August 2nd, 2020
Contributing to the Chaos while
Living – Life – Large
Dan Abernathy
Living at the end of the road, far from the massive hordes of laborious confusion, fortifies a foundation of calmness that stabilizes your serenity and virtue. Even the not so good moments seem minute compared to the perplexity and misperception of our so-called civilized society.
The other night, as the lights dimmed for the day, for a brief moment coyotes performed a short lullaby. There is something about coyotes talking and singing close by that places contentment in being within their realm. Their modern jazz like chorus flowed thought into my mind of the moments in nature that I have been witnessing each and everyday and I applauded the arrival of these intervals with humble gratitude.
Seeing these signs and valuing each one is keeping the foundation of who I am from crumbling during these muddled times we are laboring through. I have even ventured away from listening to music or a podcast as I work on art in the back of the bus. I find complete contentment to create while listening to the sounds around the pond and the hypnotic rippling of running water. It is keeping my calmness intact and I must also include, I truly believe this is heightening my creativity.
Watching, seeing and hearing nature is truly amazing when you really take notice of the simplicity of what is being seen. Lessons can be learned in this school of being a part of the now of now.
I watched a robin land by the edge of the pond and bathe itself. It took its time finding no reason to hurry or be rushed. It was doing what it was doing and completely being alive and enjoying this precise moment.
As I watched, I made reference to when I dive into the same pound and the elation that I feel in the moment of doing so. For this brief moment, I believe the robin and myself shared the same feeling of euphoria. There was nothing complicated about this integrated time of washing the day away. It just is.
As I have been doing some irrigating this summer, I too have been dealing with the multitude of wild rose bushes. There is no shortage of these prickly bushes lining the ditch banks. Often times I have taken to carry a brush axe with me as part of my irrigating routine.
I raged war on these barbed shrubs and swung the brush axe with extreme prejudice, as this thorny skirmish became part of making the water flow. The wild roses however kept true to who they are, turned the other cheek and gifted me with beautiful flowers that brought a smile to who I am. I walk among them knowing that the wild rose bush has been doing nothing but being a wild rose bush.
As I truly achieved the way of living in the now, I have started to take note of the animals I see during the day. Not just noticing what I am seeing but also pausing for a brief moment and sincerely observing what they are and what they are doing.
As I walked one day, I saw robins busily darting about, ground squirrels rushing to grow in size with the preparation for their long early sleep. A marmot crossed the road that I was walking on. I stood and watched a pair of sand hill cranes with two small colts in a wet meadow, an antelope fawn nursing and a wise old mule deer bounce into the heavy aspen to hide his massive velvet covered antlers.
Then there was the moment the eagle came to me. I was walking across an opening and saw a shadow moving from behind me. Then I heard the swish of feathered wings as it flew so very close to my head. For two or three minutes I stood in awe as this noble bald eagle soared above my head, gliding in figure eights gifting me with a message of conformation.
I reestablished my comfort with who I am at this incredible moment. Many people have to be in a category to find contentment. As for myself, I could not find any comfort in being categorized and placed in a category of definement. Here there would be no freedom and being free to be is how I live and stay true within my own definition. This is how I own my peace of mind.
Peace of mind should not be a concept that is talked about and sporadically pursued. Peace of mind should be the absoluteness of existence. It should exist independently of ideas, be untarnished and the source from which all other things derive.
The sad truth is people no longer truly care for peace of mind as thy forfeit it for fleeting stimulation. Throughout time they have constantly destroyed and slaughtered beautiful things that brings us calming contentment, and peace of mind. Perhaps because of this and for self-preservation we should tell no one when and where we travel, when we love and when we find the complete joy in living with who we are. - dbA