geo geller

* My father once told me a story about a dream his great grandfather had  told him. He was once traveling in the land of tall trees when he got tired and fell asleep under a Redwood Tree and had this dream…

* He had this strange dream about the oldest and tallest tree in the world… It was the father of all trees and was called RedTree. RedTree he said was as old as time itself and brought wonderful dreams to those who slept under it… It was more than just a tree it was home to all

animal and plants from around the world..  
*  RedTree was always full of birds, animals and people, when people were  younger.. Birds would sing, young animals were always playing. Everyone was daydreamed, happy and friendly. It was said that when you

were under RedTree you saw things like you never saw before. Everything was clearer, colors were brighter, sounds were sharper, you were more aware of everything… even people saw things differently. You had

dreams about living in a land where the plants, animals and people shared and were friends. When you woke up you felt good, good all over, and that everything was well in the world.
* RedTree had thick red bark with green pine-like leaves and small red brown seeds. It was big enough to run a train through it and it was so tall you couldn’t see the top except from a long distance and only on a clear day. RedTree was not only tall and proud it was straight like an

arrow. If you were under it you couldn’t help but think how small you were.
*  There was always something going on around and under RedTree. If there was some serious problem someone would call a Court of Order under redtree. Everyone including people would come and listen, they all knew what could happen again if they weren’t careful very careful… they had to work together because they had to live together. If one animal or plant wasn’t happy then everyone was affected… At the “Court of Order” you had to imagine yourself in each others place. Working together to find something that worked for everyone. It was said that there were no winners or losers in the Court of Order.
* The court was made up of the wise old owl, the eagle and the blue heron represented birds… the wolf, the bear and gorilla representing different groups of land animals. The whale, the dolphin represented those who lived in water. The sunflower for the flowers. The oldest turtle who lived in water and on land. The King Snake and the Iguana represented reptiles. It was decided that people should have a man and woman representing indigenous people, and a man and woman to represent those who live in cities. RedTree, the father of all trees represented trees and plants. At RedTree’s side was an old indigenous Indian who looked like he was as old as time, and was so slow they called him Turtle Indian.
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* The Court of Order got its name because there is a natural order ineverything. In the court, it was understood that everyone and all living thing needs to eat to live and to feel safe… It was agreed by everyone that as they ate, they also had to be aware that they, too, were food for another and so on down the line… They had to be very careful because nobody wanted to be eaten. It was agreed by all animals, plants, fish and people that they should respect each other like they would want to be treated and only eat and use what they needed and no more.
* Since the beginning of time all the animals and plants lived happily together. The last major problem they had was with the dinosaurs, it was said they could eat like there was no tomorrow. and it was thought maybe the dinosaurs ate so much they even ate themselves out of tomorrow and this was said to be a silly theory 
* This time the trouble really started about the same time people started to discover how to make fire. They would say, “We know what we’re doing,” then go about destroying mountains, forests,

animals and water ways all in the name of progress. It was a big mess.They did the same thing to each other that they did to the plants and animals. There were those indigenous people who with other non-indigenous people lived in harmony with the land. Then there were those people who seemed to be everywhere over doing everything: over fished, over hunted, over farmed, over cut the trees, over ate, over drank, over populated, over polluted the air, land and water. They were

never satisfied. Nothing was ever good enough and on top of it they where everywhere like ants
* The animals, plants and many indigenous people were afraid, running or hiding whenever they heard, saw or smelled humans… Even the flowers were afraid and would close up when a person approached. Many times the Court of Order demanded that people stop destroying, and fighting…

people need to have more respect it was said. But they laughed and didn’t listen. They were too busy and thought they were too smart… Old Turtle Indian said, “people are young we needed to have

patience.”The blue heron said, “They even polluted their own drinking water!.” They all agreed… it had to stop! Owl said, “they would run out of fuel, food or something and then it will stop.” So they waited… and waited.
* More and more animals, plants and indigenous families were endangered and many were now gone.  The fish hid, the animals had fewer babies, the forest died back. Even the indigenous people were overpowered and forced to move or worse. There was shortages of everything. The air was bad,

the water was worse. It was just terrible and still nothing stopped them. They continued on. Nothing worked! Some thought it would finish when there was nothing left, including themselves. RedTree and the Turtle Indian just watched. Each day the animals would come visit redtree and daydream that things got better. They would sing, play and dream about what it used to be like… and could be like…
* It got so bad that they built fences everywhere, and prisons to keep each other in and out…. They even built a fence around indigenous people lands keeping them either in or out. One day they even put a fence around RedTree. Some indigenous people said, “very few people respected or trusted anything or anybody.” Turtle Indian said, “that without respect for others, there is no self respect…” Many indigenous people, animals and even some city people were getting sick. Everybody complained about how bad it was. The air in some places was so bad you couldn’t see or breathe… there were even air quality alerts… the water was undrinkable, it had to be treated and put in bottles just to drink.
 copyright 1990                                           page 2 0f 4

