Michigan chili growers who grow outside in gardens or in fields are very busy this time of year. Inside we’re getting our starts ready and either have germinated or are germinating what will, hopefully be, healthy, fruitful plants. Whether it's 25, 250 or 2500 starts, we have begun fussing and fawning.
When no one is watching we cross fingers, say prayers, think about our karma, and beg the universe to allow these leafy little babies to push a teeny green stem up through soil or fiber or whatever new tech we’re trying this year. We fret under grow lights in cramped quarters or in large open greenhouses. We worry about the quality of our water, fertilizers, seeds, growing medium, light, warmth. We try playing music, singing, talking and pumping positive energy at them. After all, we have, all of us, contracted an illness. Diagnosis: Start Season Fever.
If you have experienced this malady, then you know that it also brings with it one of the most important human states of being, Optimism and Hopefulness. The fever and stress of the starts by their very nature imply growth and a future that we look forward to. Large, leafy plants heavy with fruit and full of flowers occupy our musings and dreams. In this simple act of hustle and work we are rewarded with the gift of longing. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they will grow, tomorrow they will produce, tomorrow we will harvest.
So if you find yourself tired, bummed or depressed this time of year, remember that all the effort and stress and worry yields one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Hope. We have started 25, 250 or 2500 little plugs of Hope. That’s no small feat. Congratulations.