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At The ReunionI ran into myselfin the past of othersas they encounteredtheir place in the pastI carry with me.What a treat it wasto realize that I wasso much moreand so much lessthan I ever thoughtmyself to be.Reece Burka
3/22/2023——-———–Miracle on the West BankIt was rumored todaythat a New Orleans couplewas granted re-entryinto the Garden of Edenfor a brief period of time.Upon returning to their homeat an undisclosed locationon the West Bank, they agreedto be interviewed by a reporteron the scene.The wife was found in the kitchenbaking chocolate chip cookiesfor their grandchildren,while her husband was tendingto the roses in the garden.When asked for details of their journeythey smiled at each other butsaid nothing.Before the reporter left the wifeinsisted he try one of her cookies –to which he swooned in delight.Then the husband presented himwith a rose from the garden –and all the reporter could say was,“Now I know why God inventedthe color red!”2/19/2023Reece BurkaMagic Carpet RideEvery morning I take a little timeto travel from the plasmaof quarks and gluons –the primordial soupborn out of the Big Bang…All the way to this momentembodied in my presenceas I sit in stillness…So that I can re-experiencethe magic carpet rideof existence.Reece Burka1/2023
Fusion EnergyTwo girls at playno older than fiverace towards each otherarms open wide…All smiles and gigglesthey collide and fusein full embrace…Rolling on the groundthey release a blastof joy that energizesthe rest of my day.Reece Burka12/14/2022——Self DoubtThere are times when I seem to be willingto trade in everything I’ve learned along the wayfor the thoughts of someone else.In those moments I find myself in a thicket of uncertaintywhere I can no longer see the mountains, hear the music,or dance with the stars…That’s when I believe I need to be somethingother than what I am in order to be somethingthat I am not.Silly me!Reece Burka12/17/2022——-Monkey Business(to the tune of Bayou Boogie)Enlightenment is not for me –too much work…I’d rather do what I dowhen and where I want to do it,circumstances permitting.I like meditation enough –in short bursts and interspersedwith all kinds of monkey business.More fun that way!And the eightfold path isoh so noble… I tip my hatto those who follow.But spontaneity is my thing,circumstances permitting.Reece Burka1/21/2023———Catching Up
Knowing nowWhat I didn’t know thenI’m doing my bestTo catch up…Not knowing nowWhat I will know thenI will still beDoing my bestTo catch up.Reece Burka1/22/2023————The Fountain of YouthTo keep the fountain of youthflowing through my veinsas I age into selfless oblivion…I have learned to depend onthe one thing that never fails –the magic of imagination.When that goes, I’ll be ready to go,and not a moment sooner…Reece Burka1/19/2023———-SerendipityI have read some good books,but nowhere near enough.I have attended excellent lectures,but few and far between.I take wonderful walksand meditate every day…But the best things thatever happened to me,happened when I waslooking the other way.Reece Burka1/16/2023Irwin The PoetIrwin the poet wrote and wrote and wroteuntil he was no more.He published only one poem and never wonthe Pulitzer he sought.Reading his poetry always baffled me;but when he read it to me, I swooned.Irwin the poet wrote and wrote and wroteuntil he was no more.By the time he died, Irwin the poethad become the poem he longed to write.Reece Burka12/12/2022——Faith in FaithMoments of grace,though fleeting,occur with sufficientfrequency…to support faithin the faith thatlife is meaningfuldespite all evidenceto the contrary.Reece Burka1/6/2023———The Observer ParadoxThe observer isan integral partof what happens…Quantum physicssays it’s so…So nothing really happensUntil someone’s aroundto catch the show.Reece Burka1/7/2023———-A Mantra for the CosmosEvery day in every wayI grow less and less perfectthan I already am…And every day in every wayI grow more and more perfectthan I will ever be.Reece Burka1/8/23——-RealizationThere is reliefin knowing thatI am more thanthe Me thatI’ve become…And there’s evenmore reliefin knowing thatthe Me thatI have becomedoes not definethe I that I am…Reece Burka1/2023————Single Cell ConsciousnessSuppose for a momenta single cell in your bodysuddenly becomes awareof being a part of somethingmuch larger than itself…And then it spends the restof its life trying to figure outwhat this larger self is all about…How would it go about seekingan answer to this question?The answer’s everywhere.Reece Burka1/2023Irwin the Poet: Holding Him Dearly
