How is it that to MAKE something happen it takes lots of imagining and planning, then coordination, lots of effort and work, and the part that eludes me, a boat load of money? Perhaps I am perverted by years of being a professional planner. But not many projects/dreams seem to come to pass and of course the more money they take there is exponentially less chance that they will happen. (the same is true when it takes a bunch of people to actually AGREE to something…)

Sahuaros are like this too, it takes so much, just so, to grow one. They need the perfect conditions to germinate and that depends a lot on the undependable desert rains. Then they prefer a nurse plant to protect and shade them from harsh conditions when they are young. Then they need enough rain to actually grow. A hundred plus years later you have a mature Sahuaro with arms and a root system that has slowly and surely developed to maintain the tons of mass of this majestic cactus.

so how the hell did this ever happen???

Growing horizontally out of a solid vertical chunk of limestone, no soil for at least 8 feet, not a root in site? This toddler is a foot tall, defies gravity and is on the exposed south side of this jagged cliff.
How did it ever germinate?
How does it grow?
How did it survive when its fellows, in much more hospitable conditions, succumb?

My pessimistic, jaded self hopes for hope beyond hope, bolstered by this phenomenal creature, that SOME dreams can manifest. But maybe only very little dreams, like this Sahuaro…
Not the big dreams like:
to have the means to pay my bills,
to provide shelter, food , work and dignity for the people on the streets, in THIS country,
to build sustainable communities,
to have Peace amongst humans…