(All photos are mine unless noted. You can bring the
pictures up in full screen by double clicking on any image. Click on a border
to return.)
The wonders of the home we live in, the marvels of the piece of the planet we spend our life in. Foe many years I lived in New York City and worked for many years in the buildings that make up the skyline with their height and silhouette. I often noted looking out of a high floor perhaps 30 or more stories up, how little life I could spot - how little green or striving for the sun could be spotted anywhere. This is not to say that green spots aren't there, it is just that in midtown Manhattan there are many views that do not include a single tree or blade of grass. These things do not pay building owners $150 and up for a single square foot of space, so they are relegated to foreign lands, Central Park, Brooklyn and Queens.
What a distance we have come from the joy and reverence the original American Indian communities had for the earth before the great rape of almost all of the land began the slow march to the near extinction of so much non-profitable acreage. Without the National Park system along with many who believe that the forests, deserts, and mountains deserve some kind of protection there might be little open space left. For instance, the State of New Jersey is now within a few years of having no - no (!) - developable land left in the its entirety. To boot, any space open but public, say the Pine Barrens, the part of Harriman State Park in the Jersey borders, are constantly being looked at by developers who are a huge lobby group in both the State and Federal Houses of government. These initiatives are being pushed in the entire country, and in some places National Forests are up for grabs.
Okay, the prospects are grim, but what can I do to retain equanimity, a sense of peace with my Environment? I am thankful for the available land here in Maine, especially Acadia National Park, where even during the summer invasion one can find places where very few go. They have become vital for my emotional health and general well-being. When Lee and I meet the occasional traveler on the trail or carriage road we always greet them with a sincere "Hi" or "Hello." To my constant surprise most reply in kind. The only people who don't are probably big city people who may have lost trust in strangers who always "want something." In New York this simply rarely happens as very few are trusting enough to not be fearful of losing something.
My quandary is this, could I be just as happy with a window plant that thrives as well as the wild greenery? Well, I could if necessary. I had a plant many years ago that lived for almost ten years in Manhattan, not a record but a good start. That small piece of life sustained me and prodded me into making sure I took care, fed and watered it.
So it is with the life spiritual. Careful feeding and watering brings growth, harmony, and connectedness to the greater Graced Creation that surrounds us always.
The land and all that grows on it has a piece of God in it. Nothing is alive without the Divine Hand's role in its existence. How does one see this? The following photo for me is something of an answer. Let's call it "The Spirit Rises Each Day."
What a distance we have come from the joy and reverence the original American Indian communities had for the earth before the great rape of almost all of the land began the slow march to the near extinction of so much non-profitable acreage. Without the National Park system along with many who believe that the forests, deserts, and mountains deserve some kind of protection there might be little open space left. For instance, the State of New Jersey is now within a few years of having no - no (!) - developable land left in the its entirety. To boot, any space open but public, say the Pine Barrens, the part of Harriman State Park in the Jersey borders, are constantly being looked at by developers who are a huge lobby group in both the State and Federal Houses of government. These initiatives are being pushed in the entire country, and in some places National Forests are up for grabs.
Okay, the prospects are grim, but what can I do to retain equanimity, a sense of peace with my Environment? I am thankful for the available land here in Maine, especially Acadia National Park, where even during the summer invasion one can find places where very few go. They have become vital for my emotional health and general well-being. When Lee and I meet the occasional traveler on the trail or carriage road we always greet them with a sincere "Hi" or "Hello." To my constant surprise most reply in kind. The only people who don't are probably big city people who may have lost trust in strangers who always "want something." In New York this simply rarely happens as very few are trusting enough to not be fearful of losing something.
My quandary is this, could I be just as happy with a window plant that thrives as well as the wild greenery? Well, I could if necessary. I had a plant many years ago that lived for almost ten years in Manhattan, not a record but a good start. That small piece of life sustained me and prodded me into making sure I took care, fed and watered it.
So it is with the life spiritual. Careful feeding and watering brings growth, harmony, and connectedness to the greater Graced Creation that surrounds us always.
The land and all that grows on it has a piece of God in it. Nothing is alive without the Divine Hand's role in its existence. How does one see this? The following photo for me is something of an answer. Let's call it "The Spirit Rises Each Day."
Spirit Rising,
When I am down and depressed
Reveal your Beauty -
Let Your Presence rise in me.
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A Maple leaf, fifty-five millions old!
This is a fossil that I bought a few years ago, and I see it every day as a reminder that the earth, impermanent as it is, remains with recurring life even as my years are heading toward its next phase. Unlike this leaf embedded in rock, my impermanence is a lot shorter in its span.
What a miracle, a leaf left seemingly intact for my/our remembrance of things, past and present. How can this Be? I know the answer but it leaves me with a most unsatisfactory explanation of the Truth of of the miracle of what was alive that long ago.
It is a treasure that can be held every day. So is the treasure of my life, your life, and all life.
- Standing On Holy
Ground 14 –
"I AM ! "
I heard as the voice came on the storm's
thundering crashes.
"But i am !"
I shouted back.
"Now you see."
Came a gentle reply.
Bill
Lagerstrom, March 2012
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My Road at dusk, a favorite time of day
- A
few Readings For Writing and Pondering Meditation –
This is the secret of the teaching.
It may be so, but it is not always so.
Without being caught by words or rules,
without many preconceived ideas,
we actually do something,
and doing something,
we apply our teaching.
Shunryu Suziki
If you don't know where you're going,
turn around and make sure
you know where you're coming from.
African
saying.
Solitude does not mean living apart from
others,
it means never living apart from one's
self.
Parker Palmer
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A little Humor:
Peace, Bill Lagerstrom
