July 25, 2006
A Summer Time Tale
Time....
and the River Flowing
True Adventure? Don't Just Do Something.... Stand There!
Friends ask: "What did you do on your family vacation to the Southern Utah?"
To which I respond... we hiked phenomenally narrow slot canyons, floated down crystal waters between towering walls of red sandstone with a ribbon of blue sky above. But I know what made our family journey truly great is what we did not do. The boldest, bravest most memorable days and hours were those when we did almost nothing. In the true scheme of things, as a family, when we did the least... that's when we accomplished the most.
What is the most awesome power of Earth? Ask any ranger: How did that gently flowing river carve the deep gorges and glorious mazes of the Southwest? The answer: Time. What is the only cure for grief and the sadness of loss... the only source of true perspective? What does survey after survey reveal as the one thing we all desire but feel wee never get enough of?
Time.
Walking with Kate and my children through the sandstone mazes, we gazed in wonder at the cliff sides above us. We held hands and marveled at the beauty of a stream running over rocks, cascading waterfalls. We took days to simply wonder and wander, to be together sharing the greatest gift of life. Time.
In time, all is revealed. In time, love blossoms. In time canyons are carved. In time, mountain ranges disappear. And, in time, even the most wounded heart heals.
Summertime, is the opportunity to take control of time. To slow things down. To lengthen the silence between the notes where the true music of life resides. To have `the time of your life'. A slogan for a more cosmic Smokey: Only You Can Stop Time.
The Boldest Adventure Can be Daring to Do Nothing at All
This has already been an 'adventurous' summer for me. Though my exploits have thus far been largely confined to local rocks and mountains here in Idyllwild, heart-rending, pulse-punding adventure has found me. Dear friends have been lost to terminal illness, others have moved thousands of miles away, an exquisite personal relationship has ended precipitously. Fortunately I have had 'time' to reflect on all these life transitions. The big lesson?
Never take love for granted.
See, on our little family adventure, ultimately the gifts that will last a lifetime were derived from neither the thrill of our activities or even the glories of nature. But of simply being with each other. We stopped time. And for a few short days we stopped taking love for granted.
If you are heading off on a personal or family adventure: remember it is not about the packing or going or the doing. It is about the being. Savoring the space between the notes. Time is racing by and it's up to you to grab it. Whether you are headed back to the beyond or your simply behind your house, invite your family - or just yourself - to a picnic. Eat a sandwich. And do nothing. Experience what happens.
Adventure is not what you think. It certainly is not what you do. Adventure comes by itself, the moment we stop being busy and, like the river over time, begin flowing. Doing nothing, accomplishing everything. Never taking love for granted.
Jack and Yeshe Salz in Harris Gulch
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