Tree Climber

When I was a boy I lived near a wood. As all boys do I tested my skill – and nerve – by climbing the trees. By the age of seven I was climbing the highest and the hardest trees – maybe up to 80 feet tall. From those dizzy heights I felt wonderful.

I would climb up to the maze of branches at the very top of the canopy. Suspended in space, I felt part of the wood. I embraced the sheer beauty of the woodland. I became subconsciously aware of the way that the trees reacted with each other throughout the seasons.  From my favourite crow’s nest perches, content in my own solitude, swaying in the strongest winds or safe in total stillness on top of my private world, I felt part of nature.

by David Chalmers