This one was written in 2005, and is always a favorite to go back to for perspective, and so I re-post it here from its original source.
*clearing*
...some days, i look for the answers.
...others, they find me.
A few lessons (re) learned on one of my weekend escapes.
*mellow yellow*
amazing how the smallest and simplest things hold such uncommon beauty when you just stop to look at them. do it more often before the days when the sun doesn't shine as brightly are upon you.
*focus*
a strangely comforting new friend. his lesson is that although we may walk many paths and although we may not always know which way our feet are taking us, there is a certain slow and meditative deliberation to traveling each path that is to be acknowledged, practiced, and honored. also, worrying about your shoes is a waste of time.
*broken heart*
this red trail blaze struck me as i walked past it, because its placement so looked like someone had shot this tree right through the heart...yet it stood strong and beautiful. don't allow past injuries or interferences in your plan to stop you from growing. wear your scars proudly, and keep reaching for the sky.
*rotary*
when you're looking to find out where you are, keep an eye peeled for signs...
*'Bama-rama*
sometimes, it's ok to wear a disguise, long as you can keep things in perspective and don't take it too seriously. going incognito can also be a lot of fun. useful for hiding from fans, stalkers, the paparazzi, telemarketers, and your job.
*vista past leatherman's cave*
the trail we hiked came past a place called Leatherman's Cave. the story was of a French trapper and furrier, who, hoping to win the approval of his beloved, took over her family's business when her father's health failed. he failed miserably, and drove the business into the ground. ashamed and unable to face her any longer, he made himself a 40 lb suit of leather and proceeded to wander. for over 20 years, he walked a loop around upper Westchester and Connecticut wearing this suit, accepting neither shelter nor conversation from well meaning strangers. he would accept food and the chance to sleep in their barns, but he rarely spoke, and became a bit of a regional legend. he retired to a cave in the woods of what is now Harriman State Park, where he was found dead, his body riddled with cancer, still wearing his 40 lb leather suit. just beyond this damp cavern, crawling with spiders and snakes and echoes, is a trail that leads to this beautiful vista with its miles and miles of sky and river and green.
Often we carry such heavy burdens, the weight of things that have long been forgotten or forgiven by others, that we fail to see that just past -this- are wonders waiting to make themselves known right before our eyes.
*wild ride*
always take your closest friends along with you for the ride. they are always the best source for endless support, laughter, shared sandwiches, and shared memories. hey, who else is gonna snap that photo for you!??! team tale telling is my favorite sport. keep company that will keep long car rides from feeling TOO long. if you can stand being in a car with someone for more than an hour, they're probably pretty damn cool.
*like, whoa*
but(t)--don't be afriad to set limits where you have to, even with your best friends...
*hot shit*
particularly in regard to how much time you allow to pass with your friend inside one of these before you begin to worry.
Lesson(s) learned.
