The first time I climbed Stone Mountain I was a kid, —actually, “climbed” is a stretch; I more or less ambulated up. But I digress. I was astonished to find plants growing in that monstrous, pink-granite dome. The span of that dome of stone is wider than my hometown, Deepstep. It is over a mile and a half high—made of granite, quartz monzonite, and granodiorite. There I found little blossoms, plants, and small pine trees growing. The surface is solid “stone” yet each plant was alive and thriving—its seed caught in a little fissure in the stone.
Plants making a home in a little fissure evoke awe and wonder in me. Over time, a fissure cache gathers enough moisture, soil, and sunlight and plants grow; the phenomenon is that roots make room in rock for growth. Tiny roots seek out micro fissures, working their way into these minuscule openings giving the plant a solid grip on planet Earth. It never occurs to the plant that it cannot open more space in rock. It just gets a grip and makes its home there.
High Hopes written by James Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, is a joyous boost to that empirical reality: Just what makes that little old ant/Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant/ Anyone knows an ant, can’t/ Move a rubber tree plant/ But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes/ He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes … Once there was a silly old ram/ Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam/ No one could make that ram, scram/ He kept buttin’ that dam/ ‘Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes/He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes …So any time your feelin’ bad/ ‘stead of feelin’ sad/just remember that ram/ Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam.
Barriers and resistance are everywhere in life. Not all are as they appear, nor do all pose stark roadblocks. Nor does every one pose an absolute barricade. The appearance of a wall may be just that, appearance. I was driving on U. S. 84 East entering Jesup, GA—as I rounded the first curve, about 3/4 a mile ahead there appeared a solid obstruction sitting on all four-lanes. Getting closer, I could see a dip in the road—below the “barrier”—under a railroad bridge!—where the highway dipped below. There was no barrier at all.
When God told Abraham that his and Sarah’s descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand—each was past child-bearing age—, well, Sara laughed! I’m pretty sure she had not laughed that hard in ages. But God saw what they could not see. There was a break, a little fissure, if you will, in their childlessness; with just one more descendant—for the generations to flow. What appeared to be not even a little fissure was all God needed to grow generations.
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2024
Willis, today’s column made me smile and wonder how in the world ANY plant could find enough nourishment to survive and thrive on Stone Mountain. Many visitors are focused on making it to the top and never notice those tiny plants. Years ago, I worked in the office of a Professor, Dr. Robert B. Platt, whose graduate students studied those very plants. They wrote their dissertations on how it happened, and how important they are to the ecology of the region. Thank you for “spreading the word.”
I enjoyed this — hadn’t thought of ‘High Hopes’ in a long time!
It is such an upbeat tune and lyrics.
And Sara…well, this same verse came up at Bible Study not long ago. The pastor paused, and I said not sure I would’ve laughed, I probably would have cried!!
Thank you, very interesting