13/04/2026
For years, I hated orchids.
Not because of their shape.
Not because of their structure.
Because they were everywhere—
in every grocery shop, on every windowsill.
Predictable. Polite. Decorative.
When something is everywhere,
it stops feeling special.
It becomes background.
I associated orchids with conformity—
with safe interiors and quiet repetition.
So I rejected them.
Then, last year, I paused in the flower section of a local shop—as I always do—and noticed one that felt almost unrecognizable. I took it home. And I fell in love with it.
In that moment, I realized something uncomfortable:
I hadn’t hated orchids.
I had hated the version of them I was shown.
In truth, I had never really seen them—
because mass familiarity never created enough tension to make me look closer.
Comment “ORCHID” and I’ll send you the full letter on Substack.