shins in mud and filthy archaeology. I also know that being no expert with spade or fork; I will predictably damage tender muscles and tendons in thighs and back and will suffer at least until Christmas with the agonizing and horrific consequences of my inevitable exertions.
I know all this but still I worry. I dream and worry. I worry and dream. And in my dream last night I sweated and struggled with my culpable horticultural neglect.
Somewhere in there, I pulled up several greasy weeds, and to my understandable surprise, I found they had colourful flowers instead of roots. Some had the delicate heads of daffodils and tulips and some had the exotic petals and stamens of tropical orchids. There was gaudy beauty to be exposed where there should merely have been the strings of sandy underground filaments and muddy tubers.
What this means I have no idea. Somebody tell me. I’m worried.
Postscript - Mark Twain on worry:
I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.
Comments
2 comments on “The Value of Land”
Jo Beaufoix / November 4th, 2006 at 10:49 am
It probably means that your garden is upside down. Not really sure how you might remedy this…
Standing on your head probably wouldn’t help. Maybe you could burrow under the ground like a little mole and have a look.
Yours helpfully Bartholomew Splot (Inventor of the wheel)
queenminx / November 16th, 2006 at 10:25 am
I love you xx
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