Some time ago I planted corn on a quarter-acre plot. Sixty days later my field showed promising signs of an abundant and high-quality harvest. Each of the sturdy stalks of corn bore two or three ears.
Then one night a tropical storm hit our region. In the morning I was dismayed to discover that not a single stalk was left standing. Most of them were bent more than eighty degrees, and others were lying on the ground. It seemed the harvest was lost.
It occurred to me I could attach a stake to each stalk, but I quickly realized that was unrealistic. Aside from the fact that it would be a herculean task, a future tornado coming from a different direction would quickly render my efforts pointless.
