Conditional Reality

When the vegetable seeds in our garden began to sprout we sat next to them and did sign language endlessly. This helped them grow. We watched the plants for hours on end. Some of us were sure we saw deliberate leaf movements, as though the plants were trying to talk to us. Others scoffed at the very notion. We invited a communications expert to settle the question. She watched us sign, then took time lapse films of our plants. I don’t think they’re signing, she finally said, but let me sit with them for a while. Just to be sure.