Thought-Provoking Places #2
On a crisp morning in the summer of 2019, I strolled through the Santa Fe Plaza and situated myself on a bench. Near the performing arts stage, I cast my gaze over the Palace of Governors onto a specific tree.
Lured to this spot by the musings of Robert Fulghum (author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Uh Oh, It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It, etc.) I examined the possibilities and easily identified the oldest tree.
In this historical spot in the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico, I considered all that this tree may have witnessed and all that has transpired in this space known as the Santa Fe Plaza. From the palace guard, government officials, and early traders to tourists, artists, and entrepreneurs, the tree has seen it all. How much longer will it stand? How much more will it see? Will anyone notice when it is gone?
Beyond the tree, the plaza itself forms a central gathering place. Part of its charm lies in the creative cacophony of history, art, and food that surrounds it in this vibrant city. Life happens here in many forms.
And so the Santa Fe Plaza strikes me as a receptive place, a welcoming environment, where anyone can walk through to listen to music, peruse the wares of local artists, and sit on a bench contemplating it all. The variety and uniqueness of life thrives here. And it leads me to think.
After all that I have seen thus far, am I welcoming and receptive? Or, do I give in to jaded, harsh condemnation of what is different? The old tree and the Santa Fe Plaza remind me to be open, to keep learning, to find the beauty.
Worth Repeating
Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest.
-Goethe
