The Tree Metaphor

to see in wallpaper size click here

In my last blog entry I had the picture
to the left.  I didn't think it really applied
to what I was talking about, but I thought
I would share it, so it remained.

Just as I went to share what I wrote, it
occurred to me that the image did indeed
fit what I was writing.  It occurred to me
that a tree and its leaves go through many
stages.


It occurs to me that the tree is still itself
whether its leaves are green or any other
color.  It is still itself when it loses its
leaves.  It can never be anything but
itself, despite the fact that its appearance
may be different, and there are perceived
changes.  It also occurs to me that it can
never pretend to be anything other than
what it already is, and it can never be
what someone else wants it to be, unless
what that is is what it already is.

It occurs to me that I can never be anyone
but myself, either.  And yet several things
will make me question whether I am being
the "right" me.

I know some people would say we, unlike
the tree, have some control over what we
become.  And some might say that if we
think we have no control, it is just an
excuse.

I have to wonder, though, how much of
who we are and what we become is exactly
perfect for who we are meant to be.  I
watched Michael J Fox in an interview,
and he said his diagnosis made him a
better man.

What if those things we don't like about
ourselves and our lives are the very things
that we need to have us become the very
person we are meant to be.  What if the
various shades and sheddings of us are
as intentional as what happens to a tree?

If that is the case, then there is never anything
wrong with who we are or what we do, and
nothing is more right than the experiences we
have - which includes even those things we
would label "undesirable."

Of course,
even if that is true,
believing,
and acting on it,
is most
likely much more
easily said
than done.

However, as I think about the tree metaphor,
I think about how it would be if we told the
tree, "no...don't shed, don't shed, don't shed"
as we watched it shed all its leaves, every
last one.  That would be painful to watch
and not easy to experience, especially if
we desired some other outcome.

But isn't that
what we often
do with ourselves
in some form
or fashion?

And how "easy"
is that?

Drawing Conclusions

When I was a kid, I used to draw a lot.
An aunt of mine got me a kit to learn
to draw some pictures with various
charcoals.  I could draw almost anything
I saw - except people.

I imagine the reason I couldn't do people
was because it probably needed to be too
perfect.  I suspect the "imperfections"in
inanimate objects are less noticeable, or
at least more tolerable.

I have been wanting to draw more and
more and am finding myself trying to
find things to do.  I have never been
good with coming up with things in
my head.



There are a few things that I will be sharing soon that were inspired by things that I
have seen.  The above image is one of them.  I saw a picture of a tree on Facebook,
and I thought it would be interesting to see if I could draw it.  The thing was that I
didn't have the patience to recreate it, exactly.  I wasn't even sure how to, given
some of the detail.    But what I did was take the essence and the idea of it, and
created what you now see.  Basically I used it as an idea, and then I winged it.

I think life is probably very much like that, except that we often want to get things
just right.  If I had patience, I might have tried to replicate it exactly, but then instead
of moving on to something else, and sharing this with you, I would still be working
on it.  I guess there would be nothing wrong with that, but while it might give me
something in one way, it might limit me in others.

It would seem that is the epitome of the life we live.  Some choices expand us.
Some choices limit us.  I just wish which one it was was as obvious as this drawing
example.  Although, quite frankly, I didn't sit there and think about these things
before I did it, I just did it - which is likely how most of us live life.  We just do
things and live with the results.

I think we may do things automatically a certain way because it works for us for
it to be that way.  Our unconscious thinks so, any way.  I am not sure what to do
with this info at the moment.  My head hurts, and I am tired.  I guess I will have
to leave the finer detail for another time.

Kinda ironic, I think.