(no subject)

[wispfox]

So, some of you may be aware of the fact that being given flowers is not a happy thing for me. They die. Quickly. Hello, what's with giving people dead things as gifts?! (except if it's food...)

Delightful link along these lines, here. Credit to ladytabitha for finding it. :)

Comments

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Huh! Eeeenteresting.

Feels wrong (to me, mind) to have anything which was once alive (or, perhaps, still is - sorta hard to say when precisely plants die...) be killed simply for one's pleasure.

[majes.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying that. It's my thoughts on the matter exactly. I remember as a child being bothered by others picking wild flowers - it made me feel sad that they were killing something beautiful because it was beautiful.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Although, in some cases, taking off *just* the blossom only means that the plant will grow a new one. (I think pansies do this) Still...

[majes.livejournal.com]

I likewise feel a bit uncomfortable about x-mas trees. However, this tradition has been so important to the people that I've been with in the past that I've kept doing it, despite my bad "kill-a-tree-that-we're-going-to-keep-up-for-two-or-three-weeks-tops" feelings.

Interestingly, I don't think I'd have a problem chopping down a tree for, say, firewood - assuming I actually needed firewood. Likewise, pulling up plants to eat them doesn't bother me either. I guess killing plants for practical reasons doesn't bother me.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Why not a fake Xmas tree? Or one that's small enough to keep around all the time, in a pot?

[majes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've suggested such things; I've dated traditionally minded people (at least in this particular regard) who really enjoy their annual tree sacrifice.

Hrmmm... I guess this should be a question that I ask potential partners from here on out.

"Live Christmas trees only, eh? Yeah, I don't think this is going to work out."

Heh. Who knew that differences in Christmas tree tastes were the real reason that my past relationships didn't work out? Certainly not me.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

"Live Christmas trees only, eh? Yeah, I don't think this is going to work out."

You could always claim allergy... ;)

[majes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but I'd rather claim that "The trees spoke to me; cutting them down makes them sad." I'm absolutely certain that this method will screen out the "women I shouldn't be dating" (read: sane) from the good ones.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Heh! Yes, that works too. I was thinking along the lines of allergy to killing trees, but hey. ;)

[rainjen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see your point. I guess I'm just not that sensitive about it. Kinda like mowing the grass, to me. I probably should be less "I'm the human, die!" about it, but alas.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* "I'm the human, die!" amused me. I'm not sure why.

Interestingly, mowing grass does _not_ bother me. Perhaps because it's got this crazy complicated root structure?

Dunno. If flowers were ones that I was fairly sure were removed in a way similar to pruning, I'd probably be fine with it. Still wouldn't _want_ them, but it'd bother me less.

[rainjen.livejournal.com]

Question: Does it make a difference to you if the flowers were originally planted for the purpose of being cut? Or is that too godlike in the assumption? I gave you life, and I can take it? If they would never have existed at all without the destined early death, does it change the morality?

I've now taken this all out of proportion, but I'm curious.

[ratatosk.livejournal.com]

Right! Flowers are the sexual organs of plants, and unlike on most animals, if you cut them off more can grow from the same plant. They'd also wither and die on the plant, too.

I can't quite get myself into a mindset where perennials grown in humane and respectful environments are less objectionable sources of cut flowers, since I don't have similar feelings about food (fruit is in a similar category as flowers, even).

On the other hand, the symbolism is probably all that matters, and if you see them as the hacked off sexual organs of a living thing, which will then _wither and die_, then they are disturbing!

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, the symbolism is probably all that matters, and if you see them as the hacked off sexual organs of a living thing, which will then _wither and die_, then they are disturbing!

Yes. Quite.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Existing solely for being killed does not help my feeling on the matter. Probably because of the fact that it's just so disturbing keeping something around while it's dying just because it was (is) pretty.

That said - if it were _just_ the blossom which were removed from the plant, and not much more, the removal would bother me less (I would still not want them give to _me_, mind). Because the flower will die anyway, removed or not removed.

But rarely is it just the blossom, and in some cases picking a flower is, in effect, killing the entire plant. In many more cases, it does _not_ kill it, mind.

*shrug* I'm just strange, I know. :)

[majes.livejournal.com]

"I'm the human, die!"

Now that is totally T-shirt/bumper sticker material.