Every summer, I try to set a few goals for myself. This year, one of those goals was to sprout an avocado. After doing some research online, I learned that this should not be a difficult task. It is in fact a popular activity among children. All you do is take an avocado seed, rinse it, pierce it with toothpicks, and set it in some water. It should sprout on its own within a few weeks.
Well, I started with my first seed sometime in May. About a month passed, and there was no sign of sprouting, so I tried another seed--in fact, I tried two. When July rolled around and still no joy, I decided to kick things up a notch. I took it upon myself to eat a few avocados (quite the hardship) and set out yet more seeds. By the time we left for Siberia at the beginning of August, there were 5 seeds located in all manner of places: outside, in the sun, in the shade, in my office, etc. I also modified the amount of water from almost full to less than 1/4 of the seed covered. In total, I had used 8 seeds.
Imagine my surprise when we returned to Nashville and found that one seed had actually sprouted!!!
I do not know why I had so much difficulty obtaining a sprout. Luckily, persistence and dedication are two of my strong suits, so I kept trying until success was achieved. After waiting another week for the sprout to mature a bit, we planted it in a pot. This pot was purchased back in May with the exact purpose in mind of holding an avocado sprout. This whole venture will be deemed a success as soon as the sprout emerges from the top of the seed (above the soil.) Keep your fingers crossed! 
