What Matters is How You Show Up
In the Flow
When I was visiting the Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park last week, we hiked along the creek which was flowing quite vigorously after the recent rains. I came across this view of a waterfall that was incredibly special to me. There was only room for one or two people at most to stand here, which made the experience seem very private. The giant boulder on the left obscured the swimming hole on the other side and the branches and rocks on the right hid the origin of the falls. It felt like the “now” was being framed for me to ponder in all its fullness. The ‘“moment” was happening over and over again as the flow of the creek continued unabated, and I simultaneously experienced the richness of life teeming inside of me. I viscerally realized that this moment is all we are guaranteed of and we need to celebrate its ephemeral existence with all its dichotomies and uncertainties. If we expand our consciousness, the turbulence of the waters that connect us with the past and future, and the framing of one second that can never remain the same for even a nanosecond but is perhaps more real than our memories can both be embraced. I felt something inside of me wake up that has been dormant since trying to get my book and recent work out in the world. The joy I continually experience in nature, the way I have always lived life to the fullest recognizing how precious it is, seemed to have faded a bit as my beginners mind was silenced in favor of analytic attempts to codify the meaning of my images so I would appear more professional. I was cut off from my own flowing waters and was beginning to lose the joy of creativity. Standing in this spot, I realize that I am still very much alive and in the flow of life–in fact we all can be every second our hearts beat, our lungs take in air, and we are able to ingest nutrients that sustain us.
Golden Root
This root that valiantly reached across a boulder near the falls seemed to be made of gold from the way the light illuminated it. Roots are indeed that precious. They connect trees with the earth and carry water, oxygen, and nutrients, and they put make nutrients into the soil and absorb excess water. This mutualism is what keeps forests alive. When trees are severed from their roots they die, but it generally takes about five to ten years for that to happen. When trees are left to die on their own and decompose naturally, the network between the roots and the mycorrhizal connections in the soil are less disturbed and this leads to more robust growth in the future and healthier ecosystems. Leaving dead trees and roots in the forest even has a name now, “morticulture,” and it means forests of the living dead. (https://new.nsf.gov/news/morticulture-forests-living-dead). Leaving the roots of mother trees alone is especially important. Experiments done by the Mother Tree Project have shown “that when forests are harvested, the retention of Mother Trees helps the forest regenerate. Seeds from the Mother Tree germinate nearby and quickly tap into the fungal web and receive resources that boost their chances of survival.” (https://mothertreeproject.org/about-mother-trees-in-the-forest/#:~:text=These%20highly%2Dconnected%20hub%20trees,the%20young%20seedlings%20around%20them).
Walking in wild spaces teaches us things that we have forgotten in our fast paced digital worlds. We are reminded of the importance of being cognizant of our own roots and not embracing the amnesia of the past that seems to have taken hold in this country. When we remember our ancestors and keep their teachings alive and pay heed to collective knowledge through the ages, we should be able to avoid repeating behaviors that lead to undesirable outcomes, adapt more easily to change, and understand our own place in the interconnected web of life so we can live more balanced, compassionate, and fulfilled lives. “History repeats itself” is not just a cliche or aphorism despite the overuse of this phrase. If we forget our histories, then we are at a real disadvantage, especially if others want to use playbooks from history and we are blind to what they are doing or forget past consequences of similar actions.
Philosopher’s Stone in the Forest
What really matters is how we show up in our lives, and that includes remaining in the flow of life, remembering our roots, and establishing meaningful and supportive connections with nature and those around us. The other day, I attended a yoga class from Cristy, one of my favorite teachers who just celebrated her fiftieth birthday. She told our class that she had an epiphany at her surprise birthday party, which I was also fortunate to attend. Her epiphany was that it doesn’t matter what we do or accomplish, or how famous we are or anything like that, it matters how we show up. Accomplishing things, making photos others consider great and getting in a museum, or attaining public office, or making the cover of an art magazine or Time may seem like a goal or a worthy reward, but truly that is not what is most important and at the end of our lives it won’t be what brings us solace. The real reward is showing up and greeting each day as the best versions of ourselves. It is loving ourselves and each other and allowing ourselves to be polished by challenges, so that we can respond to life with more appreciation, grace and compassion. Life is indeed precious and we owe it to ourselves to live as fully as we can. Sometimes our bodies and minds don’t function as we wish they would, Cristy observed, or life throws us curve balls. We age or have health or mental challenges, or our families and friends do, but that does not mean we can’t still find better ways to show up and celebrate each moment that is gifted to us, since although history repeats, the moments in our lives do not.