July 7, 2020
I love looking up words in the dictionary. Not to be a “know it all” but to see if we’re
using them the way they were meant to be.
I love the adventure the dictionary provides by way of how a word began
and moved from country to country. I
study the different definitions a single word can have. Not because I’m a book
worm! I love words! On this podcast episode we look up the word
forest. Seriously! In 2020 a lot of building is taking place in
cities around the world. What defines a
modern forest? The dictionary says is a
large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth. I’ve lived in a forest for twenty eighty
years. Being the forest farmer I agree
with the description. I have a large
area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth. But that’s not what this is about. Ballantyne, North Carolina. Huge corporate complex. Millions of Carolinian’s drive by it a year. Building after building. Larger than life streets. When I arrived in 1985 it was a collection of
trees. Today, from an outsider’s point
of view it looks to have been ripped from its roots. Not only am I a daily writer but I walk every
day as well. During these Covid-19 days
it’s not going to be on the overcrowded yet beautiful greenways that Charlotte
has masterfully designed. I need nobody
around me. So at 6:00 in the morning
Jazzie and I hit the five unforgettable parks inside the corporate park of
Ballantyne. What? Large lakes, trees,
waterfalls, wild animals and everything else the dictionary says it must have
in order to be a forest. I don’t want this to be a commercial for Ballantyne.
The goal is to open your thoughts to the idea of something living and breathing
beyond what you are assuming. What looks
to be tall buildings where decision makers are trying to save their businesses
is physically and mentally connected to a forest that which provides
peace. The greatest storyteller’s of all
time are trees. Followed by rocks. They know the way. They’ve been here longer than you and
ultimately it’s your choice not to hear how to survive the bad storms, hot
summer days, wicked nights or the avalanche of bugs that creep into
Carolina. Trees know the way. Make today that moment where you just
listen. Don’t say anything. Stand next to a tree and just listen. Pay attention to the amazing amount of life
around the tree. From the birds to the spiders,
squirrels and so much more. Watch as the
summer breeze lightly provides the music for the leaves to dance. Feel how the tree provides shade to keep you
cool. Be amazed at how the tree doesn’t
judge who you are or where you are from.
Your front and backyard may actually have one or two trees. Use your imagination and turn it into a
forest. Belong to a new atmosphere of peace and Love.
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