Comments on Julie Zickefoose: The Herd Mentality

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2008-04-27T03:40:00.000-05:00

Oh, I feel a song coming on....Don't go changing.....

2007-05-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Oh, I feel a song coming on....

Don't go changing...to try and please us (orallthepeopleinthebleachers) / don't brush the flowers from your hair / just chase the cows off / climb the hillside / we love you just the way you are....

We do love you, in spite of your apparent inability to fit in with the rest of the boring world. Don't change. We need people like you to reveal what the rest of miss...

Still, it's a mistake to stereotype people, to not...

2007-05-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

Still, it's a mistake to stereotype people, to not see them as being as individual as the wildflowers. Some of those women could have grown up on farms near the woods and known the names of all those plants, with mothers and grandmothers who taught them. In that case, I don't imagine they'd feel like they needed to be shown something they'd loved all their lives.

I'd have been right behind you, holding the barbed...

2007-05-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

I'd have been right behind you, holding the barbed wire so you didn't have to tear your pants, if you didn't want to!
Reminds me of springtime walks in the woods with my folks, stringing a pack of little kids around looking for what my father calls "belly flowers", as in tiny little things you had to get right down on your belly to find!
I always have grubby fingernails and dirty knees this time of year.
Caroline in South Dakota

My dear, you do have someone to share it with...us...

2007-05-02T16:53:00.000-05:00

My dear, you do have someone to share it with...us. It takes all kinds to make this wild and wacky world of ours, sadly those gals were not on your plane of thought but who's to say that that is wrong? I mean they may be into really wonderful life altering things too that you or I would never dream of doing...much less have the time to. They might be sending Girl Scout cookies to the troops overseas or volunteering at the local old folks home. Life in the woods is alien to them but then that's okay because with little or no knowledge they could do more harm than good. Share your beautiful pictures with us and when lonely for a friend to walk in the woods with call on those of us who will appreciate the invitation and you!

Thank you Julie, for taking me along via your blog...

2007-05-02T15:36:00.000-05:00

Thank you Julie, for taking me along via your blog! I was raised in woods and never saw half the flowers you picture. But the hepatica brought a tear and I could almost smell the woods!
You are a bright spot in my day, and I say to heck with the non-wowers.
Joan in NJ

Well, you did have someone to share it with--all o...

2007-05-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Well, you did have someone to share it with--all of us.
I LOVE the photo of the firepink. I don't think I've ever seen it, much less hear of it.
It must have been a sight, you stampeding the herd & all. Then coming back to the non-WOWing folks, who should have all been saying wow. Maybe they were all thinking, grinding their teeth, what else could I be doing right now.

You're among friends here, dear. This post reminde...

2007-05-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

You're among friends here, dear.

This post reminded me of my best friend--I love the gal, but a hike through the woods is little more than a workout to her. To me, it's a chance to discover the flora and fauna. (But I suppose I drive her nuts with my, "Hey look at all the trilliums!" and "How could you not know what a birch tree looks like?" speak.)

Careful, next thing you know you'll be nurturing t...

2007-05-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Careful, next thing you know you'll be nurturing the 'weeds' and giving the lawn the heave-ho.

Julie I would have given anything to have been abl...

2007-05-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

Julie I would have given anything to have been able to be sitting next to you in the bleachers and invited along to share an adventure like climbing over the fence, chasing the cows and discovering the wildflowers in the woods. Those women didn't see a golden opportunity when it was sitting right in front of their noses. Too bad for them..but oh so lucky for us..that we have you and your blog!

Although I do grind my teeth, wishing I could some...

2007-05-02T09:10:00.000-05:00

Although I do grind my teeth, wishing I could somehow have the 2 hours on the bleachers AND 2 hours to work/weed/read/walk in the woods, I wouldn't miss watching Fiona play for anything. In her kindergarten league, everyone bats until they get a hit, everyone gets on base, nobody is out, everyone comes home. If they play 4 innings, the "score" is always 40-40. Wouldn't it be good if life were always that fair?
And while I'm sitting there, I'm also watching crows harrassing redtails in the treetops, and thinking about the fresh poo I found in the "fox latrine" area on the trail where I hike, so that I can have a good guess what the fox has been eating (squirrel yesterday, vole today!) Glad to know there are so many other oddball women out there too...I'll stop leaving my binos in the car.
Wendi

My eyes teared in giggles at the vision of you tea...

2007-05-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

My eyes teared in giggles at the vision of you tearing your pants and stampeding the cows! I "got it" when you described the wonder and blessing of finding those 21 species of blooming wildflowers on the hill in the woods. But when I read of the lack of response from the other parents I felt a familiar loneliness. That is exactly why I feel such a strong (sometimes desparate) connection to this blogging community. We share the wonder.

BTW- My bins and camera go with me to every game and practice too.

Oh Julie--you're always making me want to cry with...

2007-05-02T08:26:00.000-05:00

Oh Julie--you're always making me want to cry with a wistful sadness! I wish I knew half as many wildflowers as you! And I wish I'd have been there to see them! And I wish (like Susan) you'd have seen (and perhaps brought a sample of) some good scat!

