Editor's note: The original version of this column was published July 29, 2012.
I was watching a pair of hummingbirds hover above the patio when the depth of their color and beauty set me wandering off on yet another of my tangents.
What is it in this lifetime that makes some things appear universally pretty--even beautiful--to the majority of our human eyes, while others--often within the same family--are considered ugly or repulsive?
For instance, why is the sight of a deer or a rabbit pleasurable to most, while an armadillo or a possum look so comparatively unappealing? Aren't they all just four-legged animals? So why isn't it just the opposite?
Why do we think of some types of flowers such as roses and those expansive stargazer lilies as magnificent in their color, form and beauty, yet see a bright yellow dandelion as unattractive?
It seems to be the case even with our domesticated pets.
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