Rebels

Rebels

FTLComm - Tisdale
September 26, 1999

Somehow there is a measure of comfort in discovering that in the plant work individuality and independent behaviour frequently asserts itself. In the picture on the right you are looking down a sunny Sunday morning street with the brightly coloured leaves still clinging to their branches even though winds on Friday pretty much frazzled everything. Then notice on the left two dark green trees. See what I mean!

Now this is what a tree should look like in fall, its leaves coloured, curled and crumbling and on the upper portion of the tree the wind has removed the summer adornments and distributed them to lawns, gardens and streets.

Even the tree behind it is cooperating in the annual process of return to dormancy until spring. Partially turned trees are far more common then completely coloured ones. Since the same temperatures and amount of sunlight triggered their budding process in the spring and cool nights and the end of the life cycle signal the end of the process one would expect them all to obey the rules of nature and make the change in unison.

Defiance, refusal to dress appropriately, this weeping birch is following the sounds of a different drummer.

Just like so many folks clinging to their short pants even though temperatures have signalled more suitable dress is needed there is that spark of determination, that will to resist, stubborn dismissal of reality, that makes people wear shorts and trees stay green when it is clear the forces of nature are conspiring against them with overwhelming odds.

Since trees are not considered sentient beings it is confusing to understand how this process occurs. Surely it is not left up to the individual leaf as to when to end its

production process and seal
itself off from the stem ending its life. So if the tree as a whole some how determines when enough is enough, how is that decision reached?

In the picture on the right we see the hedge gradually turning while behind it a leafy tree thinks its summer, others are gold and yellow and two have been stripped of their leaves and then on the corner of Jim Billy's yard is a bright green tree ignoring the trend East of it.

This trio in our back yard are all treated uniformly yet the one on the right and the one on the extreme left have shut down and the one in the centre is a rebel. Such mysteries confound us and yet as I said in the beginning I take some considerable comfort in seeing this apparent willful behaviour. though we do have humans who wear short pants after labour day I am certain we are far more conformist as a group then these trees.

Being a thinking being presents us with choices and decisions. These trees do what they do without loss of a moment's sleep or a single pang of regret or guilt.

Rebels FTLComm - Tisdale September 26, 1999 Somehow there is a measure of comfort in discovering that in the plant work individuality and independent behaviour frequently asserts itself. In the picture on the right you are looking down a sunny Sunday morning street with the brightly coloured leaves still clinging to their branches even though winds on Friday pretty much frazzled everything. Then notice on the left two dark green trees. See what I mean!
Now this is what a tree should look like in fall, its leaves coloured, curled and crumbling and on the upper portion of the tree the wind has removed the summer adornments and distributed them to lawns, gardens and streets. Even the tree behind it is cooperating in the annual process of return to dormancy until spring. Partially turned trees are far more common then completely coloured ones. Since the same temperatures and amount of sunlight triggered their budding process in the spring and cool nights and the end of the life cycle signal the end of the process one would expect them all to obey the rules of nature and make the change in unison.
Defiance, refusal to dress appropriately, this weeping birch is following the sounds of a different drummer. Just like so many folks clinging to their short pants even though temperatures have signalled more suitable dress is needed there is that spark of determination, that will to resist, stubborn dismissal of reality, that makes people wear shorts and trees stay green when it is clear the forces of nature are conspiring against them with overwhelming odds. Since trees are not considered sentient beings it is confusing to understand how this process occurs. Surely it is not left up to the individual leaf as to when to end its
production process and seal itself off from the stem ending its life. So if the tree as a whole some how determines when enough is enough, how is that decision reached? In the picture on the right we see the hedge gradually turning while behind it a leafy tree thinks its summer, others are gold and yellow and two have been stripped of their leaves and then on the corner of Jim Billy's yard is a bright green tree ignoring the trend East of it.
This trio in our back yard are all treated uniformly yet the one on the right and the one on the extreme left have shut down and the one in the centre is a rebel. Such mysteries confound us and yet as I said in the beginning I take some considerable comfort in seeing this apparent willful behaviour. though we do have humans who wear short pants after labour day I am certain we are far more conformist as a group then these trees. Being a thinking being presents us with choices and decisions. These trees do what they do without loss of a moment's sleep or a single pang of regret or guilt.