Feeling Small?...by Jim Terry

Boy how time flies, as I am getting older. And with the swiftness of time, as it passes, I sometimes find myself feeling a bit deflated, insignificant, unimportant or small in this big ole world we live in. A minute becomes a second, a month becomes a day and a year becomes a month. As I look back on what I have written in past posts, I have mentioned this before but it really is true that time really does speed up as we age.  Maybe a better outlook, since I am a self-proclaimed optimist, is to say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

So in light of mentioning time and it now being officially September, I wanted to know what last hoorahs or plans you have for the end of the summer (Labor Day) and the beginning days of another school year?   If you don’t have any ideas for that last-minute trip, don’t worry. I have one that may help you make a decision on where to go and what to experience.

Just recently, I found myself in a conversation with one of my patients. Most of my patients know about my love of the outdoors and how much I love to hike, raft and just experience nature. It recenters me and helps give me a bit of focus and peace in the crazy world we live in.  So upon further discussion with this patient, he mentioned an area that I should visit, that was close to work, doesn’t have a lot of foot traffic and is easy to get to. The place he mentioned is called Purisima Creek Redwood Preserve.

Upon entering this serene place away from the hustle and bustle of life, a small squirrel greeted me. This little guy was either welcoming me to his home or was looking for a quick free meal.  I think it was the latter! 😀 Once I passed by my little friend and started my hiking adventure, I had to stop for a minute, close my eyes and take a deep breath. There’s always something so refreshing and energizing about clean mountain air that's laced with pine and freshness isn’t there?  It literally rejuvenates my soul and magically clears my mind somehow.   It was right after that moment, when I reopened my eyes with now more tranquility and clarity in my mind, that I noticed a wall in front of me. It wasn’t a “wall” per say, but it was a wall of green created by some of the biggest trees I have seen to date. 

As I continued on my journey, I began to notice my environment around me.  The impact and quietness of my shoes upon the forest’s floor was gently cushioned with the evergreen leaves that had fallen to the ground. The canopy above me was slowing closing in around me not allowing much light onto the forest floor but provided just enough to generate some of the most beautiful and biggest ferns I have seen. The faint whispering of the wind gently rocking the trees to and fro was only subdued by the distant hoot from the hoot owl waiting for night to fall in order to capture his next meal.  And with the few openings in the canopy above, if there was a ray of light that hit the forest’s floor, it generated one of the most amazing Technicolor hues that anyone could witness.

Now I may be biased now that I have experienced this, but the redwood trees really should be the 8^th wonder of the world. Did you know that redwoods can live over 2,000 years and can be nearly 400 feet tall? Did you also know that they can have branches up to five feet in diameter and bark that grows up to 12 inches thick? 

And do you know or have you seen the pictures of redwood trees that get so big and wide at the base that you can literally drive a car through them? This then means that the average width for a giant redwood tree can be up to 30 feet!

So if by chance you live anywhere near the coast of Oregon or all throughout northern California, make it a priority and see one of the MANY State and National Parks associated with the Redwoods. You certainly will not be disappointed. And if you, like me at times in my life, may be experiencing some sense of “smallness” in the big ole world we live in, maybe it’s time to stand next to a giant.  Where being small is just A-Ok!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

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