Nameless!

Unknown spring flower

I like to think of myself as observant and in possession of a passable memory for detail, but ability and inclination fail to mesh when it comes to identifying and remembering names of birds, flowers and stars. It must be some sort of selective filtering--choices made in the subconscious. I can remember entire selections of poetry, phone numbers and addresses from 30 to 40 years ago but somehow it has never seemed necessary that I know the name of a bird to appreciate its colors and call. I've tried. When we travel I try to "name" unfamiliar animals and plants in my journal, but my mind still clings to the visual of "that beautiful red climbing flower beside the Saaremaa windmill." Ironically, I can often remember the name in the local language for a flower or bird I did not know the name of in English. My husband on the other hand not only can name all the constellations and their specific stars but inform me of the number of light years they are from the earth, yet he can only call our sons if I have their numbers on speed-dial.What is the process that determines what type of details and how many of them we file away in our brains for quick recovery? How do we prioritize what is "worth" keeping? And in the final analysis, do I love the unnamed inspiration less because I haven't taken the time or energy to identify it? I say not, but then I'm one of those with selective memory.

Comments

[Teloschistes]

Wonderful pictures, and a great website! I discovered it only today, and have visited only a few pages. I liked your lichen photo. Do you ever photograph mushrooms and other non-lichenized fungi as well? I am very new to nature photography... I so envy you for being able to go to so many places! As for your "nameless" flower, I believe it is a spider lily, likely Crinum augustum.

[Loretta]

I've always wanted to do nature writing and journaling, but I never remember the names of anything either. It feels like cheating to take photos or sketches and then hunt through books when I get back home. I just can't keep it in my head.

[Fran]

It is totally fascinating to me why different people "see" things differently"--some of it is male versus female, but it is far more complex than that. I suppose Myers-Briggs for example helps define how different people perceive things. I have always thought of myself as a detail-oriented, aware person, but one male friend of mine was always criticizing me for not seeing what he saw. I'm just catching up on your weblog and enjoying the posts on public art and baseball. I just love your weblog! And I suppose we could also analyze why some people are drawn to some people's logs and totally turned off. I do know that anything that is sexually tantalizing in the title, gets hits galore. My own log is tame--a slice of a regular life, and I guess your log is that way, too. What I marvel about in your life is how diverse your interests are--and how your years of travel have helped you to "see."

[Jim Kloss]

I strongly relate to what you're saying! Before I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1991, I spent months lovingly memorizing plant and bird names. Not for the sake of academics, but because I knew nothing of them and it was fascinating to learn. Over the years, as I began actually living with these plants and birds rather than just hiking through their territory, the field guide names began to give way to personal names ... 'the yellow happy fellow', 'the plant with a zingy taste', 'flowering gypsy'. Those names are still with me because they mean something in a personal way. I came to fully appreciate why Native Americans who had lived among these plants and birds chose names with meaning to their particular tribe. It gave me an appreciation for their human names as well. I mean, really, which is easier to remember and more connected to the individual - Jim or 'Legs Like Twigs'? I can still name most of the constellations too, but enjoy making up my own and tracing my own 'Connections' through the sky...