daniel

Daniel is an arborist but knows he wont be climbing trees forever. I went to work with him some time ago. I picked up the stuff he cut out of the trees while he swung from branch to branch with a chainsaw. The profession seems to demand a huge amount of skill, courage, and strength. There’s lots of risk involved and the prospect of danger is real. Thinking is paramount.

If Daniel had went to college he would have studied psychology or anthropology. He spent years building trails and moves skillfully over uneven terrain. I know Dan to have a cheerful appetite and a colorful taste in machines: big red truck, sailboat, adventure motorcycle.

I imitated Dan during my teenage years because I saw in him masculinity and prowess. Just tonight I heard the mother of a teenager say how her son at one point became hugely interested in everything Dan was up to and wanted to do the things he was doing. It is perhaps because of this brawn appearance that I have made the mistake of underestimating the breadth and depth of his interests and likings.

[60] July 11, 2021