Tree Wisdom

In the last few years, We the People have displayed the extremes of humanity’s potential. We have pulled together to heal when disaster hits, while in the next moment we condemn others for thinking differently than us. We shout “Love Thy Neighbor!” even as we throw rocks at them. We boldly fight for the right of choice, meanwhile doing our best to tell others what choices they have a right to. We seem to have a serious problem really figuring out what our priorities actually are. We are selfishly selfless; aggressively peaceful; caringly unconcerned. We are sheep with delusions of being shepherds.

In short we are really confused.

The past election dramatically demonstrated how democracy works, while at the same time showing that democracy cannot work until humanity gets a clue. Democracy is all about sharing and unity. Humanity is all about selfishness and greed. Except when it isn’t.

I have been receding from the world again. Once upon a time I was in the cave because I was hiding. Then for a while I was trapped there. And when  I decided to leave, I was leaving for all the wrong reasons; looking in all the wrong places for answer to questions I was not even clear about. In the process I was watching this crazy show we call American Life and getting addicted and horrified by it … in the way that Soap Opera’s work. For a while I started to think it was all real and actually tried to follow the script. Boy was THAT a painful mistake. So this time I am drawing back, not to hide. Nor because I can’t leave. I am returning to me. Returning to the body that houses me. I have not only found the questions I need to ask, but also remembered where the answers are. They are within me. Here. Now.

This slow return to within was hastened the last few days by a few blog posts pointing out that though we may have a winner of the game, the game itself is still broken. Then today I went to visit my dad. The dad who is not the dad I remember. Making me wonder if the dad I remember is even the dad I remember. The odd mixture of a peaceful man aggressively lashing out simply because he did not want to be touched, only seconds later smiling in contentment, combined with the thoughts already percolating from those blog posts … well the soul suddenly needed to do some speaking again. I was just lacking what exactly to say.

Once again, the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups gave me just what I needed. This week the prompt is the Picture to the right.

It dawned on me that we can all learn a lot from a tree. So I will end my rant / epiphany /ramble with this little bit of creation. I hope all enjoy (and for the 100WCGU folk, sorry for the excessively long intro this time 😀 ).

Dark. Comfortable. Loamy.
Tasty moisture. Nutritious earth. Stretching, reaching, what’s that? Bright! Warm!
Reach more. Up! Fresh air! Down! Moist, lovely earth!

Flicker. Dark. Flicker. Light. Flicker. Lovely water falls. Flicker. Warmth returns. Flicker. Robust. Stretching. Stretching. Sharing. Flicker. Cold. Barren. Sleep! Light. Dark. Hot. Cold.

Beautiful, ever-present now!

Outside, things rushing. Fast little beings. Always hurrying. Stretch! They get smaller. Climb. Pluck. Use. Shelter. Sometimes hurt.

Now continues. THEY change. I grow.

Outside, things change. More like me. Less like me. Things. Not things. Change. Change!

Now continues. Happiness!

Something new. A fast being pokes me. What’s next?