I love the light, sea air and the feel of water wherever I can get it. I am a natural hedonist.
So when circumstances turned, I choose to visit a secret place, a haven few know about that is about as "other" from anything in Northern California as you can imagine. It is like taking a trip to Bali, a sort of NorCal Bali, but I love it.
I made the trip, and trudged in well equipped with packs and clipped gortex pouches, even a blue "Mac" expandible chair...like I actually know what the hell I am doing.
No one was there...well no one human but myself except the occasional one flying hundreds of feet overhead in a twin-engine Cessna.
So for blocks of time it was silent, or so I thought in the beginning.
___________________
I brought with me Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude and Thomas Merton's Love and Living. Merton, a Trappist Monk, was a solitary.
I am, for now, a solitary of sorts.
Of the perhaps nine to eleven "cells" or bamboo caves, I found mine at the far West end.
I set camp within and under. Settled, I immediately heard the wind moving over the high layered roofs of bamboo like rain. It created that intimacy that one feels cacooned within a warm space while it coldly showers outside.
But there was no real rain. Just cool with warm sand five feet ahead and the beckoning cool waters just beyond that.
Rain would have been nice, on another day, but it was warm, almost hot on the beach, but cool and dark in the caves.
To the far right, by the waters edge, someone had built a tall sand totem to mark their visitation. Probably children.
I duly noted it as I passed , but did not bow (though tempted).
Funny how humans create art everywhere to mark their being. Andre Malraux said "Art is humanity's last defense against death." I like Malraux...In fact, I know his nephew several times removed. But in the end, art is no deterrent, or deferment for death. It is merely a signpost or protest that we actually matter, even in death.
Sooner, rather than later for some...but always soon enough.
But in the meantime, you matter. I matter. Art will not save us...maybe God will save us, maybe God does not exist.
I do think that if God can be found anymore it will be in the most unusual places. God has been driven out of most of the other truly human haunts..most notably the churches.
Want to find God? Go where no one else goes. Find a ridiculous place filled with irony...or a desolate place...just anyplace where the paving and branding of humanity has not squeezed out every last indicator, not broken every last true mirror, has not dried up every last small river or sliver of hope.
Find that place and wait.
God'll show...probably.
If not, you made the effort. Good for you.
_________________
Part Two coming...
4 comments:
Very powerful recommendation...go where no one else goes! I think you site is very intriging.
You suggested I write more, I do write on my other blogs, but the "death memories" one I haven't felt inspired to write on in months. Maybe you just inpired me.
Please check out my other blogs if you'd like.
I really like the bit about the couple. I could see them, even with such few words spent. Well done on all counts.
I love it when solitude comes together like that. I need more of it though.
cheers. ;)
on the 4th of july, jon and i hiked in to our favorite beach and spent the entire day in solitude.
it was beautiful and very sunny . . . and quiet. we spent most of the day reading on the beach. the water was even warm enough to swim (in oregon this is a big deal)!
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