How long is your shadow?

We'd spent the day climbing. The trees far below seemed small. The stolen clementine had been a sweet treat with which to start the trek. And a tot of sherry was a sweet way to end the day as the sun set over Plettenburg Bay

Albert Einstein  If I could see further than others, its because I stood on the shoulders of others.

Our position is not ours alone; it is through a few things we attain our position:

• our forebears
• hard work and learning (of our own and our past)
• some luck/accident/fortune;
• Or laziness and we stagnate or backslide.

And so, standing on top of the greatest peak in the Tsitsikamma Mountain Range, Peak Formosa, I ruminated thoughts and feelings... how atoms so small are integral to the outcome of this sentinel of the Garden Route in South Africa. I thought how small a life is, but how much influence it may have on our Earth. My life.

• A tree can be groomed as a dog can be trained. 
• A tree will form rings in its trunk as it grows and weathers the years. 
• A tree uses its instincts, its genetic coding, to produce flowers and fruit; and it learns which years to produce more and some less. 
• A tree allows the soil and the weather to choose how sweet its fruit is born.
• A tree provides shade and food to friend and foe. So should we.

#AdoptATree in my support of #GreeningTheCommunity with CCFA and my Everesting Attempt. 

This community led, community supported project requires privileged support (people who have enough giving to those who don't). It will mean the unprivileged require less support in a few years... and so the education spreads and food security leads to economic security leads to prosperity for another small community (and yes, we know that is not a straight line... but all Long Freedom Walks begin with a single step {apologies to Mandela & Tzu}).

After sleeping the night on the mountain we descended to the trees for shelter from the sweltering sun... and nourishment for the souls. 

To cast a shadow that benefits generations, adopt a tree. Change the color of this community's streets. Change lives.