Magnolia Tree in a Hurricane
When I was in 3rd Grade I lived in Beulah, Florida, on a farm. One day I asked my younger brother to tie me to a big Magnolia tree during a Florida hurricane. I wanted to be like Ulysses who had himself tied to the mast of his ship so he could hear the songs of sirens. The crew had to have their ears plugged. I wanted to experience the hurricane. See it, hear it and feel it.
I stood at the base of the tree. Around and around my brother ran with a long farm rope until I was securely bound to the tree.
The hurricane force winds and rain hit. Everything that wasn’t nailed down flew up in to the air. Many things crashed in to the tree above me and fell all around it, and was then swept up in the air again. I wasn’t hit by anything or blown away. I escaped that incidence of childhood foolishness without injury.
I didn’t escape other things, life changing events that weren’t my doing, but I happened to be there, like standing in the middle of a hurricane. Over the years I grew a strong Magnolia tree inside myself, something I could hold on to, and not be blown away.
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