I love reading your online "journal of thoughts" though I always need to have a couple of goes to get through it. I seem to have so much to read these days and I am sick of having to read information as bullet points, so it is refreshing to read the long version as you write it. I am wondering about the tree they cut down. Do you have a picture of it? Last year, some callous, insensitive person cut the interesting bit off a beautifully bendy, wonky-looking tree on the side of the road. It has been there for about 40 years...not very big but a beautiful interesting shape and rather Japanese looking with one bent limb sticking out but balanced by the shape of the rest of it. Then someone simply hacked off the beautiful wobbly limb but left the rest there. Then last year they just demolished it.
Thank you for your support Diane. You don't like reading lists of bullet points? Join the club! As for the tree, I have no idea! I just noticed it recently. Actually, it was quite similar to what you describe. The tree (I think there were actually three) was quite unruly. I really liked the way it gave the whole shrine its own little world. Then I noticed that they gave it a trim sometime last year, and now, well... at least it's not as bad as being demolished, but it's pretty close.
I have tons of photos of the shrine, but they are all very much like the one at the bottom there. I'll see if I can add more later on. This was filmed in front of it though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETMeODUSNGs
"And why am I writing it?" — every writer worth reading asks this every few years. I started writing about Japan's forgotten gods a few months ago, and already that question arrives some mornings. The answer changes; the practice remains. Thank you for asking it out loud.
I love reading your online "journal of thoughts" though I always need to have a couple of goes to get through it. I seem to have so much to read these days and I am sick of having to read information as bullet points, so it is refreshing to read the long version as you write it. I am wondering about the tree they cut down. Do you have a picture of it? Last year, some callous, insensitive person cut the interesting bit off a beautifully bendy, wonky-looking tree on the side of the road. It has been there for about 40 years...not very big but a beautiful interesting shape and rather Japanese looking with one bent limb sticking out but balanced by the shape of the rest of it. Then someone simply hacked off the beautiful wobbly limb but left the rest there. Then last year they just demolished it.
Thank you for your support Diane. You don't like reading lists of bullet points? Join the club! As for the tree, I have no idea! I just noticed it recently. Actually, it was quite similar to what you describe. The tree (I think there were actually three) was quite unruly. I really liked the way it gave the whole shrine its own little world. Then I noticed that they gave it a trim sometime last year, and now, well... at least it's not as bad as being demolished, but it's pretty close.
I have tons of photos of the shrine, but they are all very much like the one at the bottom there. I'll see if I can add more later on. This was filmed in front of it though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETMeODUSNGs
It is a long time. Good for you for sticking with it! Your photograph today is fabulous!! Thank you for sending out these weeklies!
Thank you for all your support! I intend to continue with it!
Powerful post, Tim. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!
"And why am I writing it?" — every writer worth reading asks this every few years. I started writing about Japan's forgotten gods a few months ago, and already that question arrives some mornings. The answer changes; the practice remains. Thank you for asking it out loud.