Summary

An aspen tree becomes a human, experiences the complexities of human life, including employment and crime, and ultimately becomes a celebrated figure for thwarting a robbery, inspiring other trees to explore humanness.

Abstract

The narrative "The Aspen Who Joined Us" tells the whimsical tale of an aspen tree's decision to transform into a human. Initially, the tree is unaware of human complexities and is educated by its clone siblings. Despite warnings, it pursues human experiences, starting with a job interview where it learns about the necessity of deception in the corporate world. Opting for a simpler life, the aspen tree becomes a cook at a pizza joint, where it finds joy in serving diverse clientele. Its life takes a dramatic turn when it heroically stops a robbery by using its leaves, leading to viral fame and an interview with Jake Tapper of CNN. The aspen, now known as Fred, becomes an inspiration, encouraging its relatives to embrace humanness and contribute positively to society through culinary ventures, symbolizing a broader outlook on life.

Opinions

The aspen tree's siblings initially question its decision to become human, hinting at a skepticism towards human nature.
The interviewer's question about the ability to lie reflects a cynical view of the corporate world's expectations.
The aspen tree's choice to work at a small pizza place suggests a preference for community and authenticity over corporate success.
The narrative portrays the aspen tree's innocence and purity as superior to human deceit and violence, as seen in the robbery incident.
The media's portrayal of the aspen tree as a hero indicates a societal appreciation for unexpected acts of bravery and goodness.
Fred's advice to listen to nature and feel one's roots implies a critique of modern society's disconnection from the natural world.
The story concludes with an optimistic outlook, suggesting that embracing elements of nature can lead to positive contributions to human society.

The Aspen Who Joined Us

His adventures as a human

Forgotten Gold, On White, With Blue, by John Levin

I heard that one time an aspen tree decided to become a human.

“Dude, are you mad?” his clone brothers and sisters asked.

“What’s the problem with it?” he inquired. “All these cars full of people come every fall to enjoy our leaves turning. They seem harmless enough.”

“You’re not informed.”

So they educated him. Well, the poor guy was shocked. But he did it, anyway.

On his first day as a human, he decided to get a job. “What kind of experience do you have?” the interviewer wanted to know.

“Well, I’m very patient. I come from a large family, and I know how to get along with everybody.”

“But can you lie?”

“What’s that?” he asked.

Well, after the interviewer had explained the requirements of working in a large human corporation, the aspen tree started to understand what everybody had been warning him about, so he got a simple job as a cook at a little neighborhood pizza joint. He was pretty good at it, and he loved that he was able to feed lovers on dates, families on a night out, and even lost souls not knowing where they were going at 2 AM. Things went ok for awhile, but one night … the place got robbed!

Our lovely and patient tree, still new to the nefarious ways of humans, suddenly felt the cold muzzle of a 9mm Glock on his bark….

“Stick ’em up, sucker, and show me the safe!”

So he stuck ’em all up at once, all of his heart-shaped leaves, that is. The robber was knocked over flat. All the cooks, dishwashers, waiters, and waitresses who were in the kitchen jumped on the creep at the same time. His gun went flying, and … all over the Internet the next morning:

*** “Hero Tree Captures Elusive Late Night Kitchen Robber!” ***

He was the toast of the town. Even Jake Tapper from CNN wanted to interview him. “I’ve never interviewed a tree before,” Jake offered.

“There’s a lot that’s new for me, too,” the aspen nodded.

“Do you have a name?”

“You can just call me Fred.”

“Well, Fred, were you at all scared?”

“Not really, Jake. Compared to a sub-zero night at 10,000 feet, this wasn’t too bad.”

You see, even though Fred had decided to become a human, he still had a head full of green leaves, arms and legs that almost seemed like branches (with all those leaves, too, of course,) and his body was covered in the most exquisite cool white bark you could ever touch.

Those feet, though, with the roots just sprouting everywhere, well, all I can say is that Nike hadn’t thought about that model at all yet.

“What message do you have for the rest of us, who don’t have the broad outlook that you must have?” Jake wanted to know.

“Well, gosh, just listen to the sun, pay attention to the rain and the snow, and remember to feel your roots. That’s really all I’ve ever done.”

And that’s how it all got started. A lot of Fred’s cousins, nieces, and nephews decided to give humanness a try, too, and today you can go into any large, mid-sized, or small town in America. and get the best pizza — and calzones! — the freshest garlic bread, and, I have to tell you, the Aspen Pale Ale is as crisp as it gets. Just look for the sign with a golden heart-shaped leaf, a fall-in-love blue sky and a straight-up forest that will never be deterred.

You can tell them Fred sent you, but, then, he sent me, too.

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**https://medium.com/tales-of-improbable-magic**