The unexamined life is not worth living.

Socrates, in Plato, Dialogues, Apology
Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC – 399 BC)

I am reading Peter Pouncey’s book, Rules for Old Men Waiting, enjoying the wonderful writing and the images and thoughts that were evoked.  I got to thinking about how difficult it is today to lead a quiet contemplative life, and started wondering how this lack of quiet and solitary contemplation affects the minds and souls of the young people growing  up in this society.  I wonder if growing up in a quiet setting somehow deepens the thoughts and mind of an individual, as opposed to a person who grows up in a noisy, jangly type of environment.

It seems to me that when a person is distracted by the many blandishments of our modern civilization, then we can’t really pay proper attention to ourselves–to our lives.  If we can not examine our lives in a conscious sort of way as we travel through, then we may wake up late in life realizing that we have been led astray by cheap, tawdry distractions.  If we are taken from ourselves by the bright flashing lights of our society, then how can we really know what we want?  How can we come to realize just exactly what it is that is important?

It is hard in such circumstances to act with purpose.  It is hard to be deliberate and methodical in pursuing our goals.  It is hard to delve deep within to really understand ourselves.  Leading a quiet sort of life, surrounded by beautiful things, helps us to become aware of ourselves and how we fit into this amazing existence.  I’m afraid that growing up exposed to the constant external stimulation of our society distracts us from ourselves.

This not to say that external stimulation is bad.  We need the stimulation of new ideas and attitudes to grow and become.  I just fear that we have lost the ability for quietness, to sit alone, to think…

Trillium's are blooming all through the woodlands.

Another plant which, like the Trillium, has oil appendages on the seed and is dispersed by ants.

On my morning walk which I try to take as soon as I arise from bed, I saw     numerous Western Trilliums blooming throughout the woods.  They are inconspicuous the rest of the year, and I never notice them until they bloom.

I was also pleased and happy to find a flower which I have never seen before in the neighborhood.  Hidden along a steep bank of the stream bed, I found a lovely patchof Pacific Bleeding hearts (Dicentra formosa).  I wasn’t sure if I could climb safely down the embankment, but I was determined to examine this flower up close and take some photos.  The name refers to the heart-shaped appearance of the flowers, and Dicentra refers to the two spurs on the outer leaves.  The specific name , formosa, means beautiful or handsome.  I have photographed these beautiful flowers back east, but I don’t believe that I have seen them in Washington.  I took both of these photographs this morning.

Both of these species have oil rich structures (elaiosomes) which some believe attract ants which help to disperse the seeds  Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) is a wonderful example of mutualism between species.  I have written about this before in a prior post.  I quote below the advantages of such a relationship from a paper on the Australian museum site:

1. Reduces competition between young plants and their parents. By distancing the seed from the parent plant and sibling seedlings it lowers the likelihood of competition for resources.
2. Reduces the amount of seeds lost to predation. By moving the seeds into ant nests, it is more difficult for other seed-eating animals to get to them.
3. Provides favourable conditions for seedling growth. Soil in ant nests is less compacted and richer in nutrients than surrounding soils. This is a great advantage to seedlings in arid environments like the Australian interior, which generally have hard, infertile soils.
4. Provides protection from harsh environmental conditions. By moving the seeds below ground they are protected from fire and high summer temperatures.
5. Provides protection for eggs of other insects. Some insects have exploited the seed dispersal behaviour of ants. Stick insects, for example lay eggs that mimic seeds. These seed-like eggs are taken back to ant nests where they are guarded or discarded by the ants. When the young stick insect hatches, some species look and behave much like an ant. This method acts to disperse the stick insects as much as it does the seeds they mimic.

Here is an interesting annotated bibliography of the behavior.