redtree by geo geller 280 9th Ave, #20B, NYC 10001 tel (212) 243-7841
The land was a mess, where beautiful forests once were… now deserts. Wars destroyed everything people, animals, plants and the land… for nothing. And still they continued on… saying one thing and doing another. Some of the indigenous people and others who were concerned said, “they couldn’t do anything. Nobody listened to them either, they were powerless.” Nobody could trust them, not even themselves.
* RedTree and Turtle Indian knew, they had seen it all from the beginning of time. They just watched quietly and waited…
* Then one day it happened, the worst of all possible things… by now people were everywhere, busy building up and a few years later tearing it down. They covered everything with concrete and made asphalt jungles where there were forests. They were always doing something, building tall buildings or roads, going everywhere and nowhere. Going to the moon, destroying forest for no reason at all. They had great wars between themselves where they destroyed everything.
* Then it happened, someone decided to build right in the middle of redtree. It was decided RedTree had to go, cut down. When all the animals, plants and some people heard that someone was planning to cut

down RedTree, they didn’t believe it. It was impossible, unthinkable!.

Nobody could even think of anything like that.
* When the day came and they were getting ready and just about to cut redtree down…
* The wind carried the news in lightening speed and spread it throughout the world.
* Hearing the news, it was like a magnet, the indigenous people and those people who were concerned came from all over the world, birds, insects, fish and animals dropped everything they were doing and rushed to RedTree’s side. They didn’t know what they were going to do but they had to go. They had to do something… No! No! they said this can’t be… The birds and insects flew around RedTree and made day into

night… the reptiles and snakes came out too; the Whales, fish and even the little chipmunks came to save RedTree… Enough is enough they all agreed. Someone said, “They have endangered everything in the world and

now they want to destroy the father of all trees, they will not be satisfied until everything is destroy, included themselves”…
* With everyone there, they called an emergency meeting of the Court of Order… It was agreed, they had to do something… The birds and insects said, “we’ll continue to block the sun, and make day into night”… All the animals that lived on land joined in and said, “We shall shake the earth until these people stop what they were doing.” “We will show them what we have been living through,” someone said. 
* Turtle Indian warned them to be careful, and not let their anger destroy them, “Remember, they are us… do not hurt them.” Everyone

agreed they would only scare them. Some of the indigenous people and those who joined them helped the animals to take back the

earth. The birds and insects screeched and buzzed and covered the sky Reptiles, snakes, the bear, gorilla and all the animals covered, shook and pounded the earth like thunder. Whales, dolphins and all those that lived in the water made the sea into boiling water.
copyright geo geller 1990                                 page 3 0f 4

redtree by geo geller 280 9th Ave, #20B, NYC 10001 email: geo@geogeller.com
* Nobody could see the sun or leave their houses. Their equipment didn’t work because the insects clogged everything. The animals scared the people on land and in the water they made great waves that played with the boats. People were afraid, they tried everything but nothing worked. Some thought that the end of the world was near.
* They didn’t know what to do?…  everyone was confused they tried everything, until they were exhausted. One by one they came out of their shelters, waving a white flag.
* All the birds, fish, animals and people of the earth gathered around redtree. It was a sight to see…
* Turtle Indian climbed up on a branch of RedTree’s and spoke softly and everyone quieted down… “We are a great family, a family of all living things. We live on a small island in the sky. Our island, our home, is in danger… We are destroying ourselves. We need to change our ways, work and live together again… turtles as you know only move

forward with our necks stuck out… if we are to have a new beginning, we need to stick our necks out together. We must forgive people

and       listen each other. Treat each other the way we want to be treated”. Everyone paused… and thought… then nodded their heads and agreed to stop what they were doing and start listening to each other. All the animals, birds, plants and fish agreed to forgive people as they were young and didn’t know what they were doing. People agreed to stop fighting with each other and destroying themselves, plants, animals and the environment. They agreed to work and build the future together. We have no choice. It was close to the end and if things got any worse it would be all over for everyone… This was their last chance… the lonely gorillas, eagles, lions and all the plants, insects, animals and indigenous people who were endangered said it was better than no chance at all… It was agreed that everybody and everything had a right to survive, to live. They decided that if there were any problems they would come to the Court of Order and put themselves in each others place to see what it was like to be each other…  And so it was a new beginning and they called it “A New Beginning”. 
* After everything was said and done, they began a celebration the likes of which had never before been seen.
* The sky opened up… the sun shone through for the first time in a long time… the sunflower opened up, the rainbow came out, birds

sang,   the animals played and everyone was happy and free of fear… When the evening came and the sun went to sleep, everyone, except the Owl who watches the night, fell asleep together under RedTree. They all had this dream, and since that time long ago, life on the little island in the sky has been like living in a dream
the beginning
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redtree by copyright geo geller 1990 ver. 2893

geo geller 280 9th Ave, #20B, NYC 10001 email: geo@geogeller.com