Gladiolus - Infatuation

We were told it was a phase, but really, we were learning how to feel.

If you ever felt the pressure of picking your top friends for MySpace or spent way too long finding the perfect song lyric for your AIM away message, this one's for you.

Gladiolus are the ultimate emo flower. In the language of flowers, they represent, "You Pierce My Heart." I'm pretty sure that's a Dashboard Confessional lyric written in a live journal, floating around somewhere in the depths of the internet.

How did a flower end up representing teenagers everywhere in the early 2000's? It's tall, dramatic, and has long pointed leaves earning it the common name, Sword Lily. Fun fact: Gladiolus comes from the the Latin word, gladius, meaning sword.

Intense emotions deserve some intense lighting. I switched up my light quite a bit during this flower portrait. I really wanted contrast between the lights and shadows to showcase the moody drama reminiscent of days filled with big feelings that felt so complicated.

Back when I would stay awake with friends to watch the sunrise, even though I had Biology at 8am. The best Friday nights were spent dyeing my sorority sister's hair while drinking Boones Farm and talking about the boys down the hall. We felt everything, loudly, openly, all at once. We were on the verge of adulthood and hadn't yet experienced how routines that stay the same for years can numb you to the beautiful mess of life.

Maybe that's why I'm exploring floriography. To break up the routine. To feel big feelings and share them out loud. To have an excuse to paint my nails black and sing at the top of my lungs to All Time Low on a Sunday. Here's to all the Elder Emos out there. I hope you laugh during your commute when you realize Microsoft Teams is just the corporate version of AOL instant messenger. Bonus points if you sneak a song lyric into your status message.

It was never just a phase.