We saw this fabulous weather-beaten tree at Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area in Nevada.
I changed my Twitter cover image to this when the yellow brittlebush flowers I had previously chosen seemed too sunny. It looked wild and windswept, and it somehow fit my mood better.
Another day, I didn’t start out thinking about the tree. I was thinking about how I tend to feel my life needs to conform to a certain pattern, like I’m not valid if I’m not checking off a set of boxes, when – in reality – we are all writing our own stories as we go.
Life is not lined up and orderly. It is organic, unpredictable, wild.
The thoughts found their way into a short poem, and one of the images in my mind as I wrote it was that tree in Nevada.
Not a fence post
but a tree,
rough and irregular,
both warped by
the elements and
strengthened by them.
Each meandering ring,
a storyteller.
I love wild and windswept. I’ve just been through a part of our country where all the trees along the southern coast have been bleached and “warped by the elements.” I’m going to blog about them eventually, and wish I’d taken more photos.
Very cool! Can’t wait to read it!
Also, even though I feel like I take a billion photos, I can definitely relate to the feeling of “why didn’t I get more pictures of *that*?!”
I relate to this so deeply, and I love the idea that we are writing our own story, not checking off boxes.
So glad it resonated! I think it’s something many of us in the ALI community have had to come to terms with in some way – life didn’t go as planned but it still continues.
Love the tree picture, and I love the poem inspired by it even more. Awesome work, Stephanie!
Thanks, Traci! You’re always so encouraging.
There is something about the tree, I love it.
Yes! You can see why it stuck with me.
Well, you’ve given me a lot to think about with this: “like I’m not valid if I’m not checking off a set of boxes” because this is me, too.
Hmmm…I’m be pondering this image and your poem the rest of the day, figuring out how I might unexpectedly branch out. I think I’m due for a meander.
Love it!! Happy meandering!
This is lovely. And very true. Each life is so unique and yet we all tend look for prewritten paths. Though there are themes in the pattern, the reality is we will all walk our own paths.
Thank you for the beautiful image.
Exactly. I guess it’s easier to try to look at someone else’s path, but, you’re right, we all have to forge our own.