Trees grow weak in biospheres because there’s no wind for them to contend against. Artificial wind is generated to let the trees develop their strength, not to be cruel, not to bully them. Spare the wind, spoil the tree.
-Jed, in Warfare
Archive for August, 2010
Strange, strange
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park
Friday, August 27th, 2010
View King’s Canyon - Sequoia - Summer 2010 in a larger map
This map roughly documents the sections of King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park that Jeff Berkman, Cris Fuentes and myself were able to visit between the 13th and the 20th of August, 2010. It was an intense and beautiful trip, filled with long hikes, breathtaking views, cold nights, oddly planned meals, a bit of off-trail madness, and lots of humor. That was definitely the best part.
You’re invited to take a good look at this interactive map, especially if you have Google Earth. It may give you a broad sense of the remarkable topography of the places we visited.
Nothing compares to having been there, or course, but if playing with the map stirs up your curiosity about, well, getting out there, then that will have meant that the time it took me to make the map was very well spent.
You can also see some photos of the trips as well, if you want.
Thousands of hours of living, condensed
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Whether you’re tall or short, attractive or not, wealthy or poor, young or old, spiritually mature or otherwise, the following is nevertheless true, at all times:
- At any given moment either you’re present for your life or you’re trying to avoid being present for your life. There really is no other choice.
- Avoiding being present sometimes feels good at first but it often leads to regret, and that’s how we find out that there was no real peace in it. The more we see the effects of avoiding being present, the closer we get to being sick of making those choices all the time.
- On the other hand, being present may not feel good at times, but it helps us recognize a kind of peace that is available to us regardless of the circumstances surrounding our current living. That kind of peace is actually indistinguishable from being present itself, and that is what is meant by the expression “the path is the goal.” This cannot be fully understood, really. Only experienced.
- In some spiritual traditions being present is what is called ‘heaven,’ the promises that come from avoiding being present are called ‘temptation’ and the effects of the avoidance are called ‘hell.’ Ultimately, it does not matter what words are used. What matters is: Are you using the ingredients of your life to fully come alive? The world will thank you and reward you for that choice, in more ways than one.
(In gratitude to my friend Kara Pecson / from whom I learn much / simply by watching her dance.)
