Topic of Choice 2: The commitment to actually taking care of plants I have purchased



Topic of Choice 2: The commitment to actually taking care of plants I have purchased
November 24, 2017
Living things are not just a means to making my life more aesthetically pleasing.

Loving nature and having a nature aesthetic is very popular among college-aged students in today’s society. This is visible on social media sites where people post pictures of houseplants, hikes, and other earthy adventures. I, too, love nature and I am a fan of having plants, paintings, and an aesthetic that reflects this love. In the past, though, I have noticed that my love for nature has at times been heavily influenced by my desire to look like the type of person who loves nature. When on a hike or outdoors, I often feel the need to photograph my experience to show others how cool I am in “my element.” Talking about this makes me feel embarrassed, but I think it is important for me to call this out in myself.
While I said that I loved nature (and while I truly did), I was loving somewhat selfishly in that I prioritized the way nature made me look over actually caring for nature. I want to be the type of person who explores the great outdoors and has plants all over my house, but I want this love to be more pure.

An example I will use is regarding my purchasing of house plants.  I used to buy plants and be careless with them. I did not research how to take care of them and thus I did not care for them appropriately. I would buy a plant when I was in a nature-y mood and then just watch as they died due to my lack of appropriate care. I took on the responsibility of taking care of a living thing, and then I neglected it because I had already experienced my fill of “nature vibes.” This is not meant to produce guilt and condemn all who buy plants and fail to maintain them. Most of us have purchased a plant and sadly watched as it has died for mysterious reasons. This post is just to identify an unhealthy perspective I have seen in myself and sometimes others.

My plants sometimes still die, and I am far from a knowledgeable plant owner, but I feel that I need to be intentional and thoughtful about the way I handle plants now. If I buy a plant, I am responsible for that plant and taking care of it well (even when it no longer serves aesthetic purposes). I want to continue to challenge myself and others in this way.

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