1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for being a part of the conversation. Welcome 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,599 to Forest Stories, a series of short winded adventures within 3 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:09,720 a collection of skyscraping trees stuck feet first in Georgia 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,560 Clay right here in Carolina. It's been a huge part 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,160 of my daily journey for over thirty three years. I 6 00:00:15,199 --> 00:00:18,120 Am the Poet in the Forest, a children's series written 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,719 and recorded in the nineteen nineties. It's grown into multiple 8 00:00:21,719 --> 00:00:24,399 podcasts that now reach around the world, and none of 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,519 it would be possible without this forest. Right here in 10 00:00:26,559 --> 00:00:29,879 South Charlotte, North Carolina, at the base of Heartbreak Hills, 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,560 sits a sign that reads Rainbow Forest. Well, it's time 12 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,119 you get to meet what's inspired several generations. Long before 13 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,520 the paved paths decorated with colorful homes colonized around this 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,000 beautiful lake, slow moving stream, flatland swamps and array of 15 00:00:44,079 --> 00:00:47,600 natural animals, there were families and business owners who are 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,719 said to have raced into this area for the beauty 17 00:00:49,719 --> 00:00:53,880 of the land, wild roses, migratory birds, and wild grapevines. 18 00:00:54,479 --> 00:00:57,280 Those before me either forgot to write about it or 19 00:00:57,359 --> 00:01:01,079 it's buried somewhere inside their family tree. Hey, thanks for 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,599 being a part of the conversation. This week, the Writer's 21 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,439 Pen puts focus on Heartbreak Hill. The sign after the sign. 22 00:01:10,079 --> 00:01:13,359 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the forest. We're presently standing at the 23 00:01:13,359 --> 00:01:17,719 base of Heartbreak Hill. We have talked so much and 24 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:23,599 written so much about Heartbreak Hill. It is that hill 25 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,480 that the family and the Yellow House who've been there 26 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,760 just as long as we've been inside this forest. She goes, 27 00:01:31,719 --> 00:01:34,799 you ain't walking up that hill, are you. That's a 28 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,000 big hill to be climbing every day. And I looked 29 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,840 over there to my right, and I saw the sign 30 00:01:41,439 --> 00:01:45,560 that I was commanded to or asked to put up 31 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,439 on this hill that very sternly, strongly and beautifully says 32 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:58,319 Heartbreak Hill. Established nineteen eighty eight to give it the 33 00:01:58,359 --> 00:02:01,799 identity that it truly deserves, so that the people that 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,599 live on the base of Heartbreak Hill, instead of saying, 35 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:10,719 are you really going up that gigantic hill? How do 36 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,800 you make it to the top on a daily basis? 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:16,719 And I remember my wife looking at her and saying, 38 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:22,879 some days it's pretty tough. And then I'm reminded of 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,599 Ron when he looked at me and said, one day, 40 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:27,879 there's going to be a day that I'm not going 41 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,879 to make it to the top of Heartbreak Hill. And 42 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,159 when I saw him starting to drive his dogs instead 43 00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:40,759 of walking them up Heartbreak Hill, I knew his days 44 00:02:41,199 --> 00:02:46,879 were numbered. I knew that Heartbreak Hill would lose a fan, 45 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,879 a friend, somebody who loves it as much as I do. 46 00:02:51,439 --> 00:02:54,639 With all the beauty that is here and will take 47 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,639 place in the weeks ahead, because another season of fall 48 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,840 is set to set in, and that means it'll be 49 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:07,199 brilliantly colorized by nature's little kiss. But it only lasts 50 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,280 a moment. It's kind of like walking up Heartbreak Hill. 51 00:03:11,159 --> 00:03:15,240 It is a pain and your legs and your chest 52 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,879 and your back and everything about you to get to 53 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,800 the top of this hill. But I will share with 54 00:03:22,879 --> 00:03:29,319 you that sense planting that beautiful sign that says Heartbreak Kill. 55 00:03:30,319 --> 00:03:35,159 Established nineteen eighty eight, allowing people to see that this 56 00:03:35,599 --> 00:03:40,680 hill has a name, has an identity instead of Hey, 57 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:47,319 yo's up, what's going on now? The skateboarders, the joggers, 58 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:52,240 the bicyclists, the casual walkers, those looking for a rush 59 00:03:52,719 --> 00:03:55,960 inside their heart rate, they can sit there and say, 60 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,560 I'm going up hartpre Ak Kill, I'm going to conquer today. 61 00:04:01,319 --> 00:04:03,639 I'm going to get up there. I'm going to be 62 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,159 out of breath. But I did something. I went up 63 00:04:08,879 --> 00:04:12,240 Heartbreak Hill, and I invite you to do the same 64 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,240 in the places that which you create and or walk up, 65 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:22,879 negotiate with. Just give it an identity. Don't just say 66 00:04:23,759 --> 00:04:26,519 he's girt up to the top of the hill. Be 67 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,680 more than the woman at the bottom and the base 68 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,120 of Heartbreak Hill. You go on up that hill today? 69 00:04:33,079 --> 00:04:35,680 How do you get up that hill? It's much too 70 00:04:35,759 --> 00:04:38,040 big for me. I can't get out there and do that. 71 00:04:38,519 --> 00:04:41,079 Oh yeah, those are people that have lived here a 72 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:48,360 long long time, the originals. The o genis heart Break 73 00:04:48,399 --> 00:04:52,360 Kill and its identity as it continues to grow. And 74 00:04:52,399 --> 00:04:56,639 we're getting a lot of people on Heartbreak Hill since 75 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,680 giving it its name. But the thing about it is 76 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,240 is that we can it's a several decades ago. Hey, 77 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,439 thanks for being a part of the conversation.