Gardening
(click to go to Additions to Gardening)
Gardening is a rhythm as are the seasons—as are we. Add a trillion et ceteras for the infinite variety and numbers of rhythms. Breathing is the fundamental rhythm as is the heart rate. Walking is a rhythm as is sleeping. Each cell has its own pulse or rhythm; seeds likewise. A spinach seed will germinate when ground temperature is 40 degrees F and a watermelon at ground temperature of 60 F, indicating our seasons and rhythms are related to external circumstances. We come to the village earth with three outstanding characteristics which shape our lives at all levels. These are the gift of the matrix for language, a unique ability to imitate, and possessiveness [appropriation]. Except for language, these are off and running at birth. If given a chance, mother and child possess each other almost immediately—making a difficult situation for a father who has a strong sense of entitlement. "Never get between a cow and her calf," is the farm expression.
Rhythmical babbles begin at about 6 months and are reinforced by the environment. If not, these events dwindle away. These babbles occur after the voice box descends into the pharynx, a change not found in other species. According to the book, An Introduction to Language* (where I gathered much inspiration and information), “These babbles are noted at six months + or -, the world over and account for most (95%) of the consonants in the languages of the world which have been studied. Without feedback, a deaf child’s speech per se remains babbles and fades away.”
Imitation has been observed, coded into segments from birth on; Piaget dedicated many years to imitation. Imitation is a huge factor in all that we learn; “me” cannot be learned by imitation. Fortunately, or not, “me” is noted as my, or mine, and are possessive learned by imitation by 16 months. My, and mine are a verbal continuation of possessiveness. Placing a finger in an infant’s hand is grasped; holding on is a distinct characteristic. Both possessiveness and imitation are noted shortly after birth.
The “You” voice is learned by imitation. While 18 – 22 month old toddlers ask to be picked up in endless fashion, “hold you” is among the top modes. At 20 months or so they say, “hold you”, with arms outstretched meaning “hold me.” Having taken the trouble (time) to collect data from caregivers, the “you voice” is reported in 58 of 61 infants between 18 – 22 months. So the “you” voice is learned by imitation and continues as rules and regulations for a society. Often the “you” is noticed in clinical terms as an inner message to oneself; this is called inner speech. It is lightning fast and is a carryover from Piaget’s research on egocentric speech of childhood. As egocentric speech fades, inner speech emerges by age 6 or 7 (Vygotsky). This is important as the child can now use his/her inner voice for thinking numbers instead of counting fingers. Inner speech is alive and well in most of us. The lightning fast (2/5 of a second) voice which carries many rules (shoulds, +) and are necessary for societies. Cultures speak heavily from the “you” voice. Think of the 10 commandments, teacher, parents, peers and so on. Now for the hard part. The “I” voice cannot be learned by direct imitation. The difference between perceived self and sensed self escalates. So, what is a model for the “I” voice? Yet, shit happens. I hope that holes happen might be an improvement over shit happens. Think of your life as analogous to a nice block of Swiss Cheese. Full of holes, smelly, attracts bacteria and fungus, improves with age [?] Dries out with aging, develops wrinkles---and a long list of smoothing out of rhythms. So if in a hole: shout, sing, jump, pray. Practice, practice, practice—in answer to the lady in New York City who asked How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Pick your nose, flip the booger and follow the booger out. Or, do the depth psychological approach and dig out the reasons for being in the hole in the first place. Why me, Moses asked God? Because I selected you. You dumb bloke. As with all answers to why questions, one gets an Elephant, Bull, Chicken or Flea shit size answer. Digging when in a hole, the hole gets either wider or deeper—or both. Holes happen; what is, is.
