Rewind to a random date in the 20th century, anywhere from the mid-60s on. Imagine someone in the orbit of yours truly recommending a documentary to him entitled Fantastic Fungi. Listen as he first cackles wildly before questioning the sanity of the recommender.
Fast forward to the present day. Consider the education slowly administered to yours truly by his life partner of forty-four+ years - horticulture major, master gardener, chairperson of the newly formed Monmouth County Chapter of the NJ Native Plant Society. Observe yours truly transfixed by Fantastic Fungi. Timing is everything.
As recently as 2015 - on the first vacation my wife and I took with Road Scholars - she had trouble persuading me to attend a lecture on fungi and lichen. But that was before she ...
* Told me I must read The Overstory, a Richard Powers novel that subsequently transformed my relationship with the natural world and ...
* Suggested a companion non-fiction book called Entangled Life (Merlin Sheldrake) that deepened my understanding of the critical role of fungi in the web of life and ...
* Continued demonstrating an unalloyed evangelism for the natural world via her involvement in the NJ Native Plant Society, thereby augmenting my education with her modeling. How could I resist watching Fantastic Fungi when she suggested it? I'm so glad I didn't.
Timing is everything.
Fantastic Fungi is fantastic! I have watched it twice:).
ReplyDeleteInes; Was that alliteration intentional? If yes, bravo. If no, never mind.
DeleteOf course:)!
DeleteThank you for the kudos and thank you for your open and acquisitive brain. You’ve introduced me to so many great writers over the year I’m happy to be able to open a new door for you.
ReplyDeleteSorry I accidentally published as anonymous above
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, Pat. And Hello Kim, since there's such a direct connection to her in this post. Some of the best plays that I've had the opportunity to see have been in some of the strangest places. Off-off Broadway, Cellars, back rooms and some fairly odd community theaters have produced some fairly interesting shows that, had I not been persuaded to attend, I would have definitely missed out. You never know where you might find hidden gems. As for fungi ... Well, let's just say not as of yet. But I could hear the passion in Kims voice as she was talking about different plants, etc, after a recent 'Lets Talk' session. Good for you for taking her recommendation.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Hey Bob; Thanks for two comments in one day, again.
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