--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What are those big round things hanging…" description: "\"“What are those big round things hanging off the trees?” I looked up. The big round things he was referring to was the parasitic plant mistletoe. It ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/heather-mar-gerrison-36994_gardening_what-are-those-big-round-things-hanging_2665807.jpg" --- # What are those big round things hanging off the trees?” I… ![“What are those big round things hanging off the trees?” I looked up. The big round things he was referring to was the parasitic plant mistletoe. It had completely infested the trees in this area. Oh God he would ask that… “You really don’t know?” I hedged. He looked at me completely nonplussed…” quote by Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/heather-mar-gerrison-36994_gardening_what-are-those-big-round-things-hanging_2665807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/heather-mar-gerrison-36994_gardening_what-are-those-big-round-things-hanging_2665807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/heather-mar-gerrison-36994_gardening_what-are-those-big-round-things-hanging_2665807.jpg) > ““What are those big round things hanging off the trees?” I looked up. The big round things he was referring to was the parasitic plant mistletoe. It had completely infested the trees in this area. Oh God he would ask that… “You really don’t know?” I hedged. He looked at me completely nonplussed. “Uh, no.” he said, as if I was completely nuts. “That’s why I asked.” I nodded. Of course… city boy… “Um, it’s mistletoe.” I mumbled feeling mortally embarrassed. He nodded, his lips twitched then he raised an eyebrow, an impish grin on his face, “Really?” He asked. “Well, wouldn’t you know it?” he looked back up, “And we’re stood right beneath it.”” [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embarrassment arises when ignorance is exposed in social interaction. **In simple terms:** Being caught not knowing can feel mortifying. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity, ask before assuming. Themes social anxiety humor learning Mood lighthearted reflective Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - classroom discussions - casual conversations - public speaking Key Concepts social norms communication gaps Questions to Reflect On - What can you do when you don’t know something? - How does humor defuse awkwardness? A Different Perspective Humor can mask deeper insecurities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Mistletoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistletoe/) [Mistletoe Mumbled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistletoe-mumbled-2464385/) [Nuts Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts-asked-2464387/) [Oh god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oh-god/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Trees Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees-looked-375190/) [Um Mistletoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/um-mistletoe-2464386/) ## Related quotes > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. 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Gifts, holly, mistletoe, and red-nosed reindeer are fun as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-w-pinnock/because-we-need-christmas-we-had-better-understand-what-it-is-and/) [Hugh W. Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-w-pinnock/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## More by Heather Mar-Gerrison > [“Note to self...must back up my files daily...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/note-to-self-must-back-up-my-files-daily/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I hadn’t planned on falling in love with anyone – never mind a human – but the dice have a funny way of falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/i-hadn-t-planned-on-falling-in-love-with-anyone-never-mind-a-human/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I um, well – air, you know – we all need it to breathe, but some of us need something else too – that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/i-um-well-air-you-know-we-all-need-it-to-breathe-but-some-of-us-need/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I’m not saying that my gift makes me whole – I’m whole without it – but I’m not whole without you... 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No one would ever know he wasn’t one hundred percent human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/are-we-about-ready-then-i-asked-yup-stan-replied-making-me-grin-no/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I laughed, “I’m still the same plain old Will – just like I’ve always been.” He shook his head, his face serious, “There’s nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/i-laughed-i-m-still-the-same-plain-old-will-just-like-i-ve-always/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“The expression on her face should have been my first clue to just shut the hell up – but I’m Josh – master of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/the-expression-on-her-face-should-have-been-my-first-clue-to-just/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I only had to let myself be happy... It seriously couldn’t be as difficult as I was making it...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/i-only-had-to-let-myself-be-happy-it-seriously-couldn-t-be-as/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) > [“I love the way you eat pizza – always picking off the pepperoni and piling it up in the corner of your plate –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mar-gerrison/i-love-the-way-you-eat-pizza-always-picking-off-the-pepperoni-and/) [Heather Mar-Gerrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) [Explore all 12 Heather Mar-Gerrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mar-gerrison/) ## More Gardening quotes > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/) [Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/) > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“A flower needs the rain to grow just as much as it needs the sunshine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/a-flower-needs-the-rain-to-grow-just-as-much-as-it-needs-the-sunshine/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [“Mr. Grote shows me how he grows wild rice in the stream and collects the seeds. The rice is nutty and brown. 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The big round things he was referring to was the parasitic plant mistletoe. It had completely infested the trees in this area. Oh God he would ask that… “You really don’t know?” I hedged. He looked at me completely nonplussed. “Uh, no.” he said, as if I was completely nuts. “That’s why I asked.” I nodded. Of course… city boy… “Um, it’s mistletoe.” I mumbled feeling mortally embarrassed. 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