The Blue Mushroom

  It sounds like it should be the name of some trendy coffee shop or maybe a cute little dress shop but, in reality, I am referring to a real, live mushroom.  It is one of those funny little things that you notice when out on a hike but never really know what it is.  Of course, I realize it is a mushroom but I have no clue as to its true identity.  I am not a mycologist which is just a long word for someone who looks at mushrooms and other fungi. Still, the mushroom in question is interesting enough to have caught my eye and bring back a memory from years ago.  Blue mushrooms are like that.  They demand attention if for no other reason than they are blue.  I am not accustomed to seeing blue mushrooms so when one pops up, I have to examine it.  After my eyeing the thing for a few moments, I came to the conclusions that, yep, it was a mushroom and, yep, it was blue.  Enough of my endeavor as a mycologist. 

  The story that was brought to mind by the mushroom was from years ago when the kids were small.  When in the third grade, my oldest son wanted to do a science project for school.  He decided that he might enjoy mycology so he started a studying the things and did a bunch of drawings for his project.  A few days before it was due, he started a massive search for mushrooms.  His project was going to be "the best ever".  We built a large, flat box and filled it with a layer of soft peat moss.  He dug up all sorts of mushrooms and planted them in his special garden.  The thing actually was sort of pretty and reminded me of one of my aunt's fairy gardens.  The day before he was to bring his project to school, he found a prize mushroom!  It was blue!!  He had never seen a blue mushroom before and wanted to put this grand piece in his collection.  He raced to the house to get his trowel and a dish to transport the mushroom.  While he gathered his tools, he excitedly told the rest of the family of his cherished mushroom.  It was going to be the one that put his project over the top!  We all traipsed out to the yard to be a part of the gathering.  As he pointed out his find, we congratulated him.  Well, all of us except for his little sister.  Darling Daughter decided that the mushroom was not THAT special so she stepped on it.  EGAD!!!  The thing was flattened by the tiny foot!  Son was devastated but his little sister was oblivious to the damage she had done.  

  The destruction of the prized piece of the project did not daunt my son, though.  He proudly finished the project and brought it to school. His teacher helped him to set up the display among all of the other projects.  It looked amazing!  Surely, he would do well.  Then....along came one teacher who looked aghast!  "Get that thing out of here!!!" she screeched.  Right then and there, she disqualified the project.  "Those are deadly!"   Son was shaken but not broken.  He tried to explain to this frantic lady that he researched the mushrooms carefully and none were poisonous.  She was having no part of it.  His project had to be removed from the premises even though we suggested sealing it in a plexiglass box.  "NOPE...NO WAY...NEVER!  That thing has got to go!" she shrieked. So the project was doomed before the judges even made their way into the building.  I carted the project back to the house with a very dejected little boy in tow.  

  I sat on the ground next to the blue mushroom and thought of how a crushed mushroom so many years ago was so tied to the crushed hopes of a little boy who only wanted to study the things.  Perhaps his little sister had a premonition about the science fair and crushed the blue mushroom in hopes that she would spare her brother a lot of pain.  I doubt it.   It was more likely that she just wanted to flat out step on the thing and had no higher motives at all.  Maybe, however, her stepping on the thing squished out the spores and planted mushrooms over the hillside.  This one is probably a distant relative of that very first one that Son found.   Hmmm, maybe?