Humbling

It's a humbling thing standing next to something that was living when Jesus Christ walked this Earth. It is overwhelming to see something so huge, so sprawling, yet so unknown. No, I'm not talking about my former history teacher, Mr. Sarcasm, I am talking about this cypress tree on Durbin Creek. This huge tree stands as a silent sentinel of old Florida, of a time before European man (yes, this includes my ancestors) came and wreaked havoc upon this land. It stands above all around it, even though its height has been nearly cut in half by a lightning strike. It has weathered hurricanes, been spared from logging operations, seen floods and droughts, and towered over the "development" threatening its very existence. How humbling and what an honor it is to have seen something few people here even know exists. But after all it's been through, a quick push of a developer's bulldozer or a few minute's cut with a chainsaw could completely eliminate it. Existing so long, and gone so quickly. This is an unfortunately common theme in my homeland.

Note: That is not me in the picture. That is my former history teacher Mr. Sarcasm.