December 2024 • Nebraskaland 59
Ponderosa
Psychology
Y
ou've probably gazed at clouds and seen familiar objects or animals,
right? ("Wow, that cloud looks like a squirrel riding a turtle!") If
you're a fan of that game, I invite you to try "What's that bark
pattern look like?"
Based on years of experience, the game works best with mature
ponderosa pine trees. If you can find some that have survived a recent fire,
that's even better, but not absolutely necessary. Once you've located your
trees, all it takes is a little imagination and you're set for hours.
It's fun to play by yourself, of course, but it can also be entertaining
and educational to engage with friends or family. You might learn a lot
about people close to you and the surprisingly odd ways their brains
work. Some psychologists use Rorschach inkblots to gain insight into
people's personality and emotional stability. Similarly, pine bark pattern
interpretation seems like a completely valid way to assess those around
you.
In a totally hypothetical example, let's say you and your wife are looking
at what is obviously a cow's head in profile. The eye and nostril are clear as
day, and you can even see a pretty well-defined horn curling upward. And
yet, your wife insists she sees a momma penguin feeding a baby penguin.
What does this mean? Well, in this very specific case, it means nothing.
She's perfectly within her rights to see a couple of penguins instead of a
cow. Especially because she'll probably read this (Hi Sweetie!).
Photos and story by Chris Helzer
This is clearly a face, right?
