Out in the woods the other day I saw a tree that had branches on only one side.
Evidently, other trees had grown so near it there had been room for it to grow
in only the one way, and now that it was left to stand alone its lack of
good development and balance showed plainly.
It was not a beautiful thing. It looked lopsided and freakish and unable to
stand by itself, being pulled a little over by the weight of its branches. It
reminded me of a person who has grown all in one direction; in his work
perhaps, knowing how to do only one thing as those workmen in factories
who do a certain thing to one part of a machine day after day and never
learn to complete the whole, depending on others to finish the job.
Or a woman who is interested in nothing but her housework and gossip,
leaving her life bare of all beautiful branches of learning and culture
which might have been hers. Or that person who follows always the
same habits of thought, thinking always along the same lines in the
same safe, worn grooves, distrusting new ideas that begin to branch out
in other directions leading to new fields of thought where free winds blow.
And so many are dwarfed and crooked because of their ignorance on all
subjects except a very few with the branches of their tree of knowledge
all on one side. Lives never were meant to grow that way, lopsided
and crippled! They should be well-developed and balanced,
strong and symmetrical like a tree that grows by itself against
the storms from whatever direction they may come-
a thing of beauty and satisfaction.
The choice lies with us as to which we shall resemble.
We may be like the young woman devoted to dress and fancywork
who, when asked to join a club for study of current events, replied,
"What! Spend all the afternoon studying and talking about such
things as that! Well, I should say not!"
Or, if we prefer, we may be like Mr. and Mrs. A. Mr. A. is a good farmer;
his crops and livestock are the best, and besides he is a leader in farm
organizations. Mrs. A is a good housekeeper; her garden is the best in
the neighborhood and her poultry is the pride of her heart.
As you see, they are very busy people, but they keep informed on
current affairs and, now that the son and daughter are taking charge of
part of the farm work, are having more time for reading and study.
Their lives are branching out more and more in every direction for
good to themselves and other people, for it is a fact that the more
we make of our lives the better it is for others as well as ourselves.
You must not understand me to mean that we should selfishly live
to ourselves. We are all better for contact and companionship with
other people. We need such contrast to polish off the rough corners
of our minds and our manners, but it is a pitiful thing when anyone
cannot, if necessary, stand by himself sufficient to himself
and in good company even though alone.
"To Stand By Ourselves"
(April 1920)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867-1957)
Prolific American writer and
author of the "Little House" series.
An essay from the book,
"Little House In The Ozarks
A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler
The Rediscovered Writings"
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Edited by Stephen W. Hines
(1991 Guideposts Edition)
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