Irwin the poet once told methat he wanted to die in my arms.When I learned he had passedI was nowhere near.Now that I know he’s goneI hold him dearly and won’t let go.And when I told him so,he gave me one of his big smiles.Reece Burka12/16/2022———Irwin the Poet: Living the DreamIrwin the poet lived on the edge of poverty…but it was impossible for me to think of himas poor.He owned little or nothing besidesthe books he loved, a small electric typewriter,and paper… loads of paper.His tiny rent controlled apartmentenough for his purposes.And his purpose was to produce a masterpiecethat would bring to life the richness of his youthand make it relevant to the present.Irwin the poet’s greatest possession was his dream –a dream that was always just beyond his reachbut never failed to inspire him.Irwin the poet died a rich man.Reece Burka12/20/2022__In A Meditative Moment…The universe experiences itself as the self…So that the self can experience itself as the universe…Or, maybe it’s the other way around.Reece Burka12/21/2022——On the Day After ChristmasI watch my granddaughterwork through the progressionof whims and projects thatdefine her day and I amastonished by her focusand intent…And I wonder if she willremember anything specialabout this day.Hopefully not.Hopefully it will remainas invisible as the atmospherethat nurtures her spirit.Reece Burka12/26/2022———PreparationRiding a cloud of nothingI land softly in the presentwhere thought yields to beingsufficient unto itself…And time disappearsif only for the momentwhen everything is ok,even when it’s not…I ready myself forthe New Year.Reece Burka
12/30/2022Reece Burka12/2/2022The Paradox of Free WillWhile contemplatingthe aesthetic ironyembedded in the photoof a chipmunk atop a boulder,I couldn’t help ponderingthe paradox of free will …… in contrast to the chipmunk whoappeared to be consideringthe array of possible futuresfacing him before making a choiceabout which way to go next.Reece Burka11/26/2022
In The MomentWhen you clear everything awayexcept what’s most essential…What do you have left?It may be the smile of a lover,a good laugh with a friend,an act of kindness where needed,or a simple moment with a child…It could be anything at allthat makes the momentshine with meaning andeverything else alright.Reece Burka11/20/2022The Future Is Going To HappenA child about four, maybe five,hurrying to join her friendspauses brieflyjust long enough to give mea smile, a timid wave,and a shy greetingthen rushes offto join friendsclimbing the generous boughof a nearby oakand my heart melts.Later I think aboutall that lies in waitfor the childnot knowing the detailsbut certain of life’stroubles and innocence lostand my heart weeps.Then I think about allshe gave me in thatbriefest of momentsand my heart sings.
———Bending The Arrow Of TimeThough the arrow of timeGoes only one wayThe mind is freeTo engage in play.Imagination loosedTo roam at willExpands possibilitiesEach moment to fill.Don’t forget thatZeno’s paradoxCan stretch time’s limitsWithin its box.And, if no informationIs truly destroyedThen time’s arrowis rendered null & void.Reece Burka10/29/2022————SpaciousnessYesterday I realizedhow much energyI put into evaluating myself.Today I realized thatthe self I thought was myselfis not to blame for itself…No blame… No Credit…Such spaciousness.Reece Burka11/2/2022This Could Be HeavenYou find yourself in a statewhere nothing is going right;and what’s worse,you know it could get worse.You wonder if this isthe baseline stateof the human condition,stripped bare of denial…Yet, you can’t discountthose moments of ecstatic wonder…that too would be denial.So you tell yourself thatit’s ok to feel this way.And then the sweet breathof acceptance arrives,as it always does,with the act of surrender…And you say to yourself“This could be heaven.”The BELOW POEMS ARE A SERIES (go with picture above)
——(The Little Buddha Part two)The ABOVE POEMS ARE A SERIESThis Must Be HeavenYou find yourself in a statewhere nothing is going right;and what’s worse,you know it could get worse.You wonder if this isthe baseline stateof the human condition,stripped bare of denial…Yet, you can’t discountthose moments of ecstatic wonder…that too would be denial.So you tell yourself thatit’s ok to feel this way.And then the sweet breathof acceptance arrives,as it always does,with the act of surrender…And you say to yourself“This must be heaven.”In the Deep Shadows
Down by the creekin crevices betweenroot, rock, trunk, and limbthe eye is drawn intothe deep shadowswhere it seeks to penetratethe hidden mysteriesof life, death, birthand regenerationwhile the water rushes bysinging a sweet songof joy and sorrow.Reece Burka7/1/2022—————-Being Who I AmAt 77 I believe thatI finally know how to bewho I am.It’s turns out to beso easy that it’s hard.Over the years I have hadmany moments of self-revelationand epiphany.They don’t last…But this time I thinkI have found the keystone…the ultimate answer.And it’s not “don’t worry,be happy.”After all I am a worrier…According to the latest DNA testingit’s in my genes.So to be who I amhas to include beingthe worrier that I am.And all I have to do to acceptmy worrier-self is to embracethe impermanence of all things.Because knowing that nothing lastsmeans that I don’t have to beother than I am.Reece Burka8/20/2022All That I Am
