Energy, First Flowers, and 9 year old boys.

My niece came to visit today with her 9 year-old son. Have you ever noticed how much energy a 9 year-old boy has? We went exploring and he loved the loft at the cabin, he thought the tree platform (an almost tree house) was pretty cool... he also saw his first Rough-Skinned Newt. He was busy telling me about his friends, then walked across our small seasonal stream. Then he was telling me all the things he would do if he came and stayed this summer. Truly a remarkable amount of energy. I have to admit to being a bit tired and in awe of parents and teachers who spend their waking days with these energy balls.



Earlier today my contemplation was about energy. This is the first flower of the year. Don't know what it is, but it was making its way into the world. My contemplation about energy was wondering about those plants that choose to make their way into the world when it is still winter. What advantage does this give them? A curiosity. Yesterday was a wonderful break in the storms and it was absolutely clear. Even though it was in the low 50's, it was warm. Maybe the flower started to make its way up and the sunshine helped it to burst out.

What would it be like if our medium of exchange was actually a measurement of energy? We could judge what we buy by the amount of energy it takes to make it (and get rid of it) and then we pay with the amount of energy that we have created. How much energy did we get by the work we put in this week? It would be a very complex system, but with our modeling capabilities, it doesn't seem out of the realm of the possible. It would also be a universal mode of exchange, rather than dollars-pounds-marks-yuan. I wonder who could create such a thing- beyond the concept?

There is also the inner energy that we have in this life. There is a Tibetan meditation practice called Tummo. This is about generating inner heat. Here is an article about it and some actual laboratory measurements that have been done. What would it be like if we expended the amount of energy that we do for our material goods toward our inner world?

In some ways, most of it is about energy. The land around us takes in solar energy and converts it to their growth and development. They mix in nutrients and water- then we get the fruit of their lives. It gives us energy and then we excrete it to provide a source of energy for other beings. How much energy do we really need?