Two common phrases: “It will never cease to amaze me,” and “a rock and a hard place.”

Let me put them together for you: How a tree can grow between a rock and a hard place will never cease to amaze me. 

I’m a little kid about this, awed by the genius of a tiny seed — from sycamores or hemlocks here in the East — to fly on the wind and locate cracks in rocks, where it can absorb moisture to germinate and grow. And, as it grows, it extends roots vertically into rocks, making the hard place its foundation for years to come. The whole thing is an inspiration — starting small, making the best of an imperfect situation; patient and persistent, it gets settled and anchored, then grows and even thrives.

This photo: Sunday, April 26, along the North Branch of the Potomac River, between McCoole and Black Oak, Maryland.

Discover more from Dan Rodricks

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Dan Rodricks

Dan Rodricks is a former long-time columnist for The Baltimore Sun, winner of numerous national and regional journalism awards, a radio and TV personality, podcaster and fly angler. His narrative memoir, "Father's Day Creek," was published in May 2019 by Apprentice House at Loyola University Maryland.

One thought on “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”

Leave a comment