"Loni and the Oxalis Jungle"

Melissa came home from work today while we were already munching on dinner sandwiches of bacon, avocado and tomato. The hello’s led to talk of the small but persistent oxalis weeds overtaking our yard with our recent attempt at a veggie garden. 

“Oh, you mean like NausicaA and the toxic jungle.”

I laughed. “Yes, exactly!”   

I’d not thought of that image before.

For those of you unfamiliar with this wonderful anime movie, she was referring to “NausicaA and the Valley of the Wind” by gifted director and artist, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

NausicaA and her people live in one rare, safe valley in an earthly world of the future. Gigantic plants are overtaking the planet's human habitats everywhere, and the flora produce toxic spores that force the humans to wear masks to protect themselves. Life is a battle to survive the toxic jungle, as it is called, but it is heroine NausicaA, the young princess, who discovers the secret.

It has been just two months, and Melissa, TJ, and I already have a common language of some breadth - poetry, classical music, favorite Asian Anime, cooking. It is more than a common shorthand, an in-house twitter. We actually deepen our understanding using shared metaphors. And yes, we are 30 years apart in age. 

It felt nice to have that bridge.