Compelled

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

The quote above is credited to John Muir. As an author and naturalist, Muir advocated for forest conservation and preservation. Although I love being outside and experiencing nature, I am drawn to Muir's pronouncement because it sums up how I feel when I work in my garden.

Oftentimes, when asked why I invest so much time and effort into getting things to grow, it is hard for me to formulate an answer right away, to put my passion into words. On these occasions, I am most likely to talk about my grandmother, and how watching her work in her garden inspired me to start one of my own.

On a practical note, I cannot explain this innate desire I have to put my hands in the dirt, loosen it up, and move it around. Nor do I know why talking about plants, flowers, and shrubs takes me from a mild-mannered individual to a zealot in less time than it takes a Pentecostal preacher to speak in tongues. What I do know is that regardless of where I've lived, and despite my circumstances, I've always been able to grow things. I've had no formal training, only what I've learned on my own and from my family. I rely mostly on my instincts, and while I've made many mistakes over the years, I've also had appreciable success. I consider myself a lifelong student of the discipline of gardening, and I educate myself by researching, reading, and reaching out to others who share my enthusiasm.

Thus, the calling that Muir refers to makes perfect sense to me. No apologies, no regrets, no lengthy explanations. I've really just got to go.