Being in my sitting spotBy the creekHelps me to rememberWhat I am…And knowing what I amHelps me to rememberWho I am…And rememberingWho I am let’s meBe at peace with allThat I want to be…Because I am all thatI ever want to be whenI am at my sitting spotBy the creekReece Burka7/6/2022Now
The light ,the breeze ,the leavesin gentle swaydance withtheir shadows…As I remindmyself…this is real,this is happening.,this is now.Reece Burka7/9/2022Grace
A Single FlowerNearly MissedCatches the eyeJust in timeOrdinary LoveOur love,Once so wild and driven,Even exotic…Has flowered into somethingSo simple and sincere,Almost ordinary…As ordinary as a daisyWith its bright centerAnd white petal necklace…As ordinary as a starThat’s become a sunNestled amid the clouds.Reece Burka7/7/2022Overcoming the Negativity Bias of the Brain 5/28/2021
If you believe that plucking a flower
will trouble a star,You will probably agree that
the smallest act of kindness
makes the universe smile.And if you realize that a butterfly
can change the course of a storm
by changing the direction of its flight,It should be no surprise
that a moment of joyous wonder
may change the world.I have learned that three breaths
can move a mountain and everything depends on everything else…Which is to say that no problem is so great that it can’t be solved by the smallest change in the way
we see it.Reece Burka
5/28/2021RememberWhen we’re laughing, it’sthe universe taking a breakfrom the business of creationand laughing at itself too.When we’re loving, it’s thethe universe sighing withthe fullness of completion,even with so much left to do.When we are perplexed, it’sthe universe bowing tothe mystery of faith and theinexplicable power to renew.And when we’re cutting upon the dance floor, it’sthe universe out there carrying onand busting a move or two.Reece Burka4/25/2022
MaybeWhat on earth was the Lord of the Cosmos thinkingwhen he set all this in motion?He must have known that things could turn outthe way they are turning out.What are we to make of this world where the oddsseem stacked against us.Even the winners are losers – or, as Jim Morrison sang,“No one gets out of here alive.”I hope the creator had something else in mind,perhaps something hidden in plain sight.Maybe he was thinking about all those randomacts of kindness and senseless beauty…Like grains of sand – so small, so weak,so easily missed,Maybe he’s smiling as he watches them accumulateand bury the structure of misery in a sea of love.Reece Burka6/11/2022We Know Not The Hour
If my wish is granted
and I am lucky enough togo quickly when my time comes,I want to say to those I love,have loved, or will lovethat I love you.Even for those of youI could have lovedbut never had the chance,I offer love.For the rest of youI offer my forgiveness…as I accept forgivenessfrom you unless, of course,you want to hold on to it.Reece Burka 6/3/2022A Wonderful WorldWhenever I hear Louis Armstrongsing “What a Wonderful World”I say to myself , “No it’s not!”It wasn’t always this way.When I first heard him sing itI fell in love….in love with the melody,in love with the lyrics,in love with the experience.But over time the songbecame a cliché,even an irritant.Looking around it’s easyto see so muchwrongness in the world.There is no way to avoid the ugliness…Yet, there is no getting aroundthe beauty of which Louis sings….They are two sides of thesame coin – where each side isas true as the other…And what is seen may dependon who is doing the lookingand when they are doing it.Reece Burka5/31/2022One and DoneThe other day I heardNeil deGrasse Tysondeclare that the universeis on a one-way tripto oblivion.He claimed the latestscientific findings provethat the end of thingswon’t be a Big Crunchfollowed by a Big Bounce.He tells us the Universewill continue expandinguntil it rips itself apartor dies a heat death.He enjoins us to “get over it”and accept there won’t beanother Big Bang.Maybe he is right;maybe he isn’t.But if he is right aboutthe end of all things,how does he explaintheir beginnings?And, who is to say thatwhatever started this universewon’t start a new onewhen this one is long gone?After all… don’t we alldeserve a second chance?Reece Burka5/22/2022A Win-Win Proposition
Recently my wifesuggested thatwe could enhanceour time togetherwere I to cultivatea more peacefulstate of mind.Personally I thinkinner peace may beoverrated,But pleasing my wifeis not…“Om”.——
A Perfect Death?
