Taking Down Trees & Putting Up Brick

I just returned from a brisk, sweltering walk to the new library here on the campus of Campbell University when I saw an all too familiar, and unfortunate, sight. Crews had delimbed a massive oak tree outside of the science building on campus that had been damaged and nearly destroyed by a storm last year. Half of the tree was gone, but the half that remained was strong, supporting it's massive limbs and ensuring that all of the leaves would not die, but that they would remain green and healthy for the foreseeable future. Well, that future ended today.

It would be a common enough sight around campus to note this tree removal, but compare that removal of greenery to the massive effort that has been underway to put in more brick "monumentation" around campus. Brick is pretty if you look at it vertically ascending on the side of a building or residence hall. It's not such a wondrous sight when you see it splayed out on the ground before you, with no sprig of grass or weed yet daring to creep under it's skin. I'm all for progress, but I would like to see a more measured approach towards preserving what we have already against what we would like to add to this delicate, beautiful campus.

It is ironic however that more time and planning was probably given to the removal of this damaged, yet thriving, tree than has been given to the potential removal of another massive, yet completely dead, tree that stands next to Butler Chapel. Next time, let's look to remove the deadwood rather than that which is thriving still.

Heat Wave

On the news this morning, the weatherman from WRAL said that today would be the hottest single day in NC in almost 2 years. When you wake up to news like that, you ask yourself why you are going to wear pants outside, let alone even step out the door of your cozy, AC controlled apartment. But so it goes for millions of office workers across the nation and world. Being as I am at my new job at Campbell, sitting in an AC controlled office seems like pure luxury to my past exposures to the heat during the last few summers.

Undoubtedly, the hottest experience I have ever had on the job was at Camp Dixie. 100 degrees wouldn't phase me if I was still working there. 100 degrees at camp means 1 thing only: more kids at the pool. This would usually be good news for me, who would be working the go-karts in the morning and afternoon when the sun would be it's hottest. I figured I would wait a few minutes, see no one was coming, and then pack the show up and go stand in the walk-in fridge down in the kitchen to freeze-dry my sweat.

But almost always, there would be those few kids who, contrary to rational thought, would forgo the comfort and coolness of pool and lake and instead opt to sweat to death in the dirty, noisy go-karts. A more nagging issue about these delightful children is that they would not simply ride one time, thank me with their gratitude and then be on their merry way. No, that would be much too easy. Instead, these children, seeing their was no line of their fellow mates to bump them off, would ride and ride and ride until they got tired out (which never happened).

But, can I blame them? No. Because they are kids, the kind of kids who will have as much fun as humanly possible with the materials provided. I was looking at the situation differently because I had to sit out there while they had fun and make sure that they don't decapitate themselves in the process. As I get older, it becomes increasingly easy for me to appear cynical towards youth and their way of life. But, as Mr. Rogers once told a group of dentists who were trying to find a way to make visits to their offices less painful for children, he simply told them, "Remember, you were once children too."

Jaws of Life - Tyler

With the waves of pollen now gone from every outdoors surface (including my shoes) and with the temperature steadily rising with each passing week, I can once again welcome warm weather and springtime back into my life. I’ve always thought how funny it was that as soon as the temperature drops into the 60’s in the fall, everybody throws on hoodies and jeans; and inversely how everyone throws on shorts and t-shirts and soon as it hits the 60’s in the spring. It is a fair assumption to say that all humans are walking contradictions of themselves.

Some of my favorite springtime memories are very generic: Easter egg hunts, playing outside, seeing my many caterpillars I could find roaming the sidewalk, etc. One memorable spring outing occurred 3 years ago when Zach, Daniel, and myself took a weekend trip down to Sunset Beach. Walking along the shore, we reached the inlet that separates Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach. The inlet area is great for several reasons. For one, it is one of the most secluded areas on the shore, as well as containing numerous tide pools to wade around. As we strolled out to a sandbar in the tide pool, we thought nothing about the aquatic life that surrounded us.

The sandbar was barely visible because of the water flowing over it with each wave. But there it was, a small rounded sandbar inviting us to stand on top of it. I stood there, gazing out over all of the water, feeling one with nature. That’s when we spotted it. Some giant fish that was on the other end of the sandbar where the sand dropped off was resting in the water. As I approached it with curiosity, a gentle waves caused the fish’s body to move ever so slightly. At that moment, I realized 2 things: it was a shark, and it could still be alive.

With those 2 things in mind, I got the heck out of dodge. Before Daniel and Zach could see my reaction, they could hear my body racing through the tide pool and back onto the shore. My fears were calmed but for a moment when Daniel reached into the water and pulled the dead, lifeless shark out of the water. I say I was calmed but for a moment because I knew that Daniel would use that shark to torment me…so I kept on running. As sure enough, Daniel kept on coming, cradling that dead shark and sporting a satisfied grin that I knew was intended for me. As we had our standoff on the shore concerning what to do next with the killer of the ocean, Daniel thankfully opted for a picture with the beast, leaving it on the beach instead of strapping it to the hood of our car to bring back to Campbell (which was his first option).

Springtime is a great season for new beginnings and expectations. It is that preparatory time before summer comes and the warm weather of springtime turns into the sweltering heat and humidity of summer. But how cool the breeze can still feel when you are running from your roommate and a dead shark.