It's Worth It

An Entosophy Interview with the American Beech tree

Entosophy
American Beech ( bursting with beech nuts )
South Carolina Botanical Gardens
6.23.2023

Q: What is your view of Ultimate Reality?

we are all one
many pages in a book
a line
a sentence
a chapter
but all part of One Story
and stories within stories
meta
the stories are endless
there are endless possibilities
like my leaves
like the leaves of all the beeches
page after page
of story after story after story

{at this moment, i, amanda, have a thought}

yes, like that:
layers
fractals
dimensions
stories within stories
for as far as the eye can see
(and beyond: ask blueberry )

so, Ultimate Reality is a story
being told
unfold-ing
be-ing
written again and again
and again
what about this?
let’s try this
now this
what if?
then . . . .
now . . .
let’s . . .

you are welcome
you are invited
even encouraged
to write your own story
endlessly
curiously
but always lovingly, yes?

the Ultimate Reality is always changing
with every word written

you have soul hands
they write the book of life
they pen eternity

take care
wake up to your authorship
to the power of your pen
your thoughts
your song
but no worries:
you can always begin again:
once upon a time
in the beginning
it was a dark & stormy night
dear god . . .

Q: What Ethics flow from this view of reality?

honesty
accuracy
a True Telling of the Story
always tell it True
even the hard parts
maybe especially the hard parts
the good things
the pleasant things:
you might embellish
but never the hard parts
the brokenness
the tears
the pain
never embellish these
meet them where they
(where you) are
and tell them straight

tell a good story
a beautiful one
even if dark
never sacrifice
the beauty of the story
not for anything or anyone
put your heart into it
your soul
they are, after all, already there
so write like it
tell your story
The Story
like your life depends on it
because it does

i’m not sure what i think
of writing people out of the story
it would seem necessary,
but is it really?
only you would know
i simply provide the paper
and maybe a bit of inspiration
(if you ask)
so the One Thing:
tell the story True
always True

Q: What Embodied Expressions -- or Policies -- flow from these Ethics?

never edit
or if you do --
just put a line through it
so you can go back
if you decide to keep it

i want to say:
no burning bridges
you can always pick up the threads again
at a future time in the story
when the people and places and timing seems right
so i suppose i would say:
leave the door to possibility open
as wide as you can
anything is possible
that’s Telling It True:
letting anything happen
even the thing
you didn’t think would happen
or never wanted to happen
or wanted more than anything to happen
Telling It True is Keeping It Open

nothing is ever finished
it’s never over
no one is locked forever in their box
you can always write the next chapter
so leave room for possibilities
for something new
for something never before seen
whatever your policy
(what a strange word)
let it remain open
was there ever a story set in stone?
goodness!
i hope not

let’s see how this one ends
let’s see how we write it
let the story write itself
yes: that’s it
let the story write itself

Q: What is the Ideal Society?

the Ideal Society is where we each love the part we play
and play it to the fullest

in the Ideal Society
everyone excels at the part
they’ve been given
they embrace it
and give it their all
their whole heart
they play it like there’s no tomorrow
like tonight is the end
like the curtain is going to fall:
because it always does

in the Ideal Society there is perfect casting
and you know:
that’s up to each of us
it’s not one doing the casting
there is no casting director
(not even god)
but there is each of us saying:
me here
and you there
and how about if you’re here
and they’re there
because really:
we’re all telling this story
writing this play
together
We are One
it is Our Story
i wish we were better at writing together

Q: What challenges do you foresee?

most people are afraid to write
some barely even pick up a  pen
everyone is afraid of getting it wrong
there is no getting it wrong
everything can be readjusted
changed in the end:
surprise endings
rewrites
addendums
sequels
series
unpublished works discovered
it’s okay to tell a story twice
to make a revision
to scratch it
you can always rewrite your story

nothing is set in stone
erasable
washable
paint over it
start over
new manuscripts are always being written
so pick up a pen
here i’ll help you begin:

it was a dark and stormy night

the moment he saw her, he knew . . .

all she had was a basket of bread and a bottle of sour wine

he had never told her how much he loved her
because he had never known himself

she had always dreamed of having a child, but now, lying here next to him,
the taste of him still in her mouth, she wondered if maybe
there were other dreams worth dreaming . . .

that last one:
that wasn’t my best work was it?
or was it?
either way:
i can always write a new line
and so can you
so, let’s scratch it
now, where would you like to begin?

Q: Do you have any final thoughts?

the light is fading
there’s hardly enough time to tell all the stories
but it’s worth it
it’s worth it to try
it’s worth it to write
your story late into the night
it’s worth it
to take the time
to sit and dream
it’s worth it to let your heart
spill and pour onto the page
it’s worth it to try and write
the great american novel
the sacred text
the manuscript you always knew you’d write
it’s worth it to try and tell
your story as truly and purely
and beautifully and simply
and lovingly as you can
it’s worth it to write yourself into Life
it’s worth it

The First Entosophy Interview: Tulip Poplar
This is My Body: An Entosophy Interview w/ American Beech
Songs & 1:1 Sessions w/ Amanda Nicole