Last week I ventured into the wilderness. Ok, I guess since the trailhead parking lot was full, the path was well trod, and we passed more than a dozen fellow hikers, wilderness is not exactly accurate. It was, though, far from the sights, sounds, and smell of the city. We hiked up to Conundrum Springs, natural hot springs at the peak of a valley (do valleys have peaks?) not far from Aspen, Colorado.
One of my aspirations for this trip was to leave behind me, even if temporarily, the stress and anxieties of the daily grind. Is that really possible? Can we shed our worries as we shed our tailored clothes, makeup, dress shoes, and all the other accessories of life back home? Is it truly that simple?
Yes, yes it is. With each foot of elevation gain my heart felt a little lighter, and it wasn't just the thin air going to my head. As we approached two miles above sea level, my worries may as well have taken up residence on another planet.
Day two of our trip afforded us several hours of silent contemplation while relaxing the the hot springs overlooking the valley on one side and lofty mountain peaks on the other. It was then that the mountain spoke to me.
"I will remain here forever," it said, "or at least forever in
comparison with your brief life. No matter what mistakes you make, what troubles befall you, what riches find you, I don't care. Year after year I will stand here. You may come back to visit, you can even bring your children. Or, you may never return again. Either way, it doesn't matter to me, because here I will stand."
This reminder of my insignificance, instead of sobering me, relieved me. What I had thought so important, so life altering, now seemed puny. This freed me to breathe easier, to take in all that surrounded me. It allowed me to relax in the mountain's gentle cradle. It asked nothing of me but my presence, and I took nothing from it but its peace.
In one week I will return to the classroom. I look forward to another year of teaching, of the laughter, frustration, joy, and weariness it will bring. Yes, I anticipate helping my students move toward discovering and achieving their goals and dreams, but my life will not depend on it.
For I know that no matter what, the mountain stands there still, waiting for my return. Or not waiting. It doesn't really matter.
6 comments:
Mountains talk to you? Is it kind of the same way as Jesus talking to a fig tree and cursing it or Satan/spirits inside pigs? - a metaphor?
I have never had a mountain talk to me, Dagney. Not even a rock...
But I know Jesus said you can move mountains if you have faith? - metaphor? He did not sound like he was meaning something else..
P.S. Two pairs of legs... Whose the second? Your's is on the left, right?
Yes, he often spoke in metaphors and hyperbole. I don't think Jesus was as crazy as you give him credit for or as some of his followers make him out to be.
If you want to hear a mountain or a rock, you must listen very, very carefully.
Correct. The less hairy pair of legs on the left is mine. The second pair belongs to my beautiful man, Ruben.
Living in sin with a beautiful man, Dagney?
What would Jesus say?
Knowing that "not a single iota of the old law" is to be changed and he had come to fulfill it, I'd say you both deserve eternal punishement in the dream world of Xianity.
In the real world, enjoy!
KCFreeThinkers If you take the time to listen or moreless free yourself for a moment from these worldly views whether it be religious laws (not Gods laws), your own sins, or even the simplest of troubles you would not only notice that mountains talk to you but all of GODS beautiful creations. Dagney just had the time to listen.
Hi Dagney! This is Heather from your old days the Wesley Foundation. What and whom do you teach these days?
Hi Heather! Good to hear from you. I'm teaching in the Adult Education department at Kansas City Community College. I'm teaching Language Arts to students preparing for their GED, and I'm loving it!
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