ripe

i was thinking about the word "ripe" today, and how it captures such an epic event: the moment in which something is at its peak before it goes to rot. when we say "the moment was ripe" we mean the time to act has come because it is the optimal time, where our endeavours have the best chance at succeeding. and yet at that same moment, we say "that shit was ripe", an understanding that optimal time is ephemeral and soon it will be over-ripe. that usage is being lost i think as we begin to confuse moments in our minds. ripe is colliding with over-ripe. if you were around an excessively sweaty person, would you think he smelled ripe? or over-ripe? and when the scent of sex is in the air, is that not also ripe? i have the texture of many avocados remembered in my hands as i have sought the perfect ripeness. that moment in time. the ripe time.