Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Something Beyond the Busy Life

A few days ago, I got out of bed and wanted to do nothing but sit in the woods. Just sit and listen to the sounds around me, watch for movements, smell and breathe the cold winter air, and feel the cold northwestern Wisconsin wind blow across my uncovered face. But, I didn't. I was busy and had things I needed to do.

Now this feeling has occasionally arisen in me for the past 25 years. It didn't matter if I was at home or at school or heading off to the logging job. Most of the time I've ignored it, but there are times when I don't and I seem never to regret it.

I was paging through Robert Bly's "Iron John" and found this brief passage while looking for another quote I had in mind to include in a post:

"The Wild One in you is that one which is willing to leave the busy life, and able to be called away.

The strong leaves of the box-elder tree,
Plunging in the wind, call us to disappear
Into the wilds of the universe,
Where we shall sit at the foot of a plant,
And live forever, like the dust." [Robert Bly, Pg.223, Iron John]

I've sat with plants in the past, and hope to do more of it in the future. And the few times I have sat with them living forever did cross my mind. I just might be starting to understand why that is. Thank you Mr. Bly.

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