The World We Overlook

Sometimes we walk right past things and never give them a single thought. Our lives have become so complicated with "must-haves" and "must-dos" that our minds are not aware of what is literally right beneath our feet. Today as I was out gathering firewood, I came across a Yucca plant. Normally, I would mentally take note that it was there and go on about my merry way. This time, however, I dropped my armload of wood to take a closer look. There were tiny curlicues of fiber fluffing out from each leaf. I was fascinated to say the least! My trusty camera succeeded in replicating the image perfectly! hehe.. The thought passed through that cob-webbed encrusted space called my brain that at some point in time, these curlicue fibers might have been useful. After regathering my firewood, I made a point of investigating any possible uses for the Yucca fibers. According to all information that I can find, the Yucca plants were used extensively for all sorts of things ranging from cords to shampoo.The fibers were stripped from the leaves to make threads that were then used in sewing and binding. They were also twisted together to make cords or ropes. These were used in clothing as belts and sandals or used to make fishnets, rope ladders and animal tethers. This jogged a memory from "back in the day". My grandfather had shown me these very same fibers when I was a child. He had told me then that they were used as sewing threads by the Native Americans. Wow! Grandpa was so smart! Today, I also read that the roots were dried and pulverized to use a soap or shampoo! With all that is being written about the harmful additives that are in the present day shampoos, this makes me tempted to try a bit of Yucca root! Perhaps we should all start looking at what is around us, under our feet, in our backyards. As Grandpa used to say "There might come a day that this knowledge is useful." I am finding more and more that everything that he tried to teach me is useful. I only wish that as a child, I had not been so..well..so childlike. I wish that then I would have truly made the attempt to absorb all that was told to me by folks like him. As for the Yucca plant..Amazing! Who would have ever thought that one plant could provide so much??