I have a tree, and every day, right after breakfast, I go to the little room I call my office, sit down at my desk and look out the window and there it is, just on the other side of the driveway, on a little rise of ground, standing tall and proud. At least, I think it’s only one, although, at that distance, it seems to have several trunks, or perhaps it’s a ”them” rather than a “him.”
As a simple aside here, I would mention that as friends go, a tree is a perfect choice, writes Orrin Frink. Dan King photo
That’s why a group of trees is called a “stand” of trees, because that’s mostly what they do, rather than a gaggle, bunch, cluster or coven of trees, or maybe there’s a lot we don’t know about what goes on down there beneath the earthen blanket covering the forest floor.
My tree is magnificent, standing way above my house, must be at least 45 feet tall, except that trees don’t have feet, just roots. But trees don’t just stand, you know. Sometimes they dance, waving their branches as though to make the winds that blow, or is it the other way around? Trees use their roots for balance and dance with their branches, while we dance with our boots and use our branches for balance. That is, why would you want to imagine reality as it is, if with some effort you can make it a lot more interesting and fun for all?
Way up near the top there’s a special branch grown sideways, rather than upward, making a perfect perch for an owl, a hawk and an eagle to all take turns looking over the top of the shorter trees up and down the whole length of the river, right through the narrows where the river locks once held back the tide and around the corner to the first green of the golf course and all the way to Picnic Rock.
I always wave and say, “Good Morning, Tree, I love you!” and he rustles his leaves as if to reply, “Good Morning. Love you, too.” Now there’s a real friend! Yes, yes, I know that trees don’t have eyes or ears to see or hear, nor voice to wish you a “Good Morning!” but a simple suspension of disbelief takes care of that problem, and there seems to be quite a lot of that going on all around us these days.
As a simple aside here, I would mention that as friends go, a tree is a perfect choice. The amount of criticism you would get from your tree friend would be minimal. He is absolutely loyal and would never turn his back on you and walk away just when you needed him most. I don’t think trees have backs or fronts to turn, and he would get his roots tangled up and fall down, since falling down is a very serious event for a tree. I don’t believe a tree would risk it. It’s usually a final event for a tree. And so, without any hesitation at all, I recommend a tree as your nest choice for best friend.
Ours is a land where you are free to believe whatever you like, and that’s just what everybody seems to be doing, whether it’s true, possible, factual, certified, warranted, or makes any sense at all. If I am required to believe, or at least play along with, what is currently being foisted upon us day after day by politicians, legislators and party professionals through the mail, the electronic, the social and print media, I will seriously consider moving to Scotland, where they know how to pronounce English correctly, and you only need to put up with the rain.
Orrin Frink is a Kennebunkport resident. He can be reached at ofrink@gmail.com.
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