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08/18/2003: "It Ain't Over Yet"

Saturday night I returned to my tree. I didn't seek a reunion; I just happen to go by it on my way to a drink at the end of the Chicago - Michigan trail; see entry "Trees are Hard". I just wanted to show Chrissie, my road partner for the trip, how the blaze I left still shines in the lights. And there it was. Someone had put up a sign. Small, maybe 10 x 4 inches, and subtle, only about a foot above the ground, with "Cliff's Tree" lettered with a wood burner, above the date "July 2003." Click more.. below.

We jumped out of the car to look. Cliff's Tree, that's what the sign says, but it means more than that; it means that my story and I won't have just come, and then later, have just gone. I'll have left a bookmark at that particular page at least. One that won't be "healed" over naturally by new bark, like the long white blaze scaring the tree, or "healed" artificially, like my car, by the machinations of faceless "body and fender" men working on my grievously wounded passenger side.

Some people will drive or walk by, and smile and think, "that Cliff" while others will frown and mumble "asshole," under their breath, but everyone will get something out of that passing moment that they wouldn't have had otherwise. Yeah, much the same could be said of Poison Ivy but, thanks Mister Sign Guy. I like it.

Hey, wait! I looked up, and realized that as these thoughts had been passing through my mind, my car had been creeping forward, and was picking up speed. In the excitement, I had forgotten to put it into park. Just kidding.




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