Dart Boards and Tree Rings
Growing up, I loved playing darts. And even though I wasn’t very good at hitting the bullseye, the game was still exciting. I used to stand there with all the darts in my hand after everyone else had stopped playing, trying again and again until I eventually struck the center square, the satisfying thud echoing a tiny victory in the empty room.
I’ve found dart boards can also serve as a metaphor for life goals. We may post our objectives on the wall, where they are obvious and unambiguous, much like a dart board. Reaching these objectives can be gratifying and inspiring. Even after everyone has left, we might keep working on it, focused on getting it just right—the circle on the dart board represents focus.
However, there’s another circular image that has captivated me with its silent history: tree rings. The first time I saw the cross-section of a tree, I couldn’t stop thinking about the hidden richness it revealed. These concentric circles held decades of growth, a silent narrative of a life unseen but very much present.
This made me want to compare how we see growth and goals, and I was surprised to see that according to dart history, there may be a connection between dart boards and tree rings. It appears that dart boards may have evolved from sliced tree logs, which is why they still resemble the circular patterns of tree rings.
If you had asked me ten years ago which resonated with me — dart boards or tree rings — I probably would’ve said “dart board.” I was focused on a very specific outcome back then. What I was hoping for didn’t happen like I hoped, but I was still standing there, with darts in hand, trying. Today, I feel as though I am trying in a different way and it feels like tree rings.
My hope in sharing this is showing how the images are actually connected and serve different purposes for different areas, phases, and seasons of life. 🌳♥️ I hope they illustrate how different aspects of the world can be used to make new connections.
-MHN
