Vine & Fig Tree, The Good Life George Washington Envisioned
by R. Anthony Arnold
March 2024
"I am once more seated under my own Vine and Fig-tree, and hope to spend the remainder of my days ... in peaceful retirement, making political pursuits yield to the more rational amusement of cultivating the earth."
George Washington to James Anderson, 1797.
"Everyone will sit under their own fig tree, and none shall make them afraid."
Micah 4:4.
This past President’s Day I spent some time thinking about George Washington. His life, and particularly his time in office, remain fascinating. Truthfully, we could all learn a lot by studying both. But, I want to focus on the idea of the "vine and fig tree", which shows up many times throughout his writings, and represents a succinct expression of his view about both politics and life.
For a person who was the first President, his clear desire to leave politics behind is noteworthy. We often imagine our current political era as one that’s especially toxic. But Washington’s contrasting between politics and gardening, and his clear preference for the latter over the former, makes it obvious that’s not the case.
We know, for example, that even Washington’s second term was no guarantee. Only four years in, deepening divisions and bitter factional fighting had become so bad, Washington considered retirement after his first term. It was only his desire to see our new nation succeed that kept him around.
This combination of exhaustion and duty would define his farewell address, which remains one of the most insightful and wise documents our nation has ever produced. It also explains why he was so eager to get away and rest after decades spent in public service; and why he was clearly ready to rest in the shade.
But, as is often the case with Washington, there’s a deeper wisdom in his words.
Stepping outside of the political world, it seems clear most people want to live life in the way Washington envisioned, a life outside of the bickering and turmoil that has defined politics; to live life free of undue interference, while we attempt to carve out something resembling a 'good life'.
When Washington spoke about his desire to move away from politics, and expressed his fears about the future, he was highlighting that core truth, and warning us to avoid creating a world where unscrupulous or power hungry individuals could use the natural divisiveness of politics to do tremendous harm to the fabric of our nation.
There’s another lesson to be learned, though.
From above, a society appears to be a large mass. At a certain point, individuals disappear, and all that remains are the enormous superstructures. But as you zoom in, moving closer and closer, it becomes clear that a society is nothing more than tiny plots stitched together by various bonds. Social bonds. Geographic bonds. Familial bonds.
Each household is, in a way, its own tiny garden, underneath its own vine and fig tree, nestled inside of a much larger one. And no doubt because of my affinity for the natural world, I find there to be something illuminating about thinking of our world in this way.
If you look at a planter box, then you’ll note how they provide space for all kinds of plants. The possible combinations are endless. But the key is to figure out how to balance the needs of one plant with another, since different levels of water or sunshine may be required. Tending to your box is an act of constant pruning, cultivation, and care. The goal, ultimately, is to ensure that each plant gets enough of what it needs so that it may thrive.
Yes, it would be simpler if you filled the box only with things that were perfectly complementary. But that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. The attraction is in the diversity.
Society is like that.
In the safety of our own gardens, we’re free to act as we wish. But that means we may not always mesh well with the person next door; and that’s okay, as long as each of us is given what we need; and we avoid introducing too much of something that might upset the delicate balance -- something like politics.
Beyond this, there’s a humility inherent to seeing the world this way. Our ability to influence others, which is what politics is primarily about, is limited. On some level, the safety, security, and privacy provided by the shade means accepting that there are things, which cannot be accomplished. That each of us, in not just our literal physical spaces, but in our minds, are unique and unreachable.
It’s an idea that’s both exhilarating and also scary. With few exceptions, we’ll never really know most people. We can’t anticipate what they’ll do next; and we can’t understand why they act the way they do.
Washington’s repeated reference to the Bible verse quoted at the beginning contains this idea. Sitting under your own tree, on land you own and with your needs met, free of fear, is a call for a world where we cooperate not by force or coercion, but by choice and desire. It’s a world where the brutality of politics has been replaced by something more gentle and harmonious.
It’s a world worth believing in, and it’s an idea worth fighting for.