After I left my cave early this rain slick morning,I took my hoboclown stroll along Washington Lane in Philadelphia, PA USA . I rounded a corner and saw a husband and wife in their pajamas, thanking their lucky stars that a tree had deftly displaced a wayward car, headed toward their home as they slept. A loud crunching sound had awakened them.When they emerged from their home, they saw a small station wagon overturned on its roof.The driver had crawled out of the car after his air bag had deployed. When I arrived, an ambulance crew already had the driver in the stretcher compartment.The car's left front wheel was torn off with tie rods strewn about glass,tire rubber,a ruptured wheel rim and a ripped off front bumper. The keys were still in the trunk. The radio still playing music while the wipers continued to run.
The police were enroute to meet and assist the ambulance crew.The driver was alive and the
man and woman in pajamas cited the tree as saving their bacon and their home. As the gathering crowd peered at the accident scene,I took stock of the enforcement of the Laws of Nature. You see, without a court order, badge or martial arts maneuver, an elderly Sycamore tree, standing guard in front of the targeted house, exercised passive restraint.According to the homeowner, the aged tree deftly kept the careening car from crashing into their home. While the cops took the names of the human parties involved, I took the name of the old tree.I thought the tree's name was Ralph (like a big burly friend of mine) but the tree insisted that I call him,"Woody"...obviously an original name! Woody explained that his prime job was to stay rooted to the ground beside the house to protect it from the rain,snow,sun and wind; to clean the air and to be a playground and home to the squirrels and birds. Woody was old but still quite buff . He was about 50 feet tall and had a massive trunk of five and one-half feet in diameter . The humble tree said he never flinched when the car slid toward him and he merely "displaced" it using the laws of physics.Woody said that gravity assisted his efforts and he is greatful that he didn't lose any branches.
With the ambulance,police and the crowd of on-lookers gone,Woody resumed his humble job without fanfare or recognition. I was tempted to carve the old couple's names into Woody's bark but somehow I thought that Woody didn't want all the attention that the carving would bring.
Maybe that's why old Sycamore trees routinely and naturally shed their outer bark ??
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