Originally written on September 26, 2010.
I was thinking this morning about how life is
similar to the way a river meanders through the earth, finding the path of
least resistance with the occasional forced moments of redirection. Sure, we
want life to be easy and just move along nicely around this bend, through the
narrows and then around that bend. Though I've had my share of blissfully calm
waters, when the floods come we have to brace ourselves for where it takes us
and we fight for our very survival, even in a good flood. There are many times
when we have to push for what we want and make our own path, our own 'going to
go there' moment.
Also, just like a river, sometimes a boulder falls into our path and disrupts everything. The river has it easy as it finds a way to simply move around the boulder, pushing away the earth as needed and moving on. There are those who are all about being in the moment, being in the here and now, they may say "be like a river and just go around the obstacle" in your life. Maybe that would be a good talent. Then the river doesn't feel. It doesn't have to think about what to do next. When it moves the earth, it isn't tossing people aside to do so. It doesn't have to think about what just happened or who did it to you or wonder what their motivation was. All this stuff that gets in the way and joins the boulder, making it a greater obstacle than it already is. The rivers water can also be cold and unfeeling and that isn't who I am.
Unlike the river, I can go where I choose, my path isn't chosen for me. Sure there may be a guide, a general sense of direction, but in the end I choose all the turning and stopping and going moments, navigating my way through my day, my own here and now. With me the boulders do disrupt my flow. Eventually I do manage to find a way around the boulder, sometimes having to scale over it and back down onto the other side. The river erodes its boulder with constant pressure and, over time, converts it into sand and gravel, leaving no memory that it was ever there.
There are many boulders strewn behind me, a bit like Marley's chains and chests, but quieter. For me the boulders never disappeared into the bank of my river of time, becoming the sand and gravel of my past. I can turn around and see them, every facet that they have left upon me is there. Like the river, some of those boulders had no reason why they happened then, and some of the reasons are still very elusive today. I am learning a little bit from the river ... of those boulders that are well behind me and deep in my past, the why doesn't matter anymore.
Also, just like a river, sometimes a boulder falls into our path and disrupts everything. The river has it easy as it finds a way to simply move around the boulder, pushing away the earth as needed and moving on. There are those who are all about being in the moment, being in the here and now, they may say "be like a river and just go around the obstacle" in your life. Maybe that would be a good talent. Then the river doesn't feel. It doesn't have to think about what to do next. When it moves the earth, it isn't tossing people aside to do so. It doesn't have to think about what just happened or who did it to you or wonder what their motivation was. All this stuff that gets in the way and joins the boulder, making it a greater obstacle than it already is. The rivers water can also be cold and unfeeling and that isn't who I am.
Unlike the river, I can go where I choose, my path isn't chosen for me. Sure there may be a guide, a general sense of direction, but in the end I choose all the turning and stopping and going moments, navigating my way through my day, my own here and now. With me the boulders do disrupt my flow. Eventually I do manage to find a way around the boulder, sometimes having to scale over it and back down onto the other side. The river erodes its boulder with constant pressure and, over time, converts it into sand and gravel, leaving no memory that it was ever there.
There are many boulders strewn behind me, a bit like Marley's chains and chests, but quieter. For me the boulders never disappeared into the bank of my river of time, becoming the sand and gravel of my past. I can turn around and see them, every facet that they have left upon me is there. Like the river, some of those boulders had no reason why they happened then, and some of the reasons are still very elusive today. I am learning a little bit from the river ... of those boulders that are well behind me and deep in my past, the why doesn't matter anymore.
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