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ROOTS |
Early in the morning, on a cold November day, with a scattering of snow on the ground, Dan Ike & Benito of Magical Rain Theaterworks arrived at Covert School with shovels, hoes, & rakes. They went to Ms. Meyer's sleepy 1st hour bilingual class , rallied the troops --coats on and went outside to dig into the cold ground to find our roots. It is only fitting Ike (Dr. Vasquez) said, that the ground is partially frozen, that digging is difficult and our purpose seems absurd.. Seeking our roots is a provocative task. We brought in from the cold ( the fading of memory) a range of roots and began to study several types of roots-- first literally, ( research, read, draw & write) then symbolically (discuss& diagram ) and then physically (enact the types & dynamics)
This searching for the meaning of roots was all prelude to study of the idea of life as journey: a deep study via discussing the film El Norte which in turn was prelude to introducing the idea of the kitbag. To prepare for life ahead we must first know where are feet are and how they are held fast to place.
While the notion of working with the metaphor of roots was exciting, the reality was extraordinary. Our team
had planned the exercise as an introductory examination of the tools and characteristics one needs on the journey
through life. The roots were to represent what our culture and family bring to us.
In fact, as we delved into the biology of roots, we found an amazing correlation to our lives. First we looked
at the long, penetrating, sturdy tap root. Clearly this can be a prime metaphor for culture - reaching down into
the earth as a parallel to reaching down into the past. We looked at how culture and family contribute to our
character.
Next we examined lateral roots - those strong roots that grow horizontally to stabilize the plant. These we compared
to outside influences on our lives - school, church, community, close friends. Often these reinforce the values
of our family and culture. Often they bring a bit more to the table. Sometimes they can be negative influences
on our lives. Nevertheless, the lateral root is a major player in life's journey.
Fibrous roots are small, hairlike roots. Shallow roots, they absorb fertilizers but don't really hold the plant
in place. As easily as they can absorb positive nutrients, they can absorb poisonous chemicals strewn on the surface
of our lives. We can compare fibrous roots to those shallow friendships that may simply take up much of our time
or perhaps lead us astray. For the most part these roots are not strong enough to endure.
Finally we discovered adventitious roots or prop roots. These roots evolve from stem tissue rather than root tissue.
They grow from above ground and act as buttresses to the plant. Corn and mangrove trees are common examples of
plants with adventitious roots. By analogy, these roots are the ones that we choose to develop consciously and
actively shaping, reaffirming and creating the culture we choose to live.
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