We park it in the woods right next to a sturdy oak tree, one that has been there for at least 100 years. The tree acts as a shield from the sun and hail plus it is a attractive setting for the iconic symbols of man and nature.
Not long ago while on an adventure to the forest to secure a years fuel supply, on approaching the handsome truck, it was impossible not to notice a very large branch had landed smack on the vehicle, right across the right mirror, fender and windshield. Under the branch, and that would be a branch from the aforementioned oak, was some visible damage including a mirror that had been liquidated, a dented fender and a broken windshield.
My first response was to approach my brother on whose properity the truck resides. Being sensitve and thoughtful, but still intent on resolution, I mentioned to him his tree had fallen on the truck and did extensive damage that certainly would devalue the beautiful machine. I was leaning toward compensation, maybe a warm appology, maybe an offer to have it brought back to it's once pristine condition---it was his tree.
He made the gesture that I was insinuating it was his fault, which of course I was doing. He then took the position that he was not home at the time and had no opportunity to prevent it, but had he been there he would have physically prevented the accident with feats of great strength. I noted that no limb had ever fallen from the tree before so it must have been his doing. At that point there was great dissertation on his part about how the severing of the limb occurred during a large blow from the heavens therefore it was all of God's fault. Included in the diatribe was a notation on his good standing with the All Powerful and thus he was as pure as the driven snow and without and fault what so ever.
While I took umbrage with his claiming of naive innocence, and certainly the bit on purity, from a legal point of view, it seemed the case was weak. He in a rather arrogant tone suggested I take it up with the higher powers, meaning God himself or is it herself. It was if he knew the Great Father was going to tell me to buzz off right then and there.
That set me off in such a way as to get me thinking about filling a small lawsuit, not against my brother but to God. Initially, I figured the doucumnt could be forwarded to every major religion in the world and see if I could get a response but after talking to some friends well versed in various religions, that appeared to be a dead end. So I prayed, asking the Lord to help me out on this one becasue his tree had plopped on my truck thus I needed some compensation.
In a moment of inspiration I heard a voice, essentially a letter back, saying as follows (paraphrased), " I made a perfectly reasonable White oak tree, a very elegant tree, one that is used for flavoring in spirits, one that is profoundly strong and the limb is flat stuck on your truck. It is not that you are an idiot, but things happen (I think he said things) they are random and it hit your stinking truck. Get over it."
I thought, "Ya but, that tree has never lost a branch before, what's the deal?" There was a pause and I think I heard Him say, "On that evening, the south east wind I put together for some reason had an extra punch, just did. Worse that I expected for some reason". There was again a pause, He said, "You clowns need to listen up. I gave you a nice place with reasonable weather, then you dump a lot of crap in the atmosphere and the weather changes. That weather broke my particularly spectacular limb which got you smelly truck. I think you better reconsider who you are blaming".
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