Pots, Plants, and Pleasure

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Over the quarantine, I saw how my sister picked up an interest in gardening, specifically for her small, pot plants that now sit in my living room on a shelf. To me, those plants symbolize mental clarity; the fact that she found a new hobby taught me that I myself need a place of tranquility and healing. Knowing me, I tend to overwork myself and never have any moment of relaxation, and when I do, I feel that I am not accomplishing anything. My life has gotten mundane over the past quarantine, but to fill in this empty space, I played video games with my friends. Despite the suffocation stemmed from sitting in my room for almost a year, I found a way to find some pleasure. This all derived from the simple, yet complex way my sister found to cope with her emtpiness---that is, tending to some plants that bring life amidst a dark period. Coming out of the pandemic evoked a sense of emptiness again because it made me realize how mechanistic life is; living feels artificial and mundane. As a high schooler right now, I experience this empty-like feeling, and all I want to do is find some pleasure to cope with my desolation. It is strange because I was comfortable coming out of a pandemic, but now, all I want to do is shelter myself in a pot.

November 28, 2021

APUSH

Garden Grove High School

Photograph

English Agriculture

English Home & Family Life

English Recreation & Leisure

sister

gardening

hobby

video game

APUSH

Garden Grove High School

unique

special

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