Monday, March 01, 2004
Tree Day
I've decided to declare today Tree Day. Today, tomorrow, and the next day -- from this point forward, EVERY day is Tree Day!
No, I'm not being narcissistic here. When I say Tree Day, I'm talking about those wonderful plants that were the inspiration for my name. Today they inspired me once again as I spent an hour or more on campus playing in the branches of my favorite tree, who I call Leaning Oak.
Leaning Oak is an oak tree on the edge of Campus Lake here in Carbondale. Due no doubt to some catastrophic incident in the forgotten past, this tree leans out over the lake with its trunk almost parallel to the water's surface. This allows me to walk out on the trunk as though it were a pier. The tree's hold on the shore looks rather precarious -- but those roots go much deeper than the eye can see. Leaning Oak has held fast to the mud of that shore for at least the few years that I've been coming to visit.
Since today was a wonderfully warm and sunny day, I decided to go out and visit my old friend Leaning Oak. After walking through campus barefoot -- a feat which turned a few heads -- I set my sandals and the contents of my pockets under a nearby tree and walked out onto Leaning Oak.
It's hard to describe to an outside observer how wonderful I feel when climbing a tree. I feel like some part of the experience harkens back to the days before history, when my ancestors' ancestors used to live in the boughs of these powerful beings. My muscles may still be weak and tight from a lifetime of living in an alienating human-sculpted environment, but when I'm in that tree, I can feel at least a hint of my biological potential. I hang, swing, stretch, sit, and just feel the texture of bark against my hands and feet. I leave all of this physical exertion feeling more energized than ever -- and I know that as soon as I have another moment of good sense, I'll be back for more.
Just think -- the whole world can be like this again! We can live in communities that integrate edible permacultural forest gardens into our living space. It would help us to heal not only the Earth, but also ourselves.
If you're into this sort of thing and live in my area, let me know. I'd like to start a permacultural garden here in Carbondale so that we can begin growing some portion of our own food in a very ecological manner.
In the meantime, I do wish that people would be more respectful of Campus Lake and Thompson Woods! My poor friend Leaning Oak had three or four fishing lines tangled in its branches, and I picked up a few beer cans on the way to writing this entry. I encourage people to enjoy what little living resources you have in your community -- and when you're out there playing, don't be surprised if you feel called to pick up a few pieces of trash too. Enjoying and respecting these existing treasures will empower you to help in the long journey of creating an ecological society.
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No, I'm not being narcissistic here. When I say Tree Day, I'm talking about those wonderful plants that were the inspiration for my name. Today they inspired me once again as I spent an hour or more on campus playing in the branches of my favorite tree, who I call Leaning Oak.
Leaning Oak is an oak tree on the edge of Campus Lake here in Carbondale. Due no doubt to some catastrophic incident in the forgotten past, this tree leans out over the lake with its trunk almost parallel to the water's surface. This allows me to walk out on the trunk as though it were a pier. The tree's hold on the shore looks rather precarious -- but those roots go much deeper than the eye can see. Leaning Oak has held fast to the mud of that shore for at least the few years that I've been coming to visit.
Since today was a wonderfully warm and sunny day, I decided to go out and visit my old friend Leaning Oak. After walking through campus barefoot -- a feat which turned a few heads -- I set my sandals and the contents of my pockets under a nearby tree and walked out onto Leaning Oak.
It's hard to describe to an outside observer how wonderful I feel when climbing a tree. I feel like some part of the experience harkens back to the days before history, when my ancestors' ancestors used to live in the boughs of these powerful beings. My muscles may still be weak and tight from a lifetime of living in an alienating human-sculpted environment, but when I'm in that tree, I can feel at least a hint of my biological potential. I hang, swing, stretch, sit, and just feel the texture of bark against my hands and feet. I leave all of this physical exertion feeling more energized than ever -- and I know that as soon as I have another moment of good sense, I'll be back for more.
Just think -- the whole world can be like this again! We can live in communities that integrate edible permacultural forest gardens into our living space. It would help us to heal not only the Earth, but also ourselves.
If you're into this sort of thing and live in my area, let me know. I'd like to start a permacultural garden here in Carbondale so that we can begin growing some portion of our own food in a very ecological manner.
In the meantime, I do wish that people would be more respectful of Campus Lake and Thompson Woods! My poor friend Leaning Oak had three or four fishing lines tangled in its branches, and I picked up a few beer cans on the way to writing this entry. I encourage people to enjoy what little living resources you have in your community -- and when you're out there playing, don't be surprised if you feel called to pick up a few pieces of trash too. Enjoying and respecting these existing treasures will empower you to help in the long journey of creating an ecological society.
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