So There Are These Trees I Like
I moved to a new neighborhood in eighth grade, and I wasn't very happy about it. My old neighborhood was perfect -- my friends lived blocks away, I could walk to Hessel Park in five minutes, and my neighbors were super friendly. The new neighborhood threw me a good three miles further from my friends, and my block didn't have the same friendly feel as before. The one redeeming factor about my new house was its proximity to Noel Park. I can walk out the back gate and arrive at Noel Park in about thirty seconds. I love the park's huge field and the network of paths connecting it to other streets, but the best part of Noel Park is the grove of tall pine trees on the Eastern side.
When I was younger, my friends and I used to bike all the way from our neighborhood to Noel Park on lazy summer days. Once we tried to build a makeshift treehouse among the upper branches of those tall pines. We hoisted sticks up the trunk, pushed them into place, and tied them to the branches with whatever mismatched ropes could be found in our garages. After a summer of scrambling and several near-death experiences, the treehouse was finished. We were overjoyed, despite the fact that our work had yielded little more than a landing with low, unsteady walls.
When I was younger, my friends and I used to bike all the way from our neighborhood to Noel Park on lazy summer days. Once we tried to build a makeshift treehouse among the upper branches of those tall pines. We hoisted sticks up the trunk, pushed them into place, and tied them to the branches with whatever mismatched ropes could be found in our garages. After a summer of scrambling and several near-death experiences, the treehouse was finished. We were overjoyed, despite the fact that our work had yielded little more than a landing with low, unsteady walls.
Interestingly, the trees have transformed from a social space in my childhood to a more solitary space now. While climbing trees would have been a normal activity for my friends and I in elementary school, people don't usually hang out in trees now that we're old and we have "things to do" all the time. But I'm not saying that I mind climbing by myself. In fact, the trees offer positive space to take a break from my family's high energy and school's stressors. I enjoy visiting the trees for a moment of peace at the end of a long day, and I sometimes bring my dogs with me. They love sniffing at stumps and rolling in the soft carpet of pine needles.
The treetop provides an excellent place for reflection. I can see across my neighborhood, over the hunched houses and confusingly twisted roads that cut into Central Illinois' glorious flatness. I can watch the sky's changes, enjoying views unhindered by human habitation. The radio tower's steady pulses keep time in the distance. Its small red light brightens and darkens again, broadcasting its existence to planes flying above. Often, my own breathing merges to the radio tower's slow rhythm.
The treetop provides an excellent place for reflection. I can see across my neighborhood, over the hunched houses and confusingly twisted roads that cut into Central Illinois' glorious flatness. I can watch the sky's changes, enjoying views unhindered by human habitation. The radio tower's steady pulses keep time in the distance. Its small red light brightens and darkens again, broadcasting its existence to planes flying above. Often, my own breathing merges to the radio tower's slow rhythm.
I also love going to parks and climbing trees. I find it is an amazing way to take your mind off everything that is around you (physically) and more important everything else going on in your life. There are many types of trees, some are good for climbing, some just aren't, and the ones that are good, those are the gems. The kind of tree that makes you want to climb it, and never come down, because everything is better when you are up in the tree. I am glad you too can appreciate the raw natural beauty of trees climbing. Tree-climbers represent!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not climb trees what you describe sounds amazing. A place where you can see your whole neighborhood and the sky sounds really beautiful. Also a place where you can take break from the stress of life to just have time by yourself sounds like something I could really use right now.
ReplyDeleteI love this because this is so you and I love that for you. When I was younger, I used to climb the pine tree in my front yard (sappy, I know) and just sit in it for a good 30 minutes to an hour, in silence, alone with my thoughts and watching people walk by with their dogs and children. I haven't done this for years but I think there is definitely something to be said about the solace of being alone in a tree.
ReplyDeleteThe descriptions you portray of your experiences with climbing trees is impressively in-depth. I can imagine myself in your place, gazing towards the corn fields and admiring their flatness. I like how you introduce your love for tree-climbing, not at the beginning of the narrative, but in the middle, through a dramatic change in your life. It goes to show there is always a silver-lining in everything, no matter your initial impression.
ReplyDeleteI love that you climb trees! Climbing trees seems like a very quintessential Anya thing to do to me. I like how you illustrate the transition from childhood and tree-climbing being a social activity to later adolesence and tree-climbing being more solitary. I think it makes sense with the tree-house thing to climbing trees transition, too -- tree houses seem more social than a branch. I don't know if multiple people can just hang out on a single branch.
ReplyDeleteI love your adventure with climbing trees. I think now a days treehouse are less common (atleast in illinois?) and that's a shame. Heck, trees are less common now due to human and corporate greed. I think that trees can both offer solitude where most people can't reach but also a great place to hangout if you have people like you who also love to climb things.
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