The Power of the Trees

                 This week, ladies and gents, the topic of our picture game is trees. This is a pretty good topic because there are so many kinds to choose from. There are oak trees, elm trees, palm trees, Christmas trees, weeping willows, etc. There are also many fictional trees such as truffula trees from Dr. Suess’s The Lorax, or Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. There are even religious and mythical trees such as the tree of knowledge or the tree of life. So far, there have been interesting pictures. Colorful trees, paintings, fake trees, carved trees, and more. One person put up a picture of a Cherry Blossom in full bloom. Another put up the tree of life. The different seasons give us different views of trees as well. The New England foliage in the fall is entirely different from the green leaves of summer. Each picture evokes a different image or feeling. When I see a palm tree, for example, I think of the calm serenity of the sea. I can feel as though I’m there and seeing the beautiful blue waves hitting the gorgeous white sand on some tropical island. I can feel the warmth of the sun, smell the breeze off the water and the coconut scent of suntan lotion, even taste a fruity drink on my tongue. Yet a photo of fall foliage brings me to New England with different sounds, sights and scents. Such a picture, while maybe not as relaxing, is more comforting as it reminds me of my childhood. I am reminded of the smell of the leaves and the crisp autumn air. I remember the cool bite of that air while walking around outside. While relaxing on a tropical island is something most people would enjoy, I much prefer the autumn. It is my favorite season. Thus, the images and feelings brought on by such a photo are more enjoyable to me. I think of all the things I love about fall such as the foods, weather, and holidays. Fall means pumpkin coffee or beer. It means apple crisp or merely crisper apples. Fall means cooler temperatures but not freezing. It means Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Day of the Dead and Samhain. It is the time to watch Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown. It is back to school season, which I always loved. Autumn is the time for deeper spices and the scents that go with them. All of these wonderful things can be evoked by the mere picture of a tree with dying leaves. So at first, I didn’t think much of this week’s topic. I thought it would be interesting, but simply trees. Something we see every day. Yet the more thought I put into it, the more intrigued I became. It isn’t just about the pictures, but about what the pictures bring to mind. So as you look at something that you see every day, think about it a little more. I know that I will be thinking about the effect of my tree pictures this week, more than just what they look like.