Treewhispers

It was about a month after I ended school, and I was on my third job interview. The first two had gone horribly, horribly, horribly. The jobs just didn’t feel right… I wanted something that would be satisfying, enjoyable, and right for me at this stage of life.

I arrived extra early for the interview and had enough time to wait in my car. It was a warm summer day, but comfortable. I rolled down the windows and looked straight ahead. There was a rather thin tree that stretched up a good 20 feet or so. It had a thick enough trunk to impose a presence, but not thick enough to reverberate with wisdom.

I sat there and was transfixed by this tree. This little tree, something I would take for granted in almost any other situation, somehow captured my undivided attention. I thought it was beautiful and peaceful and, most importantly, calm. I really listened to those thoughts. The tree had this amazing calming power and felt… yes… right.

I went into the interview incredibly calm and confident. As the story goes, I had another interview lined up that day, but skipped it. I knew I had this job. I have no doubt that the overall sense of purity gained from the tree helped.

Contributed by Paul McAleer, Chicago, IL