HOMEWORK
The piece of art we view in class today is one I have looked at before a few times. It has always seemed vaguely calming, with an edge of fear to me - and I think I know why, if I treat it as a metaphor for my own life.
In the art we can see a wanderer standing on top of a clearly detailed mountain - but beyond it the scenery dives into thick mists, with only a few landmarks available. We can see that the wanderer has an item, but it is somewhat indistinct; it could be a cane or a rapier. But most important is that, up until now, the wanderer has been able to see his path. To continue, he must go deep into places without a visible path, perhaps striking out for rare landmarks of uncertain distance, or merely searching for the horizon. As a high school senior, it seems to strike a chord that, until now, school has been THE path for life. But, though it may have taught us (and indeed, climbing will be neccesary in further travels of that wanderer) it is also not the same as real life, where we cannot see ahead, or be certain of how long it will take us to reach our goals - or even if we'll find our way there at all. It's clear that there is plenty to do in life; but it has to be explored, and cannot be exactly mapped with any precision, just as the land still beneath those mists cannot be.
COMMENTS
It seems rather odd that each time I see this piece of art, I think that same thing, but in greater detail each time. Only fitting as I continue towards the mountaintop, I suppose, or perhaps it's the fact that the 'mists' are closer each time.
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The following from Billie, merely posted for her by Rawson.
ReplyDelete“Rivers Hardly Ever”
James Dillet Freeman
Rivers hardly ever run in a straight line.
Rivers are willing to take ten thousand meanders
And enjoy every one
And grow from every one --
When they leave a meander
They are always more
Than when they entered it.
When rivers meet an obstacle,
They do not try to run over it;
They merely go around --
But they always get to the other side.
Rivers accept things as they are,
Conform to the shape they find the world in --
Yet nothing changes more than rivers;
Rivers move even mountains into the sea.
Rivers hardly ever are in a hurry --
Yet is there anything more likely
To reach the point it sets out for
Than a river?
For the relevant life changing experience.
Over three decades ago (that’s a long time), I was driving down a hill from a friend’s house and noted a car at the bottom signaling to make a left turn -- which I would also be doing. Both of us would be crossing traffic coming from west on Sir Francis Drake in Marin County in order to get into the farther lane to head east. When I got to the bottom of the hill, the car was still there. Several minutes later, the car was still there, and steam was beginning to rise! “Move; you had enough room several times; move out; go ...” was going on over and over in my head. That driver and his car were in my way; I was being delayed due to his fear/stupidity/whatever. And I was getting more frustrated by the second.
I don’t know how or why a conscious thought got past my irritation at this point, but one arose, saying in my mind, “What is my focus?”
I responded with another thought, “Getting out on to Sir Francis Drake so that I can on with my day!! Obvious, isn’t it??” (“Duh!” was not in our usage as yet :-))
And with that exchange in my head, I all of a sudden realized I had been pushing into the future rather that standing and being in the present! I realized my next step was definitely NOT getting out on to Sir Francis Drake; my next step was getting to the Stop Sign!!
Yikes and Wow!!
That bit of inner work had shifted me from my irritation and also shifted me from thrusting “past” that fearful and frozen driver (into the future) and to focusing my attention on and toward him, now as support for him to move on. My attention must have been a “gift” of needed energy, as he almost immediately pulled out and made his left turn -- safely.
I had just clarified what I took on as my approach to life from then on -- at each present moment, I need only take my next step. It became and is my core focus for moving through life -- just take my next step, and once that is taken, see where I am, and move on to my next best step. The mists will take care of and have always taken care of themselves.