A piece of earth that has been ravaged by time, torn apart by wind and rain and storm, eroded to the very bones of scraggy trees and sun-burnt vistas. We look at this and nearly weep for its beauty and value. We stand in awe of its agelessness and its age. We travel great distances to walk through it all and camp amongst the vastness. We sing the praises of the stark loveliness and Oh! The stars at night! We long to spend time with the quietness of timelessness. We seek to know more and more of its story that we can only think of as glorious. We spend countless amounts of money protecting it and nourishing these grounds. And so we should. So we should.A human walks by. We know nothing of the wars – personal and public – that have been fought on the plains of the soul. We do not know the storms weathered, the places torn apart by fierce winds and rain. We do not understand the places eroded to the bones. Nor do we have eyes to see the timeless, ageless, stark, wise loveliness of a person standing tall in front of us full of knowledge and heart and experiences - both beautiful and challenging - and tears and laughter and….worth. We do not seek to know more of this human’s story for we do not see the glory before us – we do not see the stars in their eyes. We see the clothes, the shoes, the piece of paper that says where this person went to school and what work experience is of value, we see the balance in the bank, the denomination they belong to, the car driven, the latest restaurant eaten in, and the judgments of others who have not stood in the shoes and life of this person. Should we? Should we?
Photo: The Arches National Park, Utah
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As always, you have put that so beautifully; and, really, the question answers itself. To see the world without boundaries or borders, and to see people without judgement: to see the truth within, and the reality beyond what we can only see on the surface - that's when true understanding begins. And people, the world, the environment are one; and when we can allow ourselves to appreciate the timeless nature of everything in this world, the flow of landscape and lives, letting everything just be what it needs to be, to live and let live, to love our world and just be, well, then surely we'll feel far more comfortable on our present journey through this world.
ReplyDeleteAnd you've worded your question far better than I've phrased my answer; but then it's more a question of how we feel than of what we say, and sometimes the wordless answers are the best anyway.
Thanks again for bringing your beautiful insights into the foreground of the world: it's a gift that the world truly needs.
Thanks, as always, for your magic,
Ian :)