The Thistle

Whoever knows me even a little knows that I love flowers. But what many might not know is that one of my favorite flowers is the thistle.
I love the way it grows anywhere, its resistance to any climate, its magnetic color, and the fact that touching it hurts you more than it hurts the flower.

Even though flowers are usually seen as some of the most beautiful things on Earth, the thistle is often seen as an ugly one. In fact, it's probably the only flower used to talk about ugliness. In Spanish, there’s even a saying where someone’s (or something’s) ugliness is humorously compared to it.

I can understand that, unlike most flowers—soft and delicate—thistles are prickly, rugged, and dry, before, during, and after they bloom. But does that make them ugly? Or could it be that, even though we say we value originality and creativity (on social media, on TV, in magazines...), deep down we just can’t deal with anything that strays from the norm—anything that challenges us, anything truly unique?