The Free Radical

Overgeneralizing is the basis for prejudice.

“Saskatoon berries suck!” I’ve heard it many times. I’ve also heard (sometimes from my own mouth) that “Saskatoon berries are awesome!” As it turns out, both statements are perfectly correct… and no, it’s not just a matter of personal preferences.

Today, Saskatoon Berry has reminded me again that we are all individuals. We are each unique; what is true for one is not necessarily true for another– no matter how similar in appearance.

The “trick” with Saskatoons is to recognize that each plant exists in a unique set of circumstances which necessarily determine the quantity and quality of their fruit. Each bush needs to be tasted and evaluated separately… leading to provocative statements such as “Oh my, that’s quite the tasty bush!” On my daily walk, I encounter Saskatoon bushes that are thick and numerous– but only a few inches tall, as well as sparsely-spaced specimens which can grow to heights in excess of twenty feet… as well as everything in between. Even so, I have found no correlation between height and flavour. Each must be experienced individually without prejudice.

We have tended in the past to paint broad swathes of the world of our experience with a singular brush. This “thing” is good; that “thing” is bad. A deeper refinement is now called for. As our generalizations are dismissive, we carelessly overlook countless opportunities. Even if it seems “old hat,” try it anew… and see where your habitual attitudes might be ready to shift, change and transform. Nothing is as it once seemed.