I have friends who would look up at that tiny mistake in the paint job of my family room ceiling and shrug it off. They wouldn't ever think of it again, except if some fool of a houseguest pointed it out. In which case, they would shrug once again and say, "Oh yeah. That was a mistake," and go back to watching tv.

I have other friends who would look up at that spot and run to get the touch up paint and a brush. Those friends would have it fixed before you could blink, and smile sheepishly at the rude houseguest who pointed it out.

Still other friends would never let even the tiniest flaw show up. They would be so concise in their paint application that a mistake would be nearly impossible. A houseguest couldn't find a fault with their ceiling.

Me? I choose to ignore that spot and hope that anyone who comes to my home is kind enough to ignore it too. I look up at it occasionally, pondering whether to fix it, but I still haven't. I'm not sure what that says about me, but I don't much care to be labeled anyways.

Does polygenerosity apply across all forms of life? I think it does. (Perhaps Xenogenerosity would fit better.) When someone who can't stand ants refrains from killing them on sight in order to allow them to lead the life they were meant to lead, that's polygenerosity at its best. Of course, I don't expect anyone to try to save every dandelion or insect. When someone saves one, though, isn't that kinda cool?

(Don't ask me to save ticks or any other creature on my scared of/hated list. Polygenerosity has its limits, you know.)

Definitions

I have been having a tough time finding solid evidence of Polygenerosity these past few days. Sometimes, I wonder if I should do more to open my eyes to it, like volunteering at a hospital, or something similar. I'm not sure I have it in me to do so, however. Honestly, the people who do volunteer work aren't really the kind of people for whom I search, either. They are certainly wonderful, giving people, and I give them credit for being so selfless as to do such work.

The kind of people who earn my label Polygenerosity are those strangers I often spy doing deeds without acknowledgement or praise. I think most highly of those who have no connection to the recipient at all, but simply move on after the deed is done. I guess it's a little like the concept of paying it forward. Actually, it's a LOT like paying it forward! (Though I refuse to give in to the other term and accept that it is a true synonym of Polygenerosity. LOL) Polygenerosity goes a step beyond paying it forward in that a truly polygenerous person does not selectively choose whom to help or not. It's like having two donation jars on the counter. The first jar says "For saving Billy Smith from cancer" the other jar says "For anyone who may at any time need a little help." There is certainly nothing wrong with putting one's money into jar #1 (in fact, it is quite admirable,) but those who are polygenerous save a little for jar #2 as well.

Farmer's Market

Today, I decided to drag my daughter out to the local farmer's market to see if there were any bargains to be had. I was in luck, and snagged a bag full of zucchini at 4/$1. (I LOVE zucchini bread!) Also, we found a local baker there with some yummy loaves of bread. There was apple-cinnamon, raspberry chocolate, raisin cinnamon, rosemary herb, jalpeno cheese and pepperoni rolls, among others. I had to keep my mouth shut because of the drooling. I just handed over the money silently and raced back home to try out the jalapeno cheese bread. Ooh! It was delicious! I warmed up a slice and put a little fresh cheddar on it. Oh my....

With regards to polygenerosity.....

At the farmer's market, there was a man sitting under his awning with vegetables spread all around in those cute little quart baskets. He was an older gentleman, with a plump middle and a scruffy face. (I imagined him in a pair of blue overalls and they fit him perfectly.) He watched us walk all the way around the market and then around again. On our second time around, he smiled a crooked smile and said, "That's a cute little boy ya got there! Oh....it's a girl!" Vivie just put her head down and kept walking, but I laughed and smiled back at him. It was a polygenerous moment for me. Reaching out to strangers with no selfish gain.

Polygenerosity

I like the sound of polygenerosity. It popped into my head today. I'm not quite sure what it means as of yet, but am counting on the polygenerosity of strangers to help me define the term. I suspect it may have something to do with the tendency of some humans to be kind to all other living things, including those members of their own species who may seem unworthy. In future posts, I will list instances of polygenerosity, (and perhaps instances of decidedly NOT.)

The photo of the large moth to the left is my husband's gloved hand holding a polyphemous moth. These incredibly beautiful creatures do not eat once they leave their cocoons as adults. They live for only a week or so to mate and then die. This beautiful male was probably near death when we found our dog having at him in the grass. He fluttered feebly along the ground trying to get away from the dog's paws. We scooped him up and placed him high in a nearby bush to live out his last few hours in peace. I am not sure if we did him any good. He was gone by morning. But it may be the first example I have of polygenerosity.

I am going shopping today. A terrific place to begin my search for more examples.