I can't believe not even one of them said "wow." Wow. How sad for them. At least you were able to experience it, though! Sometimes that has to be enough.

Hey, thanks for bringing us along as you clammered...

2007-05-02T08:22:00.001-05:00

Hey, thanks for bringing us along as you clammered over the fence to find another piece of Eden. I agree with all the comments of Marty and Susan et.al. Coming here to your blog, I feel I've found a community of like minded naturalists -- since there don't seem to be too many around here.

When spring hits like this, my family knows that clean laundry and meals provided by me come only on rainy days. I'm out in the yard!

Heather
Wayne, PA

People herd just as do cows and sheep - it's much ...

2007-05-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

People herd just as do cows and sheep - it's much more comfortable than ripping pants and going giddy over tiny brilliant flowers. One of my favorite quotes seems to fit your approach: "Well behaved women rarely make history." Thanks for climbing and stampeding and telling the tales.

Funny, isn't it? You leave one herd at the game a...

2007-05-02T07:57:00.000-05:00

Funny, isn't it? You leave one herd at the game and find another herd across the fence. I like the second one better. You just keep being Julie. We love you.

Julie,You must do it again. I think you're right t...

2007-05-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

Julie,
You must do it again. I think you're right to attribute the non-interest in non-understanding.
Those of us who do appreciate the simplest beauties of life have been trained to do so. Either by parents or mentors or the like.
You have a wonderful opportunity to share your passion with some who don't know its presence. If you show them again, maybe they'll begin to understand.

Julie, it's so cool that you went into the woods a...

2007-05-02T07:06:00.000-05:00

Julie, it's so cool that you went into the woods and so sad that the other people were unable to share in your enthusiasm. That's why I love my blog....I can put all my cool pictures and stories in there because most of the people I would actually try to share with would think, "she's an f'in kook!"

My mom & dad love to read it and see the pictures because they're no longer physically able to go for
a walk in the woods, so I do it for them and me and now I know you and your other readers also understand (kinda takes all the 'kookiness' away!).

BTW, that little red flower was awesome! I've never seen those--it must not be a Minnesota wildflower?

Gosh! What an oddball you are! The sports fans may...

2007-05-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

Gosh! What an oddball you are! The sports fans may have seen the 'last woman in the woods.'

I liken walking in the woods and being able to identify some of the plants and animals to being able to look at the pages of a book and understand what all those little black marks mean. Imagine how boring print would be if you couldn't read.

As Jayne said, you can always share your discoveries here. Does that make it less lonely in your alternate reality?

Which is why we blog, no? We who know you here we...

2007-05-02T05:57:00.000-05:00

Which is why we blog, no? We who know you here were with you in spirit and feel your palpable excitement in such a cool find with baseball in the distance. Indeed, how could one not appreciate the raw beauty of it all?

You could have ME and everyone else here to share ...

2007-05-02T04:56:00.000-05:00

You could have ME and everyone else here to share it with! I'd laugh with gusto to break away and to be able to stampede a herd, climb a barbed-wire fence, rip my pants, and discover plants I've never seen before. I would have laughed with you like I am now.

Julie, those type of ladies are typical. Marty described them very well. But maybe you made one or a few of them think about what they're missing.

I'm sure my neighbors and co-workers raise their eyebrows at me as I stand motionless for minutes on end waiting for a shot of a bird in a tree or crouching for bugs on the sidewalk. Sometimes I'll share my findings with co-workers and I usually get the same reaction. Those people are so DULL.

Oh man! I SOOOO would have climbed the fence with...

2007-05-02T04:19:00.000-05:00

Oh man! I SOOOO would have climbed the fence with you. AND I would have looked at ALL the pictures. I'm sure I embarass my kids with my muddy boots and jeans, but I just can't resist the woods.

Having a SIL from Constitution, OH, I can see a de...

2007-05-02T01:24:00.000-05:00

Having a SIL from Constitution, OH, I can see a deep vein of politeness tinged with unease. "Gee, that is interesting, but my child is out on the field...." I can see both sides of that coin. Speaking from my own experience, having moved a bazillion times, I would have climbed that fence with you. I love my kids, but I need some time with the fairy flowers.

Yea, it is sad. I'm impressed that you tried. I'...

2007-05-02T01:03:00.000-05:00

Yea, it is sad. I'm impressed that you tried. I'd say it was there loss -- and it is -- but until more people like them appreciate those 21 species of wildflowers, the flowers are in jeopardy.

I think it's cool that you went and looked. I wander around school with my camera looking up and the undersides of birds and I often wonder what the other parents/teachers think. Oh well.

Making the sheep herd (those clean-looking, coiffe...

2007-05-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

Making the sheep herd (those clean-looking, coiffed women at the preschool) nervous and off-balance is my favorite past time!
Imagine what those women would have done if you started talking about your scat and tracks discoveries!
It is sad that they didn't really listen to you. But like Marty said, maybe they will look past the ends of their noses because of you.