Bloom where you’re planted

When I’m not teaching or singing songs about science or picking figs or building sheds, I can sometimes be found out in my garden. I don’t have the greenest of thumbs, but I harvested some raspberries, yellow squash, tomatoes and green peppers this summer. The stragglers of the summer harvest are some strange looking squash-watermelon hybrid (there is every chance that something got cross-pollinated) and a few cantaloupes. Or should I say, several cantaloupes and one “can”-aloupe . . . .

I’m kinda glad I spotted this poor guy when I did. Clearly, he got himself in a tight spot and was doing the best he could given the situation. But despite his best efforts, he was never going to reach his full potential between the slat and the fence post. It took little effort on my part to improve his prospects.

Like that cantaloupe, I’ve been in a jam a time or two in my life. Thankfully, I’ve had good folks come along and make things just a little bit easier for me. As a songwriter, I’ve gotten stuck on a lyric or written lazy lyrics that have only gotten better from helpful friends and family. I try to pay it forward when I can. As a teacher, that’s part of the job description. Sometimes all it takes is a small re-direction to help a struggling student find success.

The moral of the story — When someone’s in a jam, lend a hand if you can . . . Hey, that sounds like a song lyric!