I lost my window

I’ve been passing a “picture“ everyday waiting for the right moment to capture it.

Today I drove past it and realized I’d missed my opportunity. The beautiful view I have been waiting for the “perfect moment“ had passed.

Picture my view in your mind. A lush field of green. In the center of this field is a crooked little tree. I am not sure why the farmer has chosen to leave this little oasis in the center of his field but he has. Surrounding the tree is a small patch of grass. The grass has grown over the summer. It grew tall and green. the grass actually grew taller than the surrounding crop. Recently the grass had start to change to a beautiful platinum color as it does in the autumn.

slowly the surrounding crop shrank. This is the natural process of this particular plant. The crop grows from a small seed to a lush green plant. Then as autumn approaches the lush green plant shrinks a small bit everyday. After a few weeks the plant starts to dry in the field. Eventually this plant morphs into a skeleton of its previous appearance. Small dangling droplets of grain clinging to the bony structure.

Now, my view from the road is too far to obtain the best photo with a camera. When the field was lush I had considered walking into the field to take a photo. There always was a reason it wasn’t a good idea. too hot, too humid, busy traffic, police behind me.

Then, the crop approached harvest it became too fragile to walk between the plants. The plants are planted so close together it is impossible for me to walk between the plants or even the rows. The farmers are mindful of their “yield” and plant the rows very close together for the highest return on their investment. Makes sense doesn’t it? Yes. Why would they plant one row far enough apart for me to walk down it? They wouldn’t.

(Side note, I did have a farmer offer to plant “a few rows of carrots“ for me one time. He was such a sweet man. I think he must have passed away by now. I can’t even think where he would have gotten carrot seeds to “plant a few rows”)

So, I waited for the farmer to harvest the crop. I hoped he’d harvest in such a way I could take my photo without harming any of the crop. For those of you unfamiliar with the heartland, harvest isn’t like mowing a yard. Farmers have a method all their own for harvesting their crop. The farmer might harvest one strip down the middle and leave the rest to dry longer. He might harvest around the edges one day and another portion the next week. This farmer harvested the entire field at one time. YAY me! Right?

Nope. Because now the tree has started to lose its leaves for the season. Soon the tree will resemble a gnarled arthritic hand and fingers rather than the lush tree in a field of green.

This long rambling message hopefully tells you, and me, to not wait. There’s never a “right moment“. There is never a perfect time for anything. There will always be humidity, heat, traffic, fragile crops, barriers of some kind.

Treat each other with love. Always look for the other person‘s improvement.Then Act