Of Mountains and Spirit

Okay, okay. . . I know that I haven't posted in a while. But, I've been consolidating. Purging. Working on myself. And here is the latest in my thoughts and opinions:

So, this morning was taken up with hiking in the Woodbine area of Montana. We went to the trailhead for Sioux Charley lake and hiked next to the river. The snow wasn't very deep and we were bundled up against the wind. Our footprints weren't the only ones, but they were the most recent. There were occasionally fox, coyote, wolf and raccoon prints. Amazing what you see when you are looking.

You see, Sioux Charley is our peace. It's the place where we go to recharge and to feel a part of something greater than ourselves. No matter where we go, a little part of our hearts always lives in that valley. We've talked about retiring on the Oregon Coast, but the path to Sioux Charley will always be our home.

In the city, there has been a lot of pettiness, lately. There has been drama, noise and mischief. There are so many voices competing for attention. It can be extremely overwhelming at times. Too many differences of opinion and falsehoods flying around. It seems that the cities are a breeding ground for the bacteria of the soul.

Coming to the mountains, with the fresh air, seems to be an inoculation against the virus the breeds in our hearts. Not only is it extremely good for the body, but it revitalizes the soul as well. Everything is true here. While the plants and animals are competing for survival, they do it honestly. There is no back-biting, no self-centered gain. All seems to be in balance and harmony.

One could take a simple lesson from the tree that struggles to grow in the side of the sheer granite walls of the canyon. It has found its nesting spot. There is nourishment from the rock, the organic matter that falls down upon it and from the very air itself. Water comes in the form of spray from the rushing river or rain water that trickles down from above. It has taken tenacity and strength to survive in its chosen place, but it has carved out a place of its own. And while it takes from the elements around it, it gives back in return. It gives back oxygen as well as other essential nutrients.

As humans, we take and rob and take and steal. We hoard and hide. We put away. We focus on what we can keep just so we can have more than others. We forget to put anything back. Any one of us can look in our homes, our desks, even our pockets and find something that we don't need. Why? What is it about keeping more than we need that seems to satisfy something inside of us?

I've often thought about people that live by example. I've tried to be that example, sometimes, and I have often failed miserably in many ways. But, there is always time and a way to change it.

Being on the mountaintop has reminded me of the goals I once had in my life. It reminds me of who I am, deep down inside. It also reminds me of my place in this world.

I want to be a writer, but the overwhelming noise has sapped much of my energy and drive to do it. I have gotten caught up in politics and petty arguments. I have forgotten about my Work. No, not the job that I go to Monday through Friday. I mean, my true Work. Writing, music, woodworking and creating art.

Being here on the mountain has reminded me of the incredible beauty that exists if we just use our eyes to see it. It wasn't created by any one person. It was created by so many lives that have just contributed one small piece of the puzzle. Plants, animals, humans, wind, water, fire and earth. Hundreds of thousands of years have gone into the making of the beauty around us. We only get to share in it for a very short time. Even compared against the lives of trees, we are incredibly short-lived.

What are you going to do with that time? Are you going to take more than you need? Are you going to give something back? For me, I believe that it's time to start purging again.

Remember, happiness shared is NOT happiness halved. It's DOUBLED!