Planted
Yes, Michael. In the evidence of its brilliance this truth stands alone. Well, this one and the one about not fucking anybody who does not have books in his house / reads. Because a gay man may not have a pet and his place can be a little messy, but no plants? The horror. Allow me to elaborate.
I am able to give a pass to gross pets (I draw the LINE at spiders and snakes though. That'll be a NO from me) but no pets and no plants and no books? And a dirty apartment? There's something fishy there. I imagine it just talks to us the fact that the man we wanna bang shows a level of care for things that are not himself. For all the self-absorption that many gay men can brandish like a cub, it's always nice to notice that we are really not that vacuous.
So yeah, apparently nowadays we have to look at what plants he has at home (or in his garden, natch), as well as if he reads or has a pet. It may have to do with something atavistic in us? Apart from being a sign that the man is actually able to care about something else besides himself, plants are beautiful and they purify the air. Ive discovered they also help me reduce stress by allowing me to being able to disconnect from whatever fuckery is going on (heartache, pandemics, IMPOTUS or work related shenanigans) and plants are good training wheels for other kinds of commitment, no?
I am able to give a pass to gross pets (I draw the LINE at spiders and snakes though. That'll be a NO from me) but no pets and no plants and no books? And a dirty apartment? There's something fishy there. I imagine it just talks to us the fact that the man we wanna bang shows a level of care for things that are not himself. For all the self-absorption that many gay men can brandish like a cub, it's always nice to notice that we are really not that vacuous.
So yeah, apparently nowadays we have to look at what plants he has at home (or in his garden, natch), as well as if he reads or has a pet. It may have to do with something atavistic in us? Apart from being a sign that the man is actually able to care about something else besides himself, plants are beautiful and they purify the air. Ive discovered they also help me reduce stress by allowing me to being able to disconnect from whatever fuckery is going on (heartache, pandemics, IMPOTUS or work related shenanigans) and plants are good training wheels for other kinds of commitment, no?
Plants do have their benefits. Not to mention that I like having some green around when it’s all frozen and white outside. I’m a tropical fruit at hart, what can I say?
XoXo
P.S. this is my last experiment: a mini garden. I adopted three of the plants I have here from ALDI’s and one from Trader Joe’s. They were basically left to fend for themselves. The bigger succulent is a gift from my one friend who was pruning his own plant. The little tree did not have a base and would have probably end up in the trash. The little soldier was given to me by some Veterans group at the beginning of the year. Yes, all my shit seems to have a long drawn out story. So sue me.
_en_una_actuacio%CC%81n.png)
Phil (cat) would love for me to have house plants for him to eat and bat around. But I've planted all my finds outside.
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteKitties are dangerous with plants around them, huh?
And having the possibility of a year-round garden sounds fantastic. I'd probably live in a mini-rainforest.
XOXO
I agree that one should have something or someone else to care for. I think we all like to know the person we set eyes on has a nurturing ability. This may be related to a relationship in itself, because that also needs to be nurtured.
ReplyDeleteAs for me all the plants have to be outside. Otherwise the cats will sample them and then there’s a mess to clean up.
And I love the new garden and your rescues. Do you move the soldier around so he shows progress?
XOXO 👨❤️💋👨
Yeah, it does have to do with the confirmation that the person can for attachments of some kind with a living being LOL.
DeleteAnd there go the kitties being plant menaces. Is it really that bad? I only deal with doggies now, so kitties are a mystery.
And I had not thought about moving the soldier, but that's an idea!!
XOXO
a SUCKulent garden! like jimmy, I have no indoor plants as the cats would chew them to bits. have our soldiers ever crawled thru cactus plants?
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteSucculent are my best friends . I have killed one or two, but they usually stay. These have been with me for several months now. And I see the kitties strike again.
I think soldiers have to go through really inhospitable terrains. They're super heroes.
XOXO
Okay... so, when you sit down to write your first novel, please begin it with "For all the self-absorption that many gay men can brandish like a cub..." Classic. Your garden. Adorbs. And smart. Very pretty. You are such a creative soul. I love these quality of living insights and suggestions. I can't do many of them, but how fun. Just what did you have to do to that veteran's group to earn your little soldier??? Were you an active duty 'service' man? Hope all is well and you are enjoying the long weekend. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha
DeleteOh, Upton. You know I talk to much. And thanks! I like plants, but during this pandemic being inside so much has really made me look for other things to keep me busy without going cray. Self-care, as you mention, is fundamental.
And no, I did not have to personally thank any service member for his service to get the little soldier. I would not have minded, though. Dink Flamingo should not be the one having all the fun.
XOXO
I think I am banned from keeping live plants, something about the cactus that died from neglect, and the high ride with only north facing windows.
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteOh, I've killed one or three succulents myself. You should try ZZ plants. Apparently, they're indestructible and can do without too much light.
XOXO
I like your mini garden. We have a sunroom filled with plants but they are all Carlos. He's a much better indoor plant guy than me.
ReplyDeleteOn that reading note, however. After meeting Carlos online we started having phone chats and one of the first questions I asked him was:
"Do you read?"
Because I am an avid reader.
But because Spanish is his first language, he took my question to mean:
"Do you know how to read?"
And he was snippy with me for a hot minute until I explained myself!
PS He does read.
Thanks!
DeleteIt's tiny but I really like it. And a sunroom? Totally jealous! Oh, Bob, you have got to give us a mini-tour!
And I love the reading anecdote! Leave it to Carlos to make everything interesting. Not a dull moment, huh?
XOXO
That's a great indoor garden. Oh, for years we tried to grow plants...one after one they died. For some reason, a few years ago, they started to thrive. Now we have them pretty much all over the place; everything from Bamboo to a Norfolk Pine.
ReplyDeleteReading is a MUST. It doesn't much matter to me what you read, but you must have some type of real reading material. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.
Dirty, messy place? Nope. Immediate no. If you can't keep your living space clean, how can I trust that you will be clean? ***shrug*** XOXO
I'm really enjoying it!
DeleteAnd it's so cool you've got Bamboo! I have tried to have a Bamboo plant once or twice but it has not worked. Also, people kept scaring me telling me that it's highly invasive. I gave up. I may try again sometime in the future.
And reading is absolutely necessary. From biographies to bodice rippers. Everything counts. It just tells you how curious that person can be...
XOXO
Oh, by "real" I meant that newspapers and magazines don't count in this category. It must be books. From "Literature" to porn, it all counts. xoxo
DeleteTrue.
DeleteI think that there must be some immersion in the text and at least a hint of criticism for the reading to be effective. Even when reading porn we are doing that. Do people still read newspapers? I do read magazines, but I don't remember the last time I did not read a newspaper online...
XOXO
nice little garden. It's nice to have a little garden indoor (and outdoor), The only problem is when one has to be away from home for several days. Who will water the plants then?
ReplyDeleteAww thanks, Xersex!
DeleteThat's what I like about succulents: they thrive when you neglect them. I water my plants every other week. And when I'm going to be gone for more than a week, I stick a bottle with water in the planter. That usually keeps them happy.
XOXO
Enjoyed the video and your mini-garden! I have not had plants for many, many years now.
ReplyDeleteMichael is a riot!
DeleteAnd the mini-garden has been a joy! You should try something on the bathroom or the kitchen. Maybe a mini herb garden, if you don't have killer kitties?
XOXO