Dear Readers,

The article printed below was written by my late father (1918-2017) and appeared in The Indianapolis Star, MY INDIANA section, on Monday, February 26, 2007, page A9.

Dad’s recollection seems especially appropriate today, as we enjoy yet another (the 110th) running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

Sound of music and home

It was in Luxembourg City when thoughts of Indiana came back with a rush, and homesickness hit me hard. It was 1944, World War II, and I had just been re-assigned to a unit located deep in Germany. From northeastern France, I set out alone, dependent on the Transportation Corps to get there.

Initially, I was assigned temporary quarters with other military personnel in Luxembourg. One morning, hoping to ease my yearning for family, I sat down at a piano in the lobby and ran through my usual medley of tunes, including, “Back Home Again in Indiana,” by Ballard MacDonald and James Hanley.

Suddenly, a young soldier came rushing in and said, “I heard the music, ‘Back Home Again in Indiana!’ Are you from Indiana? I am, too!” At that brief moment, coincidentally finding a fellow Hoosier, though many miles away in Luxembourg, I was home.

Every May, when I hear Jim Nabors sing the familiar refrain at the Indianapolis 500, I am immediately transported back to that day long ago when that famous Indiana song came to mean home to me.

– Kenneth R. Woolling, M.D., Indianapolis

It is the familiar that usually eludes us in life. What is before our nose is what we see last.

-William C. Barrett, American philosopher/ educator (1913–1992)

This morning, the dandelions are at their peak in my backyard. The recent, unseasonably warm weather has brought out these annual visitors in all of their glory. The beauty of their brilliant yellow blossoms has magically transformed the green expanse of lawn into a royal blanket of gold.

Did you know that dandelions hail from the Aster or Sunflower family? And that, like the sunflower, dandelion flowers rotate toward the sky throughout the course of the day, following the sun’s rays?

The word “dandelion” comes from the French words “dent de lion,” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the serrated edges of their individual leaves. Each dandelion bloom is actually comprised of a compact mass of tiny, individual, yellow florets.

The dandelion – a delightful little spot of cheer in our world. And yet, because of its omnipresence, most people take it for granted. They say it’s not worth much. In fact, it is regarded as a common weed and something that does not belong in the “better” yards. Most homeowners strive continuously to eradicate this little flower which blooms prolifically year after year all through our lawns, unless we have taken measures to prevent it. Dandelions also come up in all sorts of additional locations – cracks in parking lots or driveways, along the edges of steps and fences, and interspersed between desired growing things in our gardens.

American philosopher William Barrett pointed out, in his words printed above, that many things in life are overlooked, simply because they are always there in our day-to-day landscape. So familiar to us do these things become, we ultimately fail to “see” them at all. It’s a good practice periodically to open our eyes to what is right before us — things that are actually well worth noting and valuing.

Case in point is the familiar, ubiquitous dandelion – often unseen and definitely unappreciated. I believe we have been too hasty in our negative assessment of the dandelion, for this brave and mighty little plant never stops volunteering its charming presence, with no encouragement from us.

The dandy also possesses many other qualities that are actually quite dandy. The first dandelions of spring are recognized as succulent, tasty, early sprouts to be eaten raw or used in cooked dishes. Before modern nutritional science warned us of the harm of high fat diets, “dandelion greens,” wilted when sprinkled with hot bacon grease and served alongside rich mashed potatoes, was a popular delicacy. My late father often spoken of having enjoyed this dish as well as of helping his parents prepare dandelion wine from its flowers. Today, nutritionists tell us that dandelion soups and salads (sans the bacon grease!) provide us with a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, as well as vitamins B, C, and E.

Further, my father told me that the leaves and roots of the dandelion plant are sometimes considered as folk remedies used for medicinal purposes. It has even been reported that grounds from the root of the dandelion can be roasted for a type of coffee substitute. (This undoubtedly would have a ways to go to match my favorite latte, but still, not bad for a little weed from the backyard!)

Dandelions display exemplary durability, vitality, and resourcefulness. Near the end of their lives, their yellow blossoms transform into spheres of white parachutes/seeds, converting entire fields into misty white blankets. These little white puffs are then gently blown away by a slight breeze or breath, floating off to distant places, there to begin another generation of dandies.

So, here’s to the plucky dandelion, a hardy little plant which, in spite of unpopularity, ridicule, and even threats to its very existence, is ever true to its mission of thriving in our world while providing pretty little posies for us to enjoy.

Through it all, the faithful little dandelion blooms on . . . it has much to teach us.

“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, and the time of the singing of birds has come…”
Song of Solomon 2: 11-12

In her 1962 bestseller, Silent Spring, gifted writer, biologist, and early environmentalist Rachel Carson foretold of a world without birds and other wonders of nature as a result of the widespread use of pesticides, specifically DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane). She claimed that these chemicals would cause the deaths of untold numbers of animals, especially birds, and even humans.

Her writing engendered much discussion and study of the use of biocides and their potentially lethal effects. As a result, in May, 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s Science Advisory Committee determined that pesticides should be used to maintain the quality of our food and health, but not indiscriminately, in which case it might jeopardize the balance of nature. Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner, the committee chairman, stated that their routine usage posed “potentially a much greater hazard” than the deleterious effects of uncontrolled radiation.

We owe a great debt to Miss Carson for alerting the country to the danger of this potential catastrophe before it occurred. Her efforts ultimately led, in 1972, to the ban of the usage of DDT in the U.S.

The idea of a spring without the familiar sound of birdcalls is inconceivable. Along with the blossoming of crocuses, tulips, and hyacinths, the sight and sound of birds is part and parcel of the season. They portend the end of a long winter and promise of beautiful weather days ahead. Spring just wouldn’t be spring without the birds.

We derive such pleasure from our feathered friends. No matter where we are outdoors, they appear in wide variety, brightly-colored, active, and entertaining to watch. They sing their hearts out for us, providing delightful music to enjoy. Bird watching is said to be the most rapidly growing hobby in America today, with almost 70 million individuals avid backyard birders.

Some species of birds are prevalent in all areas of the country, while others are specific to certain regions. Each in its own way enriches our lives. We can easily invite these feathered songsters into our world through the simple provision of birdhouses, birdbaths, and bird feeders with seed blends, suet, table scraps, or bread crumbs. Feeders and houses come in many types, including those placed on poles, hanging from tree branches, and attaching to the outside of windows. All allow for close-up observation of the lovely winged creatures.

Once we begin to pay attention, it’s not long before we come to recognize certain birds by their distinctive markings, habits, and individual songs. The soft gray Mourning Dove is known for its haunting four or five note cooing sound. The Robin Redbreast is perhaps the best recognized of all North American birds, with its characteristic gait of hop, skip and head-tilt and “cheerily carol.” Then there is the Song Sparrow, aptly named for its unique trilling call, and the unmistakable Woodpecker, with its red head, solid black back, white underfeathers and familiar rat-tat-tapping of its beak on tree trunks. And let’s not forget the brilliant scarlet-colored Cardinal, better known as the Redbird, with its joyful “purty! purty! purty!”

The world is full of intriguing delights–some, like the birds, quite literally right outside the window. It’s Spring! The time of the singing of birds has come once again.

Take a look and a listen. Purty! purty! purty!