Monarch butterflies are going back to Mexico; salmon are leaving the ocean and swimming their way back to Alaska, and whales are swimming hundreds of miles searching for a familiar spawning ground. That’s just three of the thousands of amazing journeys that continuously occur on a 24/7 schedule, that keep our planet (the only one with oxygen and water) flourishing. (A Harvard-based theory group has speculated that certain animals will seek human counterparts. An MIT group for advanced studies has proposed a situation where two rhinos would heist an armored truck!) Creatures ranging in size from microscopic to behemoth, and armed with built-in preset timers; can activate with precise accuracy to go forth and propagate the species. It’s as if the great Greek Goddess Nike said to them, “Just do it!”
The five toed sloth is circling the drain, as Mama Nature, with mission statement in hand, weeds out the unnecessary and the excessive in the animal kingdom. Flowers however, present an alternative lifestyle; with wildflowers on one end of the spectrum, and cultivated blossoms on the other. We’re going to deal with the greenhouse versions, whose beauty has been spliced and blended in a wondrous attempt to improve upon perfection. Dedicated botanists have produced multicolored carnations, striped tulips, and a host of other flowers that are indeed more beautiful than the original, and they are able to sustain a longer shelf life. The time span between plucking and presentation to that special recipient is measured in hours, not days.
Over time, one flower has emerged as the Queen of all blossoms. The Rose! Composers have written and sung its praises; poets have celebrated its beauty, and lovers worldwide, have depended on its symbol of lasting beauty and devotion. The phrase “Send her a dozen roses!” are often the first words uttered in a relationship that may last for 50 years. A dozen roses, yes, but what color? They must be red, which is the personification of love most profound! Bottom line: pink, yellow, and white roses just don’t cut it. Those colors have their assigned place in the, “how deep is my love”, drama to be played out between the passionate couple. Only red roses have the Majesty to convey the unspoken devotion transmitted from one person to another. Tulips can’t hack it, gardenias turn brown, hydrangeas are overkill; and a box of Phlox won’t get you in the door.
Perhaps it was Shakespeare back in the 1500s, who solidified the rose as being head and shoulders above all the other blossoms; “a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet”; or something like that. A “War of the Roses” back in the 1400s was between Britain’s two ruling houses for domination of the country. It has been the preeminent flower down through the ages. Bette Midler sang about “The Rose”; Vaughn Monroe recorded “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”, and there was a “Yellow Rose of Texas.” By Stan Freberg. Carmen put a rose in her teeth, and Linda placed one over her ear. Mothers, who gave birth to what they determined to be beautiful daughters, would name them Rose. (Do you know any women named Tulip, Carnation, or Hollyhock? I thought not!)
Through genetic altering, the Rose has emerged as the most prolifically engineered flower in history, with more species than all the other flowers combined. While a dozen roses, in particular red ones, has become the standard for the opening salvo on the object of one’s affection; it has been discovered that just one rose, yes, one red rose, can carry an even more powerful message in its singularity. The Rose enjoys worldwide appeal, and has earned universal respect as the one and only symbol of deep adoration. Thank you.
This concludes my lecture. Kindly fold and stack your chairs.
There’s coffee on the back table. Please take note of the tip jar.