Being made redundant and taking a trip somewhere might be perceived as an unnecessary risk. I know what some of the people I know said: now it is not the right time to spend money, it is the time you should start to worry. I disappointed them, something I like to do, by not living up to their expectations: it was precisely the right time to consider new perspectives, to explore the unknown.
But surely, a trip to Snowdon in Wales, on a Christmas eve, that borders the boundaries of insanity, they said. Just by adding adjectives with intent to shock will not change my will, having precisely the opposite effect: they encouraged me into pursuing the endeavour.
A giggle startled me whilst writing those words as I could picture the confused look of disappointment on their faces. And it is not that they were wrong on their assumptions regarding predictability and risk assessment, by all means. But rules make sense in a confined environment, as their power of enforcing will bear no constraints when the frame of mind is changed (somebody extremely clever said something about repeating the same action and expecting different results).
But this is a story about a tree.
I will skip forward, then: 10 hours car journey, accommodation in Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel, summiting the next day, one day left for exploring the surroundings.
While I was researching for possible things to see in that last day, which coincided with the Christmas eve, I got intrigued by a destination on Google Maps: The Lone Tree on Llyn Padarn (Lake Padarn, for those unskilled in the Welsh language) in Llanberis. What looked even more intriguing was the fact that appeared to be classified as a historical landmark. I have been to Llanberis in the past and I have seen the Dolbadarn Castle of which I thought to be the main, and possibly the only one, link to the past. How come I missed another historical landmark was only adding to the eagerness to explore the matter further.
It was not the kind of weather I was hoping to have. A steady fog with wet drips, that makes me think of a metaphor, let the mist rain on me, which had some sort of pun intended but I can recollect why, and the cold. My car navigation took me way off the spot and I had to walk 20 minutes, which, given the weather conditions, were far from being pleasant. I logged in few complaints from my travel companion (yes, I am introducing a new element, my friend) but curiosity got the best of the situation.
The encounter was, at least, unimpressive, to avoid the use of a stronger adjective. A tree stripped off its leaves sitting a couple of metres from the shore. I tried to reason with the idea that probably the level of water in the lake was low and hence, the proximity to the shore can be explained but I could not validate the thought: it was one of the situations when the expectation did not overlap the reality. My friend’s unequivocal disapproval with my choice of planning was another adverse perspective that I had to put up with.
I took few photos, froze my hands and leave to continue the trip to the other places we had in plan for the day. At any time, there were no thoughts of deeper meditation. We, and this is I and my friend, did not try to understand the historical landmark. I did not want to ask the question: how old is that tree for the fear that any conversation on the subject will add misery.
That happened later, in the comfort of one’s home. I transferred the photos from the trip and I took a better look at the tree. And I liked what I saw. I vividly remembered the conversations, the cold, the mist, the rain. Everything.
It was the journey that mattered. The company. Only through this perspective the destination becomes a symbol, acquires meaning. A tree in a lake, yes, the views from that angle were magnificent, but still, it is just a tree, like any other trees, sitting in a body of water. Should we try to pinpoint on Google Maps all the trees that fells into this category? Not a question to ask as there are no answers.
Whatever we experience, we have to (and don’t criticize the imperative of having to) understand through our own perception. I asked myself the following question: if I would have slept the whole journey and arrive at the site without experiencing the time spent, would I have taken a liking to mundane? That’s a question that I would like to explore further. Until then, lone trees surrounded by water will bring me back to that moment in time.
...journey: a holistic view 