Those tangled bunches of miniature-sized sunflower looking blooms (I don’t know what they’re really called) I see growing along the highway right now are a sweet little treat for my eyes every time I drive someplace. They’re also one of those unsolved mysteries that need an answer but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Most of the other wild flowers have bloomed and faded away and for a while, there has been a void of them seen in the countryside of Pringle. The sunny petals surrounding brown-eyed centers are Augusts’ special attraction. They make mundane driving on the highway less monotonous and more scenic. My eyes are drawn to both sides of the road this time of year because the bobbing sunflower heads from a summer breeze attract my attention. The gold and brown blossoms are a favorite summer bloom of mine and save themselves for last. Their arrival signifies that summer is waning.
What I wonder though, as I spot bunches of them along the highway, is their reason for preferring to grow in the environment that they do. Why do the majority of these plants always seem to grow next to road signs and reflector posts? Maybe I’m the only one who notices these odd curiosities but most of the big clusters of flowers are leaning to and fro next to metal posts. I just find that a strange fact and felt like pointing that out to you.
This mystery leads me to want to know about other oddities I’ve observed, like the way males take their t-shirts off. Boys and guys reach behind their heads over their shoulder, grab a handful of t-shirt material and pull their shirt off over their heads.
Not that this is pertinent to the mystery, but removing t-shirts this way leaves their hair pulled up in the opposite direction like the pile on high-traffic carpeting, which then has to be resolved using a comb or smoothed down with their hand. My dad and brothers, husband and son all do this. By pulling the arms through the sleeves one at a time then lifting the t-shirt upward off the head, it doesn’t make a mess of one’s hair; something women consider when wearing shirts and sweatshirts and change out of differently.
Similarly, why do women eat candy bars, cupcakes or other sweets in numerous small bites at a time and men take like…three. Or less–I watched a guy at a family birthday party once, pop an entire cupcake in his mouth because he thought the frosting looked like it would make a mess on his face if he tried to eat it any other way. The women standing nearby noticed him do this and laughed in amazement at his accomplishment then ribbed him afterwards. I think this one has to do with the fact that men don’t really care about calories or even know what they are. Women try to enjoy each calorie by taking little bites and savoring them before taking another bite because most are self conscious about eating rich tasting sweets that they know are high in calories. For that matter, why do most women love chocolate so much and most men love beer equally as well?
The last brain teaser I’ve had on my mind as of late, is what’s the fascination men have with those square slices of processed cheese? Again I’ve witnessed both of my brothers, husband, dad and son open the fridge door, and turn around with a cheese slice hanging out of their mouths, or fold two or three slices in half, then eat them. It seems to be the American male’s most popular munchie. When my guys come in for a quick snack or need something they can grab for the road, they always take off with a cheese slice. And technically is it even considered real cheese? I call it essence of cheese and consider it more of a cheese-like substance. I have no hypothesis on this mystery.
These are the thoughts I have while checking salt, water, cows, and driving to or waiting at the Pringle well. How ‘bout you?
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