| "This is where life is. It's inside, right here. Not out | | | | of a fifty foot pine tree. Then his thoughts turned |
| there, in that controlled creation of man." These | | | | to an oak tree standing in his front yard. He could |
| were his thoughts that night when everything | | | | see the tree from his deck in his rear yard |
| changed in his life. He had always been an | | | | because it towered over the house. He thought |
| introspective sort, but on this night, Jack Conroy | | | | of the pine cone, and then marveled at how the |
| was digging deep. | | | | giant oak was born of an even smaller seed, an |
| He believed he was in the throes of a mid-life | | | | acorn. |
| crisis, albeit rather late. He was convinced of it by | | | | Thinking of the oak, his mind wandered backward |
| a burning desire to find his place in life, to figure | | | | in time to his childhood. Jack's dad used to take |
| out his purpose. After all, isn't that what people do | | | | him to a place called the Saugus Ironworks. It |
| during a mid-life crisis? So he thought. He turned | | | | was a recreation of a 17th century steel mill that |
| inward, trying to discover his meaning. Just what | | | | was built on the site of the original mill. The site is |
| was he meant to become? How could he become | | | | widely recognized as the birthplace of American |
| what he really knew was inside him? Then it hit | | | | steel. It was discovered during a road bed |
| him. | | | | excavation in the 1940s. The crew uncovered |
| Jack's biggest question was, "How do these | | | | many artifacts, including sections of the original |
| people become so successful? They are no | | | | buildings, water wheels and sluice ways used in |
| smarter than I am. What's the difference?" Finally, | | | | the steel making process. Much of the Ironworks |
| in a rush that was totally unexpected, the answer | | | | was built from North American white oak, an |
| hit him. He thought about an artist. He thought | | | | indigenous species found in abundance throughout |
| that the great works of art in this world were | | | | the northeast. Jack loved this place and later in |
| born of a vision in the mind of the artist. The | | | | life, he took his own kids to the ironworks where |
| vision would have remained just that if not for | | | | he passed on his love of history and the ingenuity |
| the action the artist took to create. Jack's | | | | of mankind. |
| realization was that thoughts, dreams and visions | | | | Jack looked up at the giant oak, standing |
| are truly the seeds of greatness, but they must | | | | majestically over the property. In an instant, he |
| be nurtured and fed by intention, then manifested | | | | thought how the tiny acorn that spawned the |
| by measured, persistent action. | | | | tree actually manifested steel. The steel, in turn |
| He couldn't sit still, so he stepped outside onto his | | | | was used to produce so many of the products |
| deck. It was an unusually warm night for the First | | | | that shaped the world we live in. How could this |
| of December in Boston. The rest of the country | | | | have happened? Again, he realized that it all |
| was being hammered by a vicious snow storm, | | | | started with a vision or a dream and became real |
| but Boston remained mild. It was very windy and | | | | through the persistent, directed actions of men. |
| humid. A light rain was falling. There Jack stood on | | | | What an amazing thing to understand! An acorn |
| his deck, marveling at nature's creations. He | | | | and some rocks dug from the nearby soil |
| watched as the wind gusts blew through the | | | | produced steel which produced nails, hinges, |
| trees that surrounded his yard, their tops waving | | | | beams, cars, planes, space ships and every |
| in succession as the gusts passed. He smelled the | | | | manner of machinery used to produce even |
| air, thick with moisture and pine. His senses were | | | | more products. |
| on overload as he realized the magnitude of his | | | | It occurred to Jack that the oak, the steel and |
| revelation. He was sure he had read this in many | | | | the other physical materials that comprise all |
| of the hundreds of books he had devoured over | | | | manner of manufactured goods would forever |
| the course of his quest, but until now, he never | | | | remain in their natural state without two key |
| understood or never really felt it at an emotional | | | | ingredients; vision or thought, and persistent, |
| level. | | | | directed action. He believed that he had finally |
| As Jack stood feeling the wind and the rain on his | | | | found the key to his future, to his fulfillment. He |
| face, he stared at the giant pines blowing in the | | | | was convinced that whatever he dreamed he |
| wind. He thought of their origin, a simple pine cone. | | | | could be, he would become simply by focusing on |
| He had just bought a bag of scented pine cones | | | | his goal and working hard every day toward its |
| to use as Christmas decorations for his house, | | | | achievement. The world was full of acorns. All he |
| not thinking at the time how important pine cones | | | | had to do now was to gather them up and turn |
| would become to him. He though how amazing it | | | | them into his dream. |
| was that a small pine cone could be the beginning | | | | |