Philosophy: the surprise apple

Self-tutoring about how some things go unnoticed: the tutor reflects….

I picked the apples from the tree in the backyard perhaps around seven weeks ago, receiving about 30lb – not bad for a small backyard tree. Its leaves were still on and, to my memory, still lush and green, unaffected by frost: I had to search among them for some of the apples. My older son accompanied me.

Some apples, pests had already fouled. When I noticed that before picking the apple, I left that on the tree. Many others I picked before noticing, then saw they were damaged, so dropped them on the ground near the tree. Some fine-looking ones we couldn’t keep: I’d say the waste percentage was around 20%. We never spray the tree or make any efforts to keep pests from its apples.

I placed the apples in paper bags from the grocery store – at the end we had four filled 1/2 to 2/3. I took a last pass around the tree for any apples that had gone unnoticed, but couldn’t see one. In the autumn sun, we gathered the bags and brought them inside.

Though I don’t recall our specific conversation, I’m sure my son would have talked about the Bible and Jesus, which has been his focus since mid-August. I read the Bible back in 2018, but it’s not because of me that he became interested. Anyway, when you’re harvesting, I find Jesus and the Bible naturally come to mind.

Yesterday, out in the yard by myself doing a couple of light chores, I looked at the tree, now mainly bereft of leaves. Its remaining ones, ironically, are apple-colored.

I saw a single apple hanging prominently from the tree. “It must be one that had been damaged,” I thought, “so I just left it behind.” I walked over to discover the apple in perfect condition. Somehow I’d overlooked it when I picked from the tree.

Remnants that persist past people’s expectation have always fascinated me. Sometimes a species is thought to be extinct, but is rediscovered – sometimes, right under people’s noses. I recall, decades ago, a friend of mine in cedar salvage. He said that good places to find cedar were where people had previously harvested.

I picked the apple from the tree and ate it right there. It was crisp and delicious. Now, the question: are there yet others on the tree that I may notice in the coming weeks?