Crooked is a word filled with negative connotations. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as 1. bent or twisted out of shape or position or 2. dishonest or illegal. Orthodontists make a living straightening crooked teeth, something frowned upon in our perfect image world. A person or politician known for their unethical or immoral behaviour are often referred to as crooked. Rarely does a positive image come to mind when thinking of this strange adjective. However, some of the most beautiful and inspiring works of nature are crooked.
Nature itself rarely consists of straight lines or 90 degree angles. Think of mountains, trees, rocks, etc. However, there are accepted norms, even in nature and variances from these norms are often seen as neat or interesting. When you pull a carrot out of the ground that is three merged into one you might say “hey kids, come here and look at this neat carrot!”. There are a group of crooked bushes (aspen trees actually) that grow near North Battleford, Saskatchewan that people come from all over to see. There is also a crooked forest in Poland that people come from all over to see. On an architectural level, the Eiffel tower is renowned for its non-parallel structure. To me, crooked means visually interesting, vertically creative, oddly beautiful.
Of course, I must admit that I am biased. Six years ago I gave birth to one of these vertically inspired works of art, and I have to admit that my son Benjamin is hands down one of the most interesting people I have ever known. However, being born crooked comes with a price. Much like the aspen trees that grow in Crooked Bush in Saskatchewan that need to be tended to regularly because they naturally grow towards the ground creating a self-shading atmosphere that kills them out, our son also needs special attention so that he can grow up strong and healthy. This website is dedicated to our family’s journey in dealing with the ups and downs of having a crooked little man (or boy in our case) in our house.