The other day I heard thatone of my college roommatesfell, hit his head, and died.Just like that he was gone.Maybe it was the perfect deathto cap a perfect life – or, asnearly perfect as a life can be.Marriage, children, wealth,and exceptional accomplishmentcould make one think so.Although death may have arrivedbefore he was ready, it spared himthe ravages of illness and the indignitiesof age.He went out as a winner at the topof his game.Knowing that enlightenmentdoesn’t come free of charge,I never really envied his success…But hearing how he diedmade me pray to be so lucky.Reece Burka1/14/2022
Five Thousand Days
Consolation Prize 9/24/16She may be sitting besidea river wild and scenic,so satisfied with whatshe won for herself.She may be enjoying the breezeand taking delight in thecomplexity of sound,as water rushes over rock.Or, she may be enthralledby the leaf dance, asnature completes her cycleof growth and decay.Yes, she seems to havewon it all, or so it might seem…Until, my friend, you considerthat you (you yourself)have become that riverso wild and scenic…And being and possessingcannot possibly beone and the same.Reece Burka2/24/16RelationshipYou are you and I am me.Without you, I wouldn’t be me.Without me, you wouldn’t be you.Neither of us could be whatwe are without each of usbeing what we are.So thank you for you being youso I could be me.Reece Burka3/5/2022A Perfect Death?
The other day I heard thatone of my college roommatesfell, hit his head, and died.Just like that he was gone.Maybe it was the perfect deathto cap a perfect life – or, asnearly perfect as a life can be.Marriage, children, wealth,and exceptional accomplishmentcould make one think so.Although death may have arrivedbefore he was ready, it spared himthe ravages of illness and the indignitiesof age.He went out as a winner at the topof his game.Knowing that enlightenmentdoesn’t come free of charge,I never really envied his success…But hearing how he diedmade me pray to be so lucky.Reece Burka1/14/2022——————–Kelley, I hope you like the poem below (“Thought Experiment”). It is one of my favorites. I would love to see it in NolaVie but I would like to wait until March if that is ok with you. Thanks, ReeceThought Experiment — Don’t post until March
If you believe that plucking a flowerwill trouble a star,You will probably agree thatthe smallest act of kindnessmakes the universe smile.And if you realize that a butterflycan change the course of a stormby changing the direction of its flight,It should be no surprisethat a moment of joyous wondermay change the world.I have learned that three breathscan move a mountain and everythingdepends on everything else…Which is to say that no problem is so greatthat it can’t be overcome by the smallestchange in the way we see it.Reece Burka5/28/2021
___________________Musings Under The Oaks: Self DoubtI meditate every day,but I am not surethat what I do isreally mediation.I have written many poems,but I am never sure thatwhat I write is poetry.When I do my daily stretches,I wonder if I am doing themthe way they are supposedto be done.Looking backwards,I have to admit thatI am never sure thatI have done anythingjust the way it is supposedto be done.But, then again, I can’tbe certain that it wasn’t.Luckily I have reached an agewhere either way is ok…Because, one way or another,whatever I’ve done to becomewhatever it is that I amhas turned out to begood enough for me.Reece Burka7/14/2020
As the self yields itselfAnd surrenders identityTo the whole,And the lived lifeIs fixed foreverIn the annals of time,Forgiveness becomesFree for the asking.This one could be saved until Jazzfest time:
Stumbling Upon The Divine In A Propitious Moment On The Ring Levee Trail 12/25/19
raindrops caught in their evanescent moment.
Far Happier Than I Ought To Be 1/13/16
The Oak Tree Who Hated Being an Oak Tree © Reece Burka 2019
Once upon a time there was a young oak tree who hated the idea of being an oak tree. As a mere sapling, he was determined to grow as tall and slender as a pine. He refused to believe that he couldn’t produce flowers with the beauty and fragrance of the magnolia. He envied the insouciance of the palm and the free spirit of the banana tree, but he knew they weren’t for him. Most of all he wished he could emulate the elegant symmetry and taper of the cypress. The last thing he ever wanted to be was a crooked oak tree with moss hanging from his limbs, dogs peeing on his trunk, and a host of chattering squirrels racing up and down his branches. Worst of all was the thought of children playing on his limbs as if he were a jungle gym. He prayed night and day for the strength to keep his limbs straight, his contour tapered, his trunk tall and slender, and to produce blossoms instead of acorns, all to no avail.
