How Stinging Nettle Saved My Life

It was a beautiful sunny day in mid June 1984, I was 11 years old. I was walking down the deserted street headed for the woods when all of a sudden I hear "GET HER" I turn to look, and saw, it was the boys from my class who had been harassing me for weeks. I decided to make a run for it. Down the steep trail and through the woods I ran, I cut across the trail through the stream. I could hear the branches crunching and crashing, and the sound, it sounded like a heard of wild elk running down the embankment- it was coming closer and closer. There I was stuck, the end of the woods, I either risk trespassing on to Fugi's farm and getting shot by the worker's salt pellet guns (again) or stop and defend myself. I stopped, adrenaline pumping, out of breath, & in a complete fight or flight mode. Well I already flew- now the fight was ON! The boys yelled "Strip!" followed by evil laughs as they are rubbing their hands together mischievously. I tried yelling back "No" but they just kept laughing and coming closer. Well there was just one thing left to do, next to me was a patch of Stinging Nettle 2 feet higher than my head, I grabbed a few out from the root and started swinging them wildly. "Get back or your DEAD!" I screamed "I WILL DO IT!" The look on their faces was one of shock, amazement and fear, then they ran! I stood there, nettles in hand looking cautiously back and forth. My conclusion as I looked at my hands? Nettles really don't hurt that bad, and now I have some new friends (the plants). From that day on instead of taking the road, I walked through the nettles from directly behind my house, I no longer feared their sting and I took the road less traveled.

Nettle Uses
Prepubescent Adolescent boy repellent

Oh, and the whole plant is good for seasonal allergies & eczema too, makes an excellent spring tonic.

Tip: Search Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica L. on the net today, you will find literally 100's of uses for this awesome plant!