Random Conversations

I’m currently on holiday with my wife and stepson in County Durham. We’re staying in the grounds of Finchale (pronounced Finkle) Priory. After lunch on Easter Sunday we go for a walk in the grounds with a few members of visiting family. On route we come across a church group in the process of baptising a few of their congregation in the waters of the river Wear.

Now parents of teenagers will be fully aware of the random nature of conversation you can have with them. Whilst walking on a wooded embankments that sweeps down to the river, my stepson Eric (name changed to protect the innocent) and I embark on a discussion about god the universe and everything. Being a teenage boy Eric is anxious to establish what, I consider to be is right and wrong, Christianity, Islam, Judaism or any other. Now at the age of 53 I still haven’t established exactly what my views are; I happen to think that there is good in all faiths, that they all have something to offer. But I know this would be a bit inconclusive for Eric. I hold a view that teachings of Buddha have a lot to offer. So, the conversation moves to Buddhism. Then as boys would, Eric drops "Jedi" into the conversation. A bit off the wall but it’s still worthy of discussion. I explain that, in reality the establishment on Jedi as a religion came about as a result of people having a bit of a joke when filling in their census forms. I tell Eric my understanding of what the Jedi is all about ; that there is a force in every living thing, a dark side and a light side. And Jedi are guided by the force.

From right out of left side, Eric asks the question have you ever hugged a tree. I have to be honest and say, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Just inquisitiveness.”

 “Did you get anything from it?”

“Try it.”

Eric looks slightly uncomfortable and refuses to hug a tree. I want to show him that it’s OK to be a bit daft sometimes. So I find a tree just a little bigger than my arms will encircle and, for the second time in my life, I hugged a tree. I can’ say I had an epiphany or saw the light on the road to Damascus but there is something ethereal about hugging a tree. It’s difficult to put a finger on the experience but it’s a little like holding a very small baby.  You get a feeling of being in the presence of lot of “life”.

(I started writing his blog entry on 6^th April 2010, then for some reason never got around to completing it. I now find myself with the time and motivation to continue. My memory of the incident is a little fuzzy, but I feel it’s worth finishing) Since starting this blog entry I’ve become a beekeeper. When I lift a frame full of bees from the hive I get the same feeling of being in the presence of a lot of life.

Now, people that know me will know that I’m not a namby-pamby, limp wristed, wishy-washy, Guardian reading Hippy, but I hugged a tree and I was moved by the experience.

The conversation with Eric closed at this point as some completely random minor event took his attention and he moved on.

As for the tree hugging. Try it. Find a tree, slightly bigger than your arms can encircle. Pick a nice one though, you wouldn’t want to hug anything unattractive. Put you arms around it, and give it a gentle squeeze. Close your eyes and keep an open mind. If the only conclusion you come to is that Martins completely lost the plot, I don’t mind. You never know though, you may like it.