The Big Picture

Last week I went on a short hike above the property. It starts as an old dirt logging road and eventually turns into a single path horse trail (and now that I'm here- mountain bike) until topping out at a clear cut. On this day the clouds parted enough to give a good view of the valley in which the land is situated. That day it was a patchwork of gray and green with afew clouds drifting by until the sky became a solid sheet of gray. Our place is hidden in the foreground by the hill, the closest place is the metal roofed barn at the bottom of the image. On the horizon you can see one of the Cascade mountains.

When standing in the upper reaches on this planet I often remember this quote by Rene Daumal from his book, Mount Analogue,
...what is above knows what is below, what is below does not know what is above. While climbing, take note of all the difficulties along your path. During the descent, you will no longer see them, but you will know that they are there if you have observed carefully. There is an art to finding your way in the lower regions by the memory of what you have seen when you were higher up. When you can no longer see, you can at least still know. . .

The higher nooks and crannies of the world used to fill my waking and dreaming world. Fantasies of Himalayan first ascents or Alaskan first descents were close companions. Now my reality is a 600 ft. jaunt from Aisling to the ridgeline (1000 ft above seal level). Without getting above the land, it is hard to put it into perspective. It is so easy to stay in this beautiful valley doing the daily tasks of life without seeing the big picture. The micro-climates on the land are a wonder, but so is the larger landscape. Without a sense of one's place in the larger picture it is so easy to get lost and out-of-touch with the larger world.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a physiological condition in which distant objects appear blurred. Xenophobia is the fear of others and comes to English from the Greek word for stranger. When we mix myopic tendencies with xenophobia we get a world that is fearful of others. Then, short sightedness is brewed in this milieu and we lose sight of future generations and only become concerned with that which is right in front of us: work, kids, paycheck, fill the car with gas, pay the bills.

There is a concept of protecting the children and the planet out to the Seventh Generation. Native American tribal law even has it written into U.S. law by our Congress in 1980. The common tendency to romanticize aboriginal culture has been with "the West" for a long time. In literature is has a rich 300 year history . However, borrowing certain concepts could have a dramatic impact on our world. The idea of choosing our policies and actions based on its impact on the next seven generations is one of them. What would be different if you, me, and our governments adopted the concept of development that focuses on the seventh generation of the world (not just our country)? How would you change your behavior; your choices? What would happen if we followed the example of Bhutan and enacted a Gross National Happiness measure? What about living our lives attending to the Seventh Generation AND something that uses happiness as a measure rather than economics? It boggles the mind about how this would change our world. If only we could blend the strategic abilities that the Chinese have exhibited through the centuries with 7th Generation and Happiness focus. One person's body of work I was first introduced to in the 80's: Hazel Henderson looks at what a post-economic focus would look like.

As I sit at Aisling on this "Boxing Day" post-Christmas spending spree day, I wonder what I can do today to further promote a world that is more sane. I too notice the desire arise when seeing ads for things I want and see the addictive behavior of consumption. As the flicker drills into the trim on our house and the birds flock to consume food at the feeder, what resolve can I make to impact the world to place my personal desires in perspective? How about you? What is worth doing that will help your children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, pets and wildlife have a more happy world?

Ice, Freezing Rain, and Convenience

We are emerging from the big freeze. There were a couple of days when the temperature was below 10. Three days ago it was 9. That was the day of the big break.

A few nights ago I went outside and heard a rushing water in a place where I shouldn't be hearing it. Rushing toward the sound (concern that one of our pipes had burst) I saw that one of the outdoor faucets on our neighbors pump house was running full bore. After calling them and getting an answering machine there was a dilemma that presented itself. Do I turn it off or is there some reason for them running the water? Since we had to drain our storage tank last winter, it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that they were purging something in the system- even though the temperature was in the teens and night was coming.

Well, it turns out that the horses turned it on. Amazing what horses can do.

Three days ago, I was walking around the property before going to work... to check the water lines. It was dark and, once again, the sound of rushing water filled the air. What clear horses, I thought. It was barely daylight and in that faint light it was clear that it wasn't the horses and the faucet, but water spurting from our well head area. I didn't make it to work Friday as I worked on replacing a broken joint. By the time I finished it was mid-day and the weather report was for freezing rain.

Sure enough, the freezing rain started about 2 p.m. as Susan was finishing her drive home. Saturday, Aisling was covered in a coat of ice. The gravel road was as reflective as an ice cube. Last night there was to be a light parade in Monroe, but it was canceled.

In an urban environment it is so easy to take the infrastructure for granted, not so easy out here. We are on a well and septic system. Something breaks and we need to fix it or find someone to do it. I think it is convenience that is the cause of global warming (if it is something more than climatic cycling). People want convenience of being a comfortable temperature, we want comfortableness of driving from door to door without sweating or getting wet, and there is the desire for the plasma t.v. to watch only those things that appeal to someone's appetite. Conspicuous consumption means that more and more resources need to be extracted and more waste to dispose of.

I think there is a biological aspect to consumption that is an extension of our desire to survive and thrive- to gather or hunt more than one's neighbor. The difference is that we are evolved enough to overcome some of biological dictates. We have the capacity to reason and recognize those things that are helpful and those that are not.

When a waterline breaks or a limb falls on a roof, it is not convenient. There is a strength in being able to respond to adverse circumstances. We weaken ourselves the more and more addicted to comfort we become. It doesn't mean we have to whip ourselves or wear hair shirts, but there is value in being cold, hungry or bored. Pulling upon our own inner resources is our strengths.


Be well.