I’ll tell you something that I do occasionally that never ceases to amaze the local kids: I climb a tree. I do it just for fun, usually on the spur of the moment, when the mood strikes me. I’ve seen Arp do it too. But I have yet to meet another local parent who climbs trees. I don’t think any of them do. Thinking back, I can’t remember ever seeing another adult climb a tree, except for Arp, that is.

Every time I climb up into our favorite Japanese Maple Tree the neighbor kids gasp. Sometimes they whisper about me, other times they laugh. Sometimes I hear, “You climb trees?! Sure I do! And I love it. I particularly love to do it barefoot. I love to feel the cool bark under my feet, my toes curled to grip the branches. I like to talk with M and the neighbor kids about tree climbing. We discuss how high we are each willing to go up. We discuss the best choice of footwear (you already know my preference, although I go with sneakers in the winter). M has trouble climbing the Japanese Maple since he isn’t quite tall enough yet. M’s favorite climbing tree is an old and overgrown lilac bush (tree?) in our yard. He’s been climbing that one since he was 3.

Why aren’t more adults climbing trees? Don’t they want to?