Blackberries
Rule Seattle
November 14, 2007
Factoid #12
by Scott
Muoio
The old expression applies: The darker the berry, the
sweeter the juice.
Who would have thought The Great Menace of
Seattle are blackberries? Yes, those delicious dark berries with
the crunchtastic seeds are indeed the most feared plant in all
of The Emerald City. But why, why are these innocent, delectable
little berries and their prickly bushes so loathed by Seattleites?
That venomous tale I will get to in a moment, but before I do
let’s examine the blackberry’s proliferation in the
area.
Though not particularly mentioned in any of
the guidebooks, a tour of Seattle will yield much in the way of
blackberries for those who pay attention. For example, check the
counter at any Seattle coffee shop and you’ll surely find
some sort of blackberry pastry. Peruse the dessert menu at almost
any sit down Seattle restaurant and again, the blackberry shall
appear in one form or another: blackberry sorbet, blackberry pie,
and blackberry shortcake in particular have deigned my interest.
Cruise the Burke-Gilman bike trail, the athletic trail
in all of Seattle, and what fruit bush will you find lining the
path? Blackberries, of course. Watch a fella cut the lawn with
his push mower and what prickly bush will you see him push aside
as he mows? The blackberry. And finally, after checking your watch
for the tenth time as you await your 15 minutes late Seattle bus,
what roadside berry will ease your frustration? The happy blackberry,
naturally, which you picked from a neighbor’s front lawn
while cursing the metro’s delinquency. Eureka!
So, now that we’ve established the blackberry’s
proliferation in Seattle, why all the hate? The reason most give
is that the blackberry is a weed, plain and simple. Cut it down,
pull its roots, or dig up its soil, no matter, the menace returns
three-fold. Burn the blackberry, throw pesticide its way (which
bio-friendly Seattleites would never dream!), or even have your
dog pee all over them, still, nothing can stop the blackberry’s
immense power to spread like a virus. All true and all admitted
by yours truly. But where my opinion differs is in ditching the
negativity. Just because something is a weed doesn’t mean
you have to hate it. After all, who among us didn’t love
dandelions before some adult told us we shouldn’t? If there’s
one thing I learned from that loss of innocence, it’s that
sometimes its better not to know the truth.
The reason I see beyond the weed outlook of
the blackberry has a lot to do with Seattle, itself. Seattle is
a dark and quiet city. For the most part, people keep to themselves,
neighbors mind their business, and everyone sort of does their
own thing with a live and let live mentality. It’s cool,
that way of life, and I greatly appreciate it in many ways. However,
for someone like me who gets lonely it can also contribute to
sadness more often than not. And when the sadness does strike,
as it is want to do, it’s comforting to fall back on the
natural beauty of Seattle and of course, the always plentiful,
always tasty blackberry.
Putting things more simply, in a world of
supermarkets, fast food, and pre-made meals, there is something
down right hunter/gatherer glorious about picking a delicious
wild blackberry in the warm summer sun and enjoying it on the
side of the road in a bustling city. There aren’t too many
big cities where one can do that, if any, but in Seattle I can
and happily enjoy the experience every chance I get. Some may
laugh and tell me to grow up, others might try to frighten me
with warnings of pesticide, dog pee, or people spitting on the
bushes, but in the end I don’t care one lick. If it’s
good enough for the goofy hippies, the over-the-top organic obsessives,
and the silly 24/7 artists whom I frequently see enjoying those
delectable berries, then it’s OK with me. I may not agree
with any of those groups on most things, but when it comes to
the blackberry we’re in certain agreement: blackberries
rule Seattle, in a good way!
The blackbery monster oozes onto the Burke-Gilman
Trail on a hazy afternoon.
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Noted something strange or interesting in or about
Seattle? Tell us about it. Email scottmuoio@undependentmedia.com
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