Most people keep animals as pets, but my pet belongs to another species altogether. Just like people who talk to their animal friends, I enjoy having one-sided conversations with my plant. Yes, my pet is a plant. She even has a name – Andromeda. And she is the best pet I have ever had.
Not that I am speaking from a whole lot of experience. Prior to her, I only had a couple of fish in a tank back when I was a teenager. Although they were a dream to look at and be around, they were kind of high maintenance. And right when I had grown to love them, they began to die on me. One after the other, they all went the same way. And every single time, it was me who discovered their still, lifeless bodies at the bottom of the tank. That and looking into their dead eyes was so traumatic that even though this happened more than a decade ago, I can clearly picture it even today.
I don’t have to worry about all this anymore because Andromeda is a succulent, which is a fancy word for a fleshy plant that can store water. You know, like a cactus. A sprinkle of water two to three times a week is all the nutrition she needs. Being half albino, she doesn’t even need direct sunlight.
Anyway, I talk to my desk plant because A) sometimes, it is nice to speak without expecting/waiting for a response and B) it is good for her too. And maybe, just maybe, someday she might reply.
I know all this sounds super kooky, so I will leave you with this NPR piece:Â Â Plants Talk. Plants Listen. Here’s How
PSÂ Succulents make for excellent pets for those who are super busy, on a budget or do not have the kind of mental and physical energy that is required to take care of say, a cat or a dog.
This blog post is a part of The Normal Project.
