by Mónica Ferreira
image courtesy of Milivanily via Pixabay
It has dawned upon university students that they are going to be adults for the rest of their lives. This might seem terrifying, perhaps, because it is. We are reaching the finish line of finding out who we are and what we are here for, and we have found we have little to no answers. We have crossed the line in which we stop being parented so that we may become parents ourselves. Of what, you may ask? Well, supposedly of ourselves. Supposedly, later on, of our own children. I have found however that most people arriving at this particular point of their lives decide instead to become avid plant parents. When deciding things for ourselves - decisions which shall shape the course of our lives - like what course should I take, what internship, if any, should I stay with this person, should I rent this flat, choose this internet supplier, should I open another bottle of that cheeky cheap wine? When these decisions put on weight we are not really ready to carry, turning to easier questions might really be our only escape. Questions such as where should I put this plant? Should I water it now or later today? A wrong answer to such questions leads to much lighter consequences. The plant's dead, Ellen. Buy another one and that's the end of that. Suddenly your flat is overgrown with plants that give you an easy sense of accomplishment and purpose.
If we bring this plant craze phenomenon to our lovely Aberdeen, then this life choice seems even more logical. In a city taken out of a black and white movie, gloomy and bleak, where the sky has decided to forever match the cold granite buildings, it is only fair that one looks for a green friend to brighten up their lives. And we need a lot of brightening, all right. Self-care is our generation's much needed new fascination, and to invest in something as comforting and satisfying as plants is, in a way, the same as investing in yourself. After all, we are the kids who were told we could be anything and somehow heard we had to be everything. To start as a plant owner seems pretty good to me. Not to mention that houseplants quite literally keep you alive, (they give you oxygen, dummy), while being kept alive by you, and this, my friend, is perhaps the healthiest and happiest relationship you'll ever be in your entire life.
