Sometimes We Have To Climb Higher So We Don't Fall-Wildcat Rock Trail
Rock Climbers on Wildcat Rock
Several weeks ago, I went hiking on Wildcat Rock Trail in the Hickory Nut Gorge. It brought back memories of when I went rock climbing in Pagosa Springs with friends in 2013. I did it then to find courage, so I could face the changes that had or were about to occur in my life. My youngest child had just left for college and I was soon to be divorced. Now or country is facing challenges unlike we have ever experienced in my lifetime. Watching these climbers made me realize we all need to find our own ways to not just endure what is happening but to find new perspectives that hopefully will help this country heal, once the election has passed. Currently, the country is mired in confusion as a result of being exposed to continual lies and the obfuscation of truth. The divisiveness is not reflective of the true nature of our Democracy or even who we are as a people. Rather reactiveness and fear have been stirred up so much that many are able to see the best course of action forward in effecting change.
Systemic Chaos, Dead Trees, Wildcat Rock Trail
Granted there is much to be fearful about, as public health messages are continually being changed and politicized to fit a false narrative that is being promulgated by the current administration. How can the people of this country make wise decisions for themselves and their families if they are being lied to and data is being falsified or hidden. When science is not respected and those who are trying to provide us with objective truth are being silenced, it is hard to see cause and effect and know what we should be doing to help keep people safe from this pandemic. And our economy is affected by the decisions we make and escalating cases will have an impact. The only way to safely open our economy is through social distancing, masks, and contract tracing. If we throw our hands up and say it is nothing, chaos will continue.
The Weight of it All
When I came upon this boulder being crushed by an even huger rock above, I was overcome by a feeling of the weight of it all. These past almost four years have been so stressful for anyone who cares deeply about the environment and human rights. I felt like I was looking at my own spine being crushed by the weight of it all. And I know for many, the burdens on their shoulders and the huge losses they have suffered have been much greater than mine have been. I have experienced the suffering of a family member, but I have not lost anyone yet. Nor have I lost my job and my family have all retained theirs. We are relatively fortunate and still I feel like I have been shouldering a huge boulder and so much pain. I can only imagine what so many in this country are feeling now.
Wildcat Waterfall, a Thin Trickle of Water that Sustains Life
To those who have suffered greatly this year, I hope you can still find a thin trickle of hope inside. When change comes, and it will, I pray that your courage and the support of family and friends and hopefully our government again can help you revive and meet 2021 with renewed hope. What a year we have endured. Throughout history people have met and survived atrocities and found ways to build new and better futures. Find a stream or a waterfall and watch it if you can. Water reminds us that nothing stays the same and that we can connect our past, present, and future to learn and grow.
Jewel Weed, Moss, and Granite
Even in rocky times, moss, jewel weed and other living things find a way to flourish. Don’t let your spirits be destroyed and try not to succumb to hopelessness. Then we are surely beaten.
Fungi Explosion
Sometimes it may feel like you are Sisyphus, trying over and again to carry a giant boulder uphill. But that feeling is most powerful when we feel cut off and like we are facing things alone. Fungi show us the value of working together and helping one another, which makes us all grow stronger.
View from the Summit, Wildcat Rock Trail
And if you have the strength to reach the summit, know that it is one of many that you will need to scale. We may catch a glimpse of what is important and we must take that memory back with us as we work in the world. May the changes we effect help all beings be happy, free from suffering, rejoice in the well-being of others, and live in peace, free from greed and hatred, as the Buddhists so wisely seek through meditation. Thought it maybe especially challenging right now, we are engaging in the highest self-care if we can find ways to find ways to achieve more equanimity in the face of chaos. The harder it gets, the more value meditation has to connect with our own inner strength, as long as we are willing to come down from the rock and help others climb out of the mess we find ourselves in right now.