SHRINKING VIOLET

February 12, 2016

You say Shrinking Violet like it's a bad thing--it is, after all, not usually meant to be a high compliment. Do you remember that excessively shy, withdrawn kid in high school? Maybe not, and that's the point. Introverts often fly under the radar, which is not always a bad thing.

But, why the phrase Shrinking Violet?

Certainly, Violets are tiny in size. So, why not compare someone to a Bluette, which is about the most diminutive flower I can think of? And, less well-known, which is part of the inference, right?

In searching how this phrase evolved, I learned that Violets have a chemical property that can desensitize the sense of smell. But the first few whiffs are fabulous!

So, it's small and shrinks the sense of smell.

In the language of flowers, it represents modesty. Nothing ostentatious about a Violet! Tucked in and around larger more showy plants, they just don't stand out in a crowd - the exact opposite of someone who is larger than life.

Apropos that we do not exactly know where the term began. That too remains under the radar. But, according to some sources, a poet from Britain is first known to have used the phrase in February 1820 in a magazine called The Indicator. I can only guess Brits didn't have Bluettes.

Violets, Bluettes, and the modest introverts of this world bring a quiet beauty that delights our senses when we take the time to walk slower and look closer. They shy away and shrink from overt attention and recognition.

Those who discover their special beauty will never shrink away.

[Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners and The Newnan Times Herald]