It has been a while since I visited the Patch. One would have thought that I would have camped out here during the weeks before the election considering all the negative ad campaigns, the anger of the citizens, the sadness, and the chaos.
The mushrooms symbolize the magic of life when it emerges from a source considered less than lovely by most people. The mushroom, a fungus, begins its existence as a spore underground. It draws nourishment of the decay of organic matter from trees, grass, dead insects, and yes, even feces, animal and insect.
The emergence of colonies of mushroom inspires me for they do so with astounishing speed, and once the caps are exposed to the air, they develop very quickly. Once the caps have unfolded, they actually turn upwards, then equally rapidly, the mushroom releases its spores, sheds its cap and the whole organism rots and is reabsorbed into the earth from whence it came.
Though the life of a mushroom colony is brief, the beauty they exhibit cannot be denied. They are powerful, and can move aside very large objects as they pop up and unfold. They have many shapes, sizes and characteristics.
Mushrooms come from humble origins, feed on what the world considers the garbage of life, have short but amazing lives, and, when they die, they leave only more nourishment of other organisms.
Mushrooms inspire me in the worst of times. Thank God elections are held in the fall.
