John Fischer's Philadelphia
Vol. 1 - Number 6 - 06/07/99

A man was wondering why the acorn small
should grow on oaks so mighty and so tall,
while on the slender pumpkin vine abounds
much larger fruit than on great oaks are found.

Then an acorn chanced to tumble down
and hit the foolish fellow on the crown.
Had pumpkins grown upon great oaks instead,
he doubtless would have had a broken head.

I read that poem on small billboard in a SEPTA bus when I was in my teens. I always thought it was a funny little thing, but for many years I really didn't understand or appreciate what it really meant. I have shown this poem to people now and then and I get many different interpretations.

I imagine that, more than anything else, it reminds us of the power and wisdom of nature. So often we wonder why things happen, rather than just accept that many things happen for a reason, even if we don't understand why. We are better served to put our attention into changing those things that we can change. We can surely take charge of many aspects of our lives, both professional and personal. We can strive to work towards better situations and extricate ourselves from bad ones. We cannot, however, change everything. Emotions and feelings are such things. They are more like the story of the acorn and the pumpkin. We are better off trusting that nature knows best.

We're now fully into June, which here in the Philadelphia area is one of my favorite months of the year. The foliage has fully bloomed and the temperatures are almost perfect. We have just had our second wonderful weekend in a row. I certainly hope that you took the time to get out and appreciate the weather, nature and life. If not, take the time before it's too late, and while you're at it, take a moment, and don't be afraid to tell someone that you care.

Well, that's my perspective. Let me hear yours on this or any pertinent topic. Join me in our chat room almost every evening - Philly Chat - or drop me a note at philadelphia.guide@about.com.

If you missed any of our previous columns you can still catch them:

John Fischer's Philadelphia 05/24/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 05/26/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 05/28/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/02/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/04/99