Wildfire burns pristine forest land in the Olympic National Forest and this destruction gives birth to an amazing sunset. It gives me hope to think on things like this.
Your comparison is apt. Terrible things produce good things sometimes. Forest fires are natural, and have therapeutic value besides that nifty sunset. There's a tree, the jack pine, whose cones nostly open when melted in a fire, for instance.
We cause too many fires because we're dopes and creeps, and we stop too many because we're trying too hard to help. But big forests gotta burn sometimes. Gets rid of the puckerbrush.
I agree with your qualification of "sometimes." Too often, teachers use this model to tear down students before building them back up. Hm. I may have to write another post about that. Some time soon! Thanks for the comment. We are dopes and creeps and try too hard but still do the wrong thing. Sigh.
Katherine - the sunsets have been lovely. This is one of my favorite essays by Timothy Egan. It's called 'In Fire Country' and I have it pinned on my studio wall: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/in-fire-country/
Especially this: "You live in the arms of the land, an intimacy that comes with the immodest illusion that there is such a thing as a safe distance."
5 comments:
Beautiful picture.
Your comparison is apt. Terrible things produce good things sometimes. Forest fires are natural, and have therapeutic value besides that nifty sunset. There's a tree, the jack pine, whose cones nostly open when melted in a fire, for instance.
We cause too many fires because we're dopes and creeps, and we stop too many because we're trying too hard to help. But big forests gotta burn sometimes. Gets rid of the puckerbrush.
All the best from your friend in the Maine trees.
we need hopeful things to think on...beautiful colors.
Hi Gregory! My friend in the Maine trees.
I agree with your qualification of "sometimes." Too often, teachers use this model to tear down students before building them back up. Hm. I may have to write another post about that. Some time soon! Thanks for the comment. We are dopes and creeps and try too hard but still do the wrong thing. Sigh.
Cindy -- isn't that the truth? I'm not finding many hopeful things in the newspapers these days. You?
Katherine - the sunsets have been lovely. This is one of my favorite essays by Timothy Egan. It's called 'In Fire Country' and I have it pinned on my studio wall:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/in-fire-country/
Especially this: "You live in the arms of the land, an intimacy that comes with the immodest illusion that there is such a thing as a safe distance."
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