Topic: "I hate trees," she said.
My new next door neighbor just said something that blew my mind. I knew she felt this way, but to hear her actually come out and say it just freaked my delicate sensibilities right out.
First of all, you should know I have a glorious specimen of what I believe is an oak (worshiped by the druids), just on the south side of my front yard. It's an old, old grandmother tree that would take at least three long-armed people to circle. Maybe even four. My mother and I were admiring it just yesterday, because it has what looks like "seats" built in, since there are three humongous forks right near the bottom. This thing HAS to be hundreds of years old. The previous owners even built up a flower bed around it in a ring, so you can almost see the fairies dancing around it.
So anyway, my neighbor came home today and saw me working in the yard. Apropos of nothing, she points to Grandmother Tree and says, "I hate trees." Just like that! It was like hearing someone say "I hate life," or "I hate air." Come to think of it, that's exactly what she was saying, because both life and air depend on trees! She then went on to discuss how she planned to cut down ALL the trees in her yard-- none of them as big and glorious as Grandmother, but impressive none the less.
Thinking quickly, I refrained from letting her know what I really thought. Instead, I said, "You know, since you're planning on selling your house soon (affirming the suggestion), it would be in your best interest to leave those trees there. Ask any real estate agent, and they will tell you that having mature trees on a lot is a BIG bonus." "Really?" she said, not quite believing that not all people are as anti-tree as she is. "It's true. Most people like trees." She mulled that over, and I could see it made an impression. Hopefully I saved the trees.
But seriously, WTF? Does anyone else think it's odd that someone would hate trees?
to encourage the woman to keep the trees!