When it came to pass that one of his branches reached all the way down to the ground, the unhappy oak was mortified. Cringing with embarrassment at the thought that he couldn’t support his own limbs, he resigned himself to a life of shame and misery. He knew that oak trees live a long time but he couldn’t stand another day feeling such anguish. That’s when he admitted that he needed serious help. So, he swallowed his pride and sought advice from the neighborhood weeping willow. Known for her wisdom and empathy, he hoped the willow would be able to guide him to happiness. When he explained his plight, the willow stopped her weeping, smiled, and said, “My young friend, it seems you have a lot of room to grow.” Then she promised to help him if he would promise to follow her directions. With nothing left to lose, he readily agreed and they made a date to start the next day. With that settled, the willow returned to her task of grieving for all who suffer in this world. Meanwhile, the oak’s spirits soared at the thought there might be hope for him after all.
The next day the willow informed the oak that she had prepared three tasks for him to perform to the best of his ability. First, he was to survey all the trees in the neighborhood and find one that he considered perfect. The oak thought this would be easy, but every tree he studied was flawed in one way or another. He couldn’t find a perfectly straight pine, a magnolia flower without some minor blemish, or a cypress that was precisely tapered and symmetrical. In other words, the unhappy oak failed to find perfection among any of the trees he so admired. Hearing his conclusion, the willow chuckled and said, “Just so”.
Then the willow sent the oak out on his second mission: to pick out the best example of each kind of tree he held in such high regard. Once again, the oak had to admit defeat. It didn’t matter whether he studied the pines, the magnolias, or the cypress. Each tree looked so much like its peers he couldn’t decide on a clear winner. Fearing the willow would be disappointed with him for botching his first two tests, the unhappy oak was relieved when she seemed to smile with amusement. Instead of scolding him she said, “I can see you did your best; now let’s see if you can find just one tree that’s having fun.”
The unhappy oak was puzzled by this last assignment. He had never considered the idea that a tree could have fun so he wasn’t too worried about the willow’s response when he concluded that none of his favorites appeared to be having a good time. They all seemed focused on being as straight, symmetrical, tapered, and beautiful as they could be. Some looked proud. Others looked serious. A few seemed happy with themselves (particularly the insouciant palm). But not one of them looked like they were having much fun. So the oak wasn’t surprised when the willow seemed happy again with his failure. What startled the oak was the willow’s announcement that he had learned all he could from her. She said he was ready to study the other oaks in the neighborhood and discover what they had to teach him.
To say the unhappy oak was disappointed with this news would be an understatement. Nevertheless he decided to stick with the willow’s guidance. So, he asked her if she had any helpful hints for him before he set off on what he hoped would be the final leg of his quest for happiness. In response, she offered him three bits of advice: be patient, be open, and be bold. She explained that he must be patient enough to stick with his quest for as long as it took. He must be open to all his feelings, both good and bad. And, to gain his happiness he would need to be bold enough to relinquish old ideas for new ones. Then she bade him farewell and the unhappy oak was left to continue his journey on his own.
Doing his best to stay positive and not fall back into the pit of despair, the oak tree turned the willow’s advice into a mantra. Over and over he said to himself: be patient, be open, and be bold. This went on for some time as he studied the oak trees in his neighborhood hoping to find the happiness promised by the willow. But nothing changed. As days became weeks and weeks turned into months, his patience gave way to doubt and despair. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out despite the willow’s promise. No matter how hard he tried, he could not think of anything good to say about himself and his fellow oak trees. In fact, the harder he tried to find something good about being an oak, the more he seemed to hate his fate.
Then, just when the unhappy oak was on the verge of giving up all hope, he remembered the willow’s second bit of advice: Be open to all feelings good and bad. So, against his better judgement, he stopped holding back his negativity and let it pour out of him. The result was such a storm of frustration, anger, disgust, and dismay that he thought he might explode into a thousand pieces. But when things settled down the oak had his first inkling that something had changed. Initially, he noticed that he had not been blown apart by the intensity of his feelings. Instead, he felt a curious sense of relief combined with an unexpected desire to examine the world instead of being at war with it.
