Dream as Big as a Tree!
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
After my fourth night at Colorado National Monument, which included two bike rides of three hours each and about 40 miles of walking, I was ready to move to my next destination in Moab, Utah. I made a stop along the way, to the Fruita Community Center, where I had learned one can take a shower for the fee of $4.00. It was a nice place, friendly people working, and there was substantial activity taking place. The Community Center shares the same building as the Fruita Public Library, as well. As I was leaving, I noticed a wall that was adorned wtih about 30 pieces of children’s art, drawings that kids had done. It was apparent that the theme of the artwork was to “Dream Big as a Tree!,” as those words were written on many of the drawings. Taken together, it was an inspiring, colorful wall of art created by these budding artist’s open and inquisitive minds as they utilized their creative abilities. Thirty visions of Dreaming Big.
A bell went off in my head, to dream big myself. I also asked myself, what about art, my art, as a kid in grammar school or high school? Think back to that, I told myself. I do recall that I liked art in early grammar school. I am thinking from kindergarten up through fifth grade. It seems to me, we did not have art every day, maybe it was a few times a week, maybe it was one day a week, I do not recall. I do remember that, when we did have it, I was happy about it. I looked forward to it. But, I do not remember having any special talent in it. And it might have been the case I was happy to have it just as an escape from other subjects like reading, math, or science, rather than happy because it was art. I do not remember that kind of reasoning, however.
I do not think art was considered to be important as a class. Reading, writing, and math, they were the big subjects, the important ones. Being in a Catholic school, religion was important too, but it had a different role than subjects like reading, writing, and math. It was as if art was a minor subject, something to do as a break, it was so there could be a rest from other areas, but not something about which to be too concerned. Music seemed to play a similar role. We all had music class occasionally, infrequently.
High school art did not seem too different to me. I do not recall if I ever took an art class in high school. I am thinking it was probably an elective, one that I did not need or even consider. I was being groomed, so to speak, in the “college prep” sequence of courses. I was being prepared for college and a career. And probably, since I had not shown any significant interest or talent for art (or music) in grammar school, no-one considered it to be important or desirable for me in high school.
Looking back, I wonder how many other kids in my class felt that art and music were kind of just filler classes, not something to take seriously? I wonder, if art or music were presented in a different way, as being more important, if myself or others might have considered it more, worked at it more? Or maybe it just did not come naturally to me, and that is the reason why I did little with it?
With my spare time, I became involved with sports, particularly basketball. I loved it. I put a lot of time into it. Practice, practice, practice. Maybe that was my art. That and riding my bicycle, which I did as a natural activity on nearly a daily basis.
Anyway, back to art. This wall of artwork was beautiful, it conveyed a message that encouraged children to dream/think big, and it included Nature in the form of a tree. Beauty. Encouragement. Nature. A fantastic combination that should be a part of every child’s education and growth, and that should probably be a part of every adult’s continuing education and growth!
What big dreams do you have? What would you like to see or become? Write one down, more if you like. How are you going about fulfilling your dream?
Go out and look at a tree. Think about your “Dream as Big as a Tree” in terms of an analogy.
Trees have roots, usually deep roots, that bring water and other nutrients, dissolved in the water, to the tree for nourishment. Our dreams need nourishment.
The roots also anchor the tree, give it support and strength against any force nature might serve up in its environment. Our dreams need support.
Trees have multiple branches, going off in many directions, sometimes in regular patterns, sometimes not. Sometimes the branches go off twisting and turning in all sorts of odd directions and structures, leading one to ask, how could it do that? Sometimes our dreams have a organized structure, sometimes they do not; sometimes they go against any kind of organized structure and still that it okay.
Trees have leaves, leaves that contain special abilities to turn sunlight into energy. Our dreams need energy in order to come true. Give them that energy.
Trees take time to grow. It takes years for trees to develop and mature, but it all started out with a seed that sprouted or a part of branch that was used to make a new tree, like my Mom did with Weeping Willow branches to grow a new tree. Be patient with the development of your dream.
From a simple seed, sprouts a mighty, beautiful tree. And as that tree grows, it helps support other life, too. Birds and other animals make use of it for their own survival. When you build your dream, it can affect others, helping them to develop and grow, too.
Now, off to do some big dreaming in the great outdoors!
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