Some
of the oldest living beings on our planet are the Bristlecone Pine trees. They grow
in the mountains of the Great Basin Desert of the Southwest. The oldest known
of these ancient trees has been found to be over five thousand years old. They
are known to survive some of the harshest weather conditions from storms and
extreme heat and cold. Not only are they the longest living creatures on our
planet, they are the most resilient creatures on our planet. I suppose that
goes without saying.
Of
course these aren’t terribly common trees but they are distinctly American and
I see them as being very representative of America. I’m not saying they are
necessarily examples representing our democracy. Some people still refer to
that as the American “experiment” and almost every administration that occupies
the White House brings out some doomsday fear in at least a part of our population.
So it would certainly be unfair to compare such a majestically resilient tree
to our democracy, but it’s not at all unfair to compare it to our people. We
are made up of people who have survived incredible odds, suffering persecution
from every part of the planet, and then landing on our feet to become some of
the wealthiest and prosperous of all nations. And maybe that gamble is why so
many of the Bristlecone Pines are in Nevada. J (Ok, I know that’s a
stretch.)
Bristlecone
Pines are gnarly, twisted old creatures that can survive almost anything. That’s
just one more reason to be really proud of our country. So if you’ve never seen
one, go to Great Basin National Park in Nevada and have a look at one of these
most amazing of creatures, most amazing of trees, the Bristlecone Pine Tree.
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