A few years ago I was unknowingly misspelling the word which. I would often search the internet using the word witch instead. Over time I noticed that my search results changed — I was getting mixed messages, sometimes which stuff and sometimes witch stuff. Unknowingly, I learned how algorithms work.
Later I spotted the difference and started using the right word. The side of me that cracks jokes created the wordplay: Which Witch? Now and again I pull it out from my sleeve — just because it’s funny, sophisticated, and multilayered.
I remembered in my school years reading many books and looking for answers about the healing properties of plants. I found two or even three groups of interest: traditional healers, scientists, and representatives of religious groups.
One person stood out to me as a teenager: Eugenija Šimkūnaitė, and her books. The knowledge, the clarity, the wisdom, and the ability of her storytelling were amazing. I read and reread her work many times.
I started reading her books, hoping to learn more about plants. Instead, I found a lot of information about the side effects of plants and even more information about the superstitions and the challenges that social structures faced over the centuries.
Today is a good day. I connected dots in a new way. Unexpected, and yet expected.
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