Recent Articles from FoBR Newsletters
In Memory of John Trott
by Michael Kieffer
John Trott was born July 20, 1927 and died September 6, 2000. His column, "All Things Wild and Wonderful, " appeared in the Loudoun Times-Mirror, the Fauquier Times-Democrat, the Clarke Times-Courier, and the Rappahannock News. He was a retired naturalist/teacher from Madeira School, McLean.
John will always be special to me, for he understood what was important in life: life itself. Sometimes we get bogged down in this world with the rat race we have created for ourselves. You always hear "do not sweat the small stuff, it is all small stuff." Well, that saying could not be more true.
In reality the only thing that matters in life is life itself. Whether it is a husband, a wife, a child, a friend, a plant, or an animal, beauty surrounds us all. See, John not only knew to cherish his wife and family, but he also saw the greater spectrum of life, which he spent his trying to understand. Like all great naturalists, he knew he would not know all of life's secrets. The point was not to know every detail, but the journey of discovery itself.
Next time you feel overwhelmed, stop, look, and listen, for you are constantly surrounded by a medley of living organisms that work together and against each other in such intricate ways. Look into your wife's, husband's, or child's eyes, watch them work with their hands, see them smile, imagine what goes into just the slightest movement of face or hand, then you begin to realize the unbelievable miracle of life.
John felt this miracle. I admired him for it. While it is always sad to see the passing of a loved one, somehow it is easier to know that John did not miss out on life itself, for he lived it every day.
We will miss you John, but your memory and vision will inspire us all to be more aware. May all of us learn from John and become more conscious of all our relationships in life. On behalf of Friends of Bull Run, we thank you, John, for letting us into your life.
