Today I have decided to share something a little different with you. Something a little more personal.
I want you to imagine yourself walking among the green grass on a sunny day - not too hot, nor too cold - completely forgetting about all the worries of the world, and feeling completely relaxed and in the moment. Sure sounds like I'm describing meditation, right? Wrong!
My passion is seeking four leaf clovers. And picking them, of course.
Obviously, the more leaves the better, but I'll take what I can get and settle for 4.
Some 4 leaf clovers I found who knows where.
7 leaf clovers found in Maribor (right) and at Kölnbrein Dam, Austria (left)I came up with fictional stories starring different monsters and heroes and whatnot. Literally anything to keep me busy.
I soon began to incorporate my surroundings into the stories - such as the Hero being stuck on the nearby hill, or the monster being right below me, or hiding in the nearby bushes. And so one time I looked down... and it was just there. A four leaf clover, staring right back at me, just waiting to be plucked from the ground.
And so I did. I picked it up.
My eyes shone with happiness and I thought I was blessed with eternal luck.
But, much like every other human, I thought to myself that if I managed to find one, I could certainly find more. So I looked down at the grass and into the many clusters of leaf clovers only to find out that all I could see were 3 leaf clovers, not four.
Fresh 7 leaf found in Maribor, SloveniaI realised soon that finding another 4 leaf clover was not an easy task. I was walking really slow and I made sure to check every patch of clovers I could lay my eyes on, yet found not even one more that day.
The next day, however, when I was out walking with nothing to do, I stared at the floor again, seeking 4 leaf clovers.
I can't remember when I managed to find the next one, nor how many, but I do remember that I kept on looking for them.
At all times.
And I still do.
There's just something magical about it. It requires a certain peace of mind, yet at the same time poses a great challenge that cannot be rushed. No way you can hurry with finding one of these.
And one of the reasons I most love this activity, is simply that it beyond relaxes you. Even if you were mad at everything and everyone, it will force you to find your inner peace and relax. And it works each and every time, all the time.
What I managed to find inside one of the booksEven now when I go out for a walk, I'll catch myself looking at the ground and trying to find a 4 leaf clover. Might also be part of the reason why I enjoy taking long walks so much. It's not too rare for me to come home with 20 or more 4+ leaf clovers.
Sometimes, just for the sake of it, I even challenged myself to find as many 4 leaf clovers as possible in a certain time frame. I know I said it cannot be rushed, and (at least at first) it cannot really be, but it was all in good fun. Nothing serious.
From time to time, my mother even joined in, and we'd compete.
I won everytime, but don't tell her I said that.
But with time I got lazy and the usual 4 leaf clovers became more or less all alike, so I stopped drying them. I plucked them, sure, but then didn't make the effort to dry them in a book. It's probably been years since I dried any new ones. And probably even forgot in which books they are stored, or even got rid of those books. Who knows?
Just throw them away?But @svashta, what do you do then with the ones you pick up?
Well, yes and no.
I throw away the ones that make it back home with me, yes.
But the ones I find toward the beginning of my prolonged walks... I place at certain places where people could stumble upon them. Like benches, swings, those outside faucets I don't know how to properly call in English, hand rails, .... .... ....
And then I like to come up with stories, about how people will react when they find them.
Will it put a smile on their face?
Will they take it home and dry it?
Will they lie to their friends they found it on their own?
...
The possibilities are endless.
Other times I just straight up give them to random strangers I pass by. It's beautiful to see them light up when they see what they had received. Sometimes we strike up a conversation, sometimes we don't...
I think of it as... a random act of kindness.
And it's the least I can do.
So how about you?
Do you have any unusual passions?
Tell me about it/them in the comments, or make a post for yourself and leave a link.
Gif by @rocking-dave
Fascinating! I have never heard of a 7-leaf clover! Amazing! 😊
Now you haven't just heard of one, but also seen it! ;D
Happy you enjoyed the post ^^
wow this is a really cool story. Did you ever have great luck after finding one? My weird habit was listening and memorizing the opening songs of anime or cartoons, it was just fun. But now i dont find the time to watch anime as much. i even had a book where i wrote the japanese songs. i was such a weirdo....i think i still am though.lol
Thanks! :D
Well it's hard to say whether or not I was lucky because I found one or not... But it sure did bring a smile on my face every time I found one :D Especially the two 7 leafed ones... I wasn't even trying to find any when I stumbled upon those two :D
That sounds quite awesome, actually :D Now I'm picturing myself trying to sing japanese. haha :D Definitely fun. :D
Heeey, being a weirdo is what life is all about! :D I hope you never change! :D
Thanks for sharing though ;D
@echowhale team swimming by with your upvote
I used to do this as a kid. I loved looking for four leaf clovers. Maybe the luck, is in the fact that you are able to find them... I don't have any unusual passions that I know of.
Maybe because I still am a kid. :3 Haha :D Happy to hear someone else shared my passion! :D
Could be.. but that's just shitty luck. :P
I don't think so. I only remember finding 2 or 3 as a kid, so you had better luck than me. :)
Those 2 or 3 were all the more special, then :P
How cool is that :D I find myself looking for them whenever I'm on walks as well, but usually I loose patience after a minute or two of not finding them. I remember this summer at my work (as a waitress) this guy came to pay his bll and after he said: this is a little something for you, just for good luck. And he gave me a four leaf clover. I thought that was a really nice gesture and I kept it in my work wallet for the entire summer. Just for good luck :) Best tip I ever got.
Patience, @staskkaa, patience. :P I'm happy to hear you do look for them though ^^
A very nice gesture indeed! And now that you mention it, I'll definitely do it myself also :D
Yeah, I defenetly need more patience. Right? But when you said you leave them on benches and swings, that's pretty incredible as well. I'm sure it brightens up someone's day :)
Yeah but... I never get to see the expressions on these people's faces.
Although perhaps this mysteriousity is part of why I do it. :3
That's a really cool idea, handing them to strangers or leaving them there for someone else to enjoy! Sounds like a great fiction story idea...maybe you should write out some of your four leaf clover stories :)
Hmm. Perhaps I could include a four leaf clover into a story of mine. That's a good idea actually ^^
This is so beautiful. The 7-leaf clove impressed me a lot. I have tried more than once to find a 4-leaf one and never succeeded. When I look at those cloves and realize how much effort each one needed, I can only admire you for being able to go into that state of mind.
Thanks!
I believe you'll find it sooner rather than later... If you give in the effort :D
I'm cheering for you and sending over my seeking powers through telepathy! ;P
It does require a certain inner peace indeed. Kind of like meditation. Then it just depends what your preferred "type" of meditation is. :p
Lol, thank you! I lose my patience quickly as this little voice in my head always tells me that the fact that I am searching does not mean that there are any 4 leaf cloves to be found. If someone tells me that for sure there is one I will spend all the time needed, but not knowing for sure that there is one demotivates me. Do you always manage to find one when you search?
I know what you mean and understand the struggle. And no, I don't always find one when I decide to look for them ;p sometimes I'll find 5 in a matter of a minute, another time not a single one in an hour :p alright, maybe exaggerating, but you get the idea :p
Oh trust me. They're there! They're aaaaalways there. :3
Thank you for making me smile :)
Heeeeeeeeyyy.*shy
Likewise! ^.^"
<3 u dabest @paradigmprospect! :D
;)