Let it grow
I
got this seedling free from the State House about 3 years ago.
It is one of three tiny trees I got from the Agricultural
Hall when my boss won a guided tour of the State House. Of
the other two, one just disappeared, and the other got lawn-mowed by
the neighbor. She offered to buy me a new one, but that was
that. If it was the last one, I would have been a bit peeved
off.
Why would I get all cheesed off about a little tiny tree? And, it was a lot smaller the year she mowed it down.
On my dad's front lawn is a similar evergreen, it must stand about 50 ft tall now. I remember Slim and Helen planting that tree. It was a Catholic thing, celebrating my First Communion, and my sister's Confirmation. Heh, now, Slim wants to cut it down, as the driveway ices up from the shade the tree causes.
So, I value the tree, because some day in the future, I want to remember planting that tree on my own land. The first land I ever owned, a regular American dream.
Earlier this year, after my self imposed early retirement, I intensely looked forward to planting a garden. I had selections circled in the seed catalog, even had strawberries and other plants on order, when things went a little wrong. The months to follow were spent dreaming of getting back to planting that garden. Other than an accidental tomato plant that started in July, the garden didn't happen.
When I finally move from this first to me American dream, I will take that seedling with me. Maybe grow it indoors for a while in an apartment, maybe plant it on some landlord's property. But when I get that next version of the American dream, I hope to set it down on my own property.
And, if that never happens, there are other forms of seedlings to think about more metaphorical than organic. A dream, a friendship, a talent, an idea is a form of seedling. If you don't cultivate it, or if you let it be mowed down by a well intentioned neighbor, it will not grow.Now would be the time for me to insert a link to a poorly renditioned version of Eric Clapton's "Let it Grow". But that is a 50 ft. tree that I can't do justice to right now. Let me try to cultivate what my mom used to call a talent for a while. She would be so pissed if she knew I rarely pick up the guitar any more.
Joe Wronski - November 11, 2010 (11/11/10, lotta one's in this date)
