So we decided to kick things off with tree-climbing. Yup. Oh
how close to adventure we so often rot! You don't need to travel across the
globe to find excitement...it's right there in your backyard! Are you brave
enough to flout your neighbor's opinion of you, dredge up a simple childhood
pleasure, and crack a joint open for a change of scenery? Our stories and pictures below.
Chris:
We chose to climb trees for our first Not-Rot mission
because it was relatively simple, easy to commence, and full of potential
for…fun! I used to love climbing trees. Some of my favorite memories are of
racing my brothers up the gigantic pine tree that was across the street. We
literally had timed races to the top and back down, the branches being so
abundant and close together that there was small risk of falling. The tip had
been sawn off years earlier leaving a relatively flat area so we could stand
hands-free from the branches at the very tip and look out over the two-story
houses in any direction. I’ll never forget the hawk-like perspective, “the
earth’s face upward for my inspection”,and thinking how different the world
could look with a relatively small shift in bodily position.
G.K. Chesterton said that we tell children fantastic stories
about the world, not because children necessarily need a new twist on reality,
but because we as adults have forgotten how wonderful the world is as it is
to new eyes. “These tales say that apples were golden only to refresh the
forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with
wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water.”
We have forgotten there are still adventures to be had even in our own backyard
where the organic playgrounds we call trees beckon to us. But many of us are
too old. Just in case that wasn’t insulting enough, allow me to rephrase: maybe
we’re afraid we’ll break if we brush against the elements like we did when we
were children, but I think maybe we’re just mostly tired and working too hard
for a sleepy retirement on a nice couch somewhere where Obama can’t break
through the walls of our hoarded property. I want to live “close to the bone”.
This is my body, that is a tree. Climb on.
Matt and I climbed on a perfect January day. I keep thinking
back on it. We had so much fun. We made contests out of picking out ‘climbable’
trees versus ‘unclimbable’ ones, and trying to best each other in a multitude
of climbing games. One tree only had a couple small knots we could get a handle
on to hoist ourselves up to the lowest branch. Another tree was small and bent
over so that it didn’t extend above my head, but we created an objective to
walk up its bowed trunk and balance on it for a picture. We had to use muscles
we didn’t normally use, we had to problem-solve to get to new branches without
killing ourselves, and we were both battling our fear of heights. All the while
it was a gorgeous day, with perfect weather.
Looking at the pictures we took is a bit surreal because I
don’t usually picture myself at the top of trees. I’ve become a ground-dweller
in more ways than one. Every object in the world that registers in our minds
represents either a possibility or a limitation. I want to keep the tops of
trees open in my mind as a possibility, an opportunity for a new perspective. I
want to make friends with trees again, like the boy in The Giving Tree, and I
don’t want to realize at the end of my life that I sold everything that was
dear to me only to sit on a dead stump.
Matt:
We didn't choose to climb trees in January because it was easy. In fact, 'easy'
rarely factors into Not-Rot missions. Yeah, we know it's cold (or should be
without global warming...be prepared snitches!!), and we know some dead
branches look strong but are really empty husks waiting for the right
opportunity to snap off under our weight. But we weren't stupid about it. We
wore gloves when we needed them, had multiple points of contact on the tree,
and didn't climb too far beyond our comfort range. We took just enough risks to
flout our mattress-worshipping asses. Here's what I liked most:
- Simple, physical activity that acted as a sort of skill check for strength and agility
- Targeting trees that had good climb potential
- Creating new challenges for trees that didn't immediately appear climbable
- Exerting our strength to go UP against demon Gravity
- Not falling and splitting a pelvis
