Hello friend, welcome to Scrap Facts. I’m Katherine, and I’m glad you’re here.
By day, I write stories about U.S. health policy. In my free time, I write essays to better understand the world around me.
My favorite spot in Washington D.C. is the National Bonsai Museum.
If you haven’t been, it’s a museum tucked away in the National Arboretum. It’s filled with dozens of trained miniature trees, some of which have been growing for centuries.
All bonsai humble me — I love looking at these would-be massive organisms, cultivated to a size where I can take them all in. There is something quieting about seeing a creature as majestic and stately as a tree in an entirely unusual perspective.
Among the dozens of bonsai is the Yamaki Pine, a miniature Japanese white pine tree that is a whopping 398 years old. Masaru Yamaki, a bonsai master, donated this pine to the U.S. collection in 1976.*
The Yamaki pine has triumphed through nearly 13 times the number of cold winters and sweltering summers I’ve lived through. It’s outlived multiple generations of caretakers, and a move across the world. It even miraculously survived the detonation of one of the atomic bombs.
The Yamaki pine is a perfect living time capsule. It has documented each of the nearly 400 growth cycles of spring with a ring in its trunk. All trees are this meticulous, but it’s rare to see one so well-preserved. Some research suggests that trees can live forever, too, which means that with adequate resources, the Yamaki pine could keep this orderly tab going for centuries more.
It’s fascinating to me that there could be a life form that keeps such neat records of its growth, when my own are so messy. I could not provide you a detailed log all the people, events and inner will that have shaped me to be the person I am today. In fact, I’d still have a hard time telling you who I am today, because I often define myself by the activities that take up most of my time, like running or writing. I know I’m more than those things, but it’s harder to figure out — and I don’t have** the inner equivalent of tree rings to rely on.
Bonsai are trainable and predictable. We know exactly what they need, and we know that those resources will allow them to continue thriving potentially forever. They’ll keep amassing rings as the world keeps turning.
I have no idea how I’ll change over time. Maybe new pressures will stifle me, or cause me to regress. Maybe I’ll grow in the wrong direction, one that separates me from my loved ones. Maybe I won’t know how to find what I need. I wish I had a guide, or someone telling me what choices I should make to thrive, or even what thriving looks like in 10 years.
But, when I think of where I’ve come without a map so far, I’m reminded that there’s equal beauty in the unknown. There’s room for creativity and adaptation, and even better possibilities than I imagine today. I am frankly so much cooler than my childhood self could have dreamed, and I’m kinder to myself and others, too. I never predicted that I could be this content or feel this fulfilled in life, so whose to say there isn’t more of the good stuff ahead?
Of course, it won’t all be pleasant. Most of us don’t have doting caretakers ensuring that every one of our needs are met, and that external forces don’t warp our path ahead. But the outcome could be beautiful — and won’t it be wonderful to see?
*I would love to learn more about the circumstances behind this “gift,” given the historical context. A cursory search didn’t yield much, and if any readers have any other resources, please send them my way.
**Actually, our bodies do keep track of time through senescent cells, which are those that have reached the maximum number of times they can safely divide. You can read about senescence and the Hayflick limit in this Obsession email from my days at Quartz. I loved writing it.
What else have I been up to?
It’s been a heck of a lot of spring running for me, much of which was on trails. I am so grateful to be back on my feet. Running feels like joy again, and I’m hoping it can stay that way through a hot summer ahead.
A selection of my work for POLITICO from the last few weeks (if you’re unable to access any and would like a PDF, reply to this email):
FDA advisers recommend the agency approve first OTC birth control pill. The decision will come later this summer, and no matter what, it will be messy for the Biden administration.
And speaking of the agency’s external advisers — the agency has called on independent panels for help reviewing complex drug applications for more than 50 years. Some experts are starting to think this process could use a tune up ($).
Tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds is using California as a test market for its new non-menthol cigarettes that look suspiciously like…menthol cigarettes. The FDA is planning on finalizing a national ban on menthol cigarettes later this year.
Listen for me on POLITICO’s Pulse Check podcast every Monday and Thursday.
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That’s all for now. Stay curious, friend! ❤️
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