So, the unhappy oak turned his attention back to the oaks in his neighborhood and was amazed by how much they appeared to be enjoying themselves. Instead of being put off by squirrels chasing up and down their branches, they seemed to be laughing at the antics of the little creatures. And when a dog trotted up to lift his leg and pee on the trunk of a nearby oak, it was an occasion for even greater hilarity. Moss swaying from their limbs was as a sign of the wisdom and respect that comes with age. Most unexpected of all was the delight the oaks took when their branches were low enough for small children to climb aboard and demonstrate their prowess to adoring parents standing close by.
The unhappy oak tree was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to make of this and he was tempted to dismiss it. Then he remembered the willow’s third bit of advice: be bold enough to let go of old ideas and allow for new ones. So, the unhappy oak decided he would rethink everything he ever thought about being an oak tree and test his old ideas against what he was seeing. He had always assumed that other oak trees were as unhappy as he was. After all, how do we judge the experience of others except by reference to ourselves? But these oaks did not seem unhappy. On the contrary, they seemed to be quite happy with themselves and everything around them. In fact, they seemed to be having fun.
Then the unhappy oak had a truly revolutionary thought, “Maybe I could have fun too. Maybe I could be as happy as these oaks seem to be if I only knew how.” So, with courage he didn’t know he possessed, he addressed the oldest, largest, and most crooked oak tree in the grove and said, “I want to be happy and have fun. Can you tell me what I must do to be like you?”
The moment he uttered these words the unhappy oak wanted to take them back for fear of appearing foolish. Before he could say anything else, he heard the elder oak laugh and say, “My young friend you are already just like me and all the rest of us here in this grove. Every one of us grew up wanting to be something other than what we are. Like you we idolized the pine and cypress and hated our crooked limbs. We all did everything we could to grow straight, tall, and symmetrical and we all failed as miserably as you. When we finally realized that our only choice was to accept that nature intended us to be crooked, things started to improve. Then, and only then, did we stop bemoaning our fate and discover its many blessings. In fact, you might be surprised to find that everything you have hated about being an oak tree contains a hidden gift. Just continue to be patient, open, and bold and you will see for yourself.”
Hearing that all the oaks before him had felt as he did about himself and then found happiness the unhappy oak became hopeful again. Instead of trying to figure out what he was supposed to be feeling, he could now identify many different types of feelings depending upon circumstance. He noticed that when the breeze set his moss in motion, he could enjoy its gentle sway. The squirrels chasing each other around his trunk tickled his bark while amusing him with their shenanigans. Although he would have liked to produce fragrant flowers, he was glad that his acorns fed the squirrels and they were most appreciative in their chatter. Children playing on his branches no longer bothered him so much; after a while, he began to delight in the pleasure they took in climbing up his lowest limbs, the ones he once hated for reaching to the ground.
All in all, the oak was finding many things to enjoy, and he looked forward each day to discovering something new. Then one afternoon he noticed a man taking pictures of all the oaks in his neighborhood. It struck him as odd that the man showed no interest in the pine, the magnolia, or even the cypress trees. On the following day the man returned to take more pictures. This time he focused only on the unhappy oak. On the third day the man came back with a couple dressed for their wedding and he posed them next to the unhappy oak for their pictures. When they were finished, the unhappy oak was beaming with pride.
Then the oak understood that his search was over. He realized the shining truth that defines the essence of every oak tree that has ever lived. It is their crookedness that makes each one unique and special, not the way they approximate some ideal.
At this point the oak knew he could be truly happy because he had nothing to compete with. All he had to do was enjoy whatever life had to offer him and it offered him so much: squirrels to tickle his bark and make him laugh, moss to make him feel wise, children to play on his low branches, photographers to praise his twists and turns, and acorns to nurture others. He saw now what the elder oak wanted him to see and what the willow promised would come true. He was truly happy and he was having fun. The only thing that still bothered him were dogs peeing on his trunk. He thought about this and channeled the wisdom of the willow. Then he smiled and laughed as he said to himself, “It seems I still have room to grow!
In the serene embrace of nature, the oak found bliss. With Codex Executor, a mobile executor, seamlessly woven into his world, scripting became a joy. Squirrels tickled his bark, children frolicked on his branches, and photographers praised his every twist. Amidst life’s offerings, the oak realized happiness. Yet, even in laughter, the canine intruders remained a quirky challenge. Embracing growth, he marveled, “It seems I still have room to grow!”