It was a Saturday afternoon in the 80s. I was a small kid. Christmas was behind us and I was watching my mom take the decorations off the Christmas tree.
You see, back in the day we used real trees. I still remember the smell of pine in the living room. Always a signal it was the holiday season.
As I watched, I became attached to that tree. I think small kids believe everything is alive. The tree had a smell and a season and a place in the room. To me it was not a decoration. It was someone.
The tree was going out to be collected by the street cleaning crews. A wave of sadness took over my whole body. I was devastated. I started crying. My mom asked me what was wrong. I said I wanted to save the tree. She said the tree was already dead. I suggested we plant it. She said that wouldn’t work.
I sat there, in real pain, crying for about two hours for that tree. My mom was surely annoyed by the noise I was making. I tried to persuade her to keep it. It didn’t work.
I still remember this. I wonder what happens to us as we grow.
For those few hours that tree was my entire world. I could not think of anything but it, and the fact that it had died in our living room.
People use fake trees nowadays. But I wonder, what is it like to be a tree grown to spend your life in someone’s living room?
Here’s what I am doing
At Workbrew, I help our customers succeed, while working on docs, fixing bugs, and developing internal tools. At Amignosis, I pour my heart and skill into crafting slowly brewed software, one thoughtful line at a time. I am craftsman in a world of complexity and low-quality solutions. I am a shoemaker. I take the time to create simple, timeless software built to last. Check what I am doing now and talk to me.