Sam Foster's Blog

The Agave Americana is commonly known as a Century Plant. It is so called because myth has it the plant blooms once a century. During the other ninety-nine years it is about the most resilient thing growing on hillsides in the Mojave Desert around Southern California. Its leaves lie low to the ground, extend as much as six feet in length, with the width of broadswords, and edged with inch-long spikes hard and sharp enough to penetrate the thickest hides. It is impervious to fire, drought, monsoon flooding and predation by almost all animals and bugs. And while it is a plain-looking thing, it is tough, very tough. But before it dies, the Agave Americana throws a stalk as tall as thirty feet into the air, from the tip of which explodes a most beautiful bouquet of bright yellow flowers.

I relate to the Agave Americana. Like many, I spent a portion of my youth serving my country, I worked long hard hours for several decades building a career and supporting my family, and I weathered some very expensive personal setbacks (expensive emotionally and financially). But I've paid my bills, completed my professional and civic duties, and done my best to care for those I loved or was responsible for.

I appreciate all of that is quite ordinary, even boring in its ubiquity. But like the Agave Americana, I hope to do something tall and beautiful before the end. And doing so is the purpose of creating this book and publishing company. Before I die, I will have created a stalk thirty feet into the air. Whether the bouquet at its top is beautiful will be for you, my readers, to decide.