Many years ago I attended Auburn University and participated in the tradition known as ‘Rolling Toomer’s Corner’. This tradition supposedly began when Toomer’s Drug Store had a telegraph machine that would receive wired communications about Auburn’s football scores from away games. With a win the ticker tape would sail out of the worker’s hands and hang on the power lines. It eventually evolved into rolling the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street, what is known as Toomer’s Corner. The rolling of the oaks started after power lines were placed underground–perhaps during the 1990’s.This tradition is one of the things I love about Auburn.
It’s a beautiful campus full of trees. When a tropical storm worked its way through many years ago, several of the ancient trees on campus were destroyed. My first visit back was devastating to me. So imagine how so many of my Auburn family, scattered all over the world, felt when the sacred oaks at Toomer’s corner were intentionally poisoned by a disturbed individual who committed environmental terrorism in January 2011.
I saw the trees not long after they were poisoned but hadn’t been brave enough to go back after they have started to die. On my way back from Atlanta this past weekend I visited the trees, or what is left of them, and wept. For ignorance, meanness, terrorism in all its forms, and for death of such innocents. And I think how many students and residents could have been hurt had this person gone a bit further with his act of depravity.
As I stood taking a few photographs I thought back to an image I captured of my daughter when she graduated from Auburn. And I thought of all the students and fans who love Auburn and the trees. All those hugs over the years surely boosted the energy of the trees and gathering spot and the people who participated in celebrations. Love multiplies.
A woman was stretching on the brick wall and looked over at me. “Maybe they’ll make it,” she said. We talked a few minutes and she shared how her daily run is interspersed with a time of prayer for the trees–every day. And as I turned to leave, I too said a prayer for them. And for peace to heal all the violence we commit against the Earth and each other….and all life.
Today I was presenting a workshop on relieving stress through connection with nature. At one point participants were paired and were completing sentences given to them as cues. The room was lively as people shared about places they loved, animals and other nature-related themes. At one point I gave them the cue: What’s happening to our planet makes me feel…. The energy in the room suddenly shifted and it was quiet. Sad, depressed, scared….twenty-one individuals united for a moment by their concern about our world.
