Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Maple Tree and Its Visions of Grandeur

When I considered the topic, Visions of Grandeur, my thoughts turned to a maple tree on Dunlap Street in what was once Mr. Clinton Mathew's yard and, more recently, Dr. Frank Sleadd's yard. I grew up with that maple. It was small when I was small and now, like me, it's middle aged.

In the winter, my maple has no leaves. It is naked, right there on one of the busiest streets in town. When the cold wind whips in from the west, I wonder if it would like to be clothed. Soon enough, buttercups sprout, the deer nibble at new buds and my maple tree dons a lovely, lime green dress. Her outfit turns a deeper hue as the weather warms, and although she is no longer naked, she looks pretty much like all of the other trees on Dunlap Street…large and sprawling and green.

I often wonder, "Does she want to stand out? Does she want to make the school children and their parents heading up to Grove and Inman jerk their heads and cry, 'Wow, look at that!' I wonder…does my maple tree have Visions of Grandeur?

Well, she's a tree, so we'll never know what she thinks, but if her desire is to rise above the rest, this is her week, indeed. Today, when I drove down Dunlap toward town, I had to slow to a crawl and take a good long look at her. The gold and orange and touches of red are so brilliant that I couldn’t stop looking. When the sun popped out, lighting her up, I wanted to wrap myself up in her. Her color and warmth were so intense; they seemed to radiate from another dimension.

So if my visions of grandeur have more to do with a fabulous maple tree that, for a week or two, is the most stunning tree in town, then so be it. I have no thoughts of being the president or a wealthy landowner or a CEO…I just want to be within sight of my friend the maple when she gets all gussied up for fall.

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