Wayside Sycamore . . . (Plantanus occidentalis) Native to North America.
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More with Less

Whenever I ponder the difference between the self-evident
destructiveness of car culture and the very much more subtle
and difficult to grasp (yet obvious to a child) intelligence
of the natural order, there is one automobile image I still like
to use. It's the self-organizing quality of traffic, which I think
is exemplary.

The image is, I think, especially helpful in trying
to understand what I see as a crucial distinction between
control, on the hand, and limit, on the other. In a nutshell,
the difference is that control tries to tell you what to do,
whereas limit simply says what not to do. This might sound
merely academic, or even trivial. But only at first. And, of course,
it depends greatly on the problem you are trying to solve. (I have
in mind here why I insist that at present we do not have a free
economy—because a free economy would be strictly limited;
Instead we have what I call a runaway economy, like a car which
keeps going faster and faster with a driver asleep at the wheel . . . )

Here is a little not-too-serious Miniature on limit and control
called simply More with Less: [ go to poster ]:

Control is the way of less and less harmony
with more and more effort;

Limit is the way of more—more harmony, more order,
and more creativity, with less and less effort.

Control tells you what to do;
Control is the way of mechanical intellect,
like a computer program;

Limit says simply what not to do.
Limit is the way of intelligence,
like free-flowing water.

Think of this: The rules of the road are few and apply to all.
Keep on your side, go only so fast, and stop there, etc.
Everything else is open and free. You can drive in the morning;
or in the middle of the night, in a red car, or a black one.
Or if you wish:—you can simply stop
and be rid of your burden right
then and there.

Redbud Fall

Amur Maple

Ice Waves

Sparkle

(Photograph was made Wednesday, the 16th of November 2005)