It is tree-trimming time in my neighborhood, and today they were out with a vengeance as I went on my morning walk. This is a joyous time for me, because one of the things on my "list" of wishes for my life is to ride in what I was taught to call a Cherry Picker--you know, the crane truck tree trimmer thing. If anyone has a hook up to make this happen, let me know--Seriously. Also I want to hold a puffin beat all the levels of Super Mario Bros 3 but I'm not holding my breath.
So I was walking past this one house, and I noticed that they had written notes and taped them to several of the trees on the border of their property. Obviously, I needed to read what was on those notes. They said "Hello tree trimmers, please do NOT trim my London Plane trees (Sycamores)". First of all, yes i DO wish I was on a plane to London right about now. Secondly, I liked how they went to the trouble to list both the actual tree name and the common name, as if the tree trimming crew would differentiate.
Quick side note--do you watch 30 Rock? It's really funny. Lately they've been doing this thing where they show the world through the eyes of some of the characters--Jack sees dollar values on everything and everyone, Tracy sees himself instead of other people, and my favorite Kenneth sees everyone as Muppets. I see metaphors and symbolism EVERYWHERE, so I think if someone where to video my point of view it would be trees that were telling my important life lessons and flowers that had little faces and were singing and waterfalls that played music and dogs and cats that were unicorns and narwhals with wisdom to impart.
ANYWAY, that side note was just to point out that I can't help myself to make a poetic metaphor involving those trees and my life. Suck it up, here it is. It struck me that I do that in my own life--I put little notes up for God to read, like "don't touch this" or "I'll just take care of this one" because I'm scared of what his idea of upkeep might look like in my life. And that is ridiculous, because he knows much better than I do what needs trimming and what doesn't. Let's be honest, the landscaper usually knows more about what needs to be done than the homeowner. But of course we want what we want, and oftentimes lack the perspective of one greater than ourselves. I know in my head that trees need to be trimmed, in order to produce a better bloom the following year, but my heart just reminds me that the trees look really stupid all pruned back and I just want the benefit of all the flowers with no downsides. There's also the idea that the trees are trimmed for the greater good of the whole neighborhood. If each was left to its own devices, pretty soon I wouldn't be able to drive down the street, or enjoy my morning walk without crazy leaves attacking me (and the scary spiders that sometimes are hanging from them!). Sadly I am so self focused that I usually care more about what this "trimming" or upkeep is doing to me rather than how it could be for the benefit of those around me.
Ironically after all that thinking I passed the house again and noticed that the trees really DIDN'T need trimming, but then I realized, who am I to say? So I thanked God for this day--hard times/trimming and all, and kept on walking.
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