Being that I grew up in New Orleans, a place surrounded by water, regularly flooded by water, below sea level, and a culture that dares to throw a party when watery hurricanes threaten from the sky... I have developed a secret love for the power of water when it begins to overflow. Some people get a thrill from sky diving or a roller coaster - I get a similar adrenline rush of happy contenment to see a flood swelling up. The power of nature is something I can depend on, understand, and sometimes even relate to. Even when it crosses the fine line between beautiful over to destructive.The massive rains we had the last few days filled the streams, creeks and rivers to the very edge... staying in the beauty zone and not so much the re-creator - I had to take my bike out yesterday morning and see what my favorite creek down the road had turned into.
I parked my bike next to the bridge, immediately realizing where I usually play under there and collect rocks was now totally underwater. I had to carefully climb some slimy wet boulders to get to the soggy mud and squish my way upward into the woods, towards what was once a noticeable waterfall.
The water was so high in the creek and rushing down so hard the sound was deafening! I wished so much I had a video camera to share the sound with ya'll... the intensity and power was such that the once waterfall was eclipsed by it's own water volume and could hardly be seen. (Check out this link to see what the Willow Creek Rd waterfall looked like in April!)
I crouched down in the trees for a while and watched - but more so listened. I was by myself and thought it was a good time to stay quiet, sort of a nod to mother nature for being so cool.
Eventually I felt tired and was ready to go back... hiking back through the slippery leaves, steep hill, crawling under pines tree branches and squishing through the muck, and back over the slippery boulder to the bridge.
I pulled by bike back up to the road and took off.
XoXo
9 comments:
All Hail .. the Knuckle !!
to answer your question from april about running off into the forest. it would both weaken and strengthen your health at different intervals. it will always weaken the ego.
to return as a bliss ninny would insure the animals and insects would have a feast.
as a tribal earth mama you stand a good chance, because you already posses the spirit and how-to experience of basic primitive skills.
mother nature is always cruel and kind at the same time.
Leslie, I love how you combine your nature photos with vivid descriptions of it...I felt like I was there, hearing the water rushing!
What I wanted to let you know is that I got my online issue of the Chemical Injury Information Network newsletter and in the ads there was one that made me think of you. Do you get the CIIN news?
If you do, you've already seen it...the ad sent in by "Heather"
Three couples with MCS are relocating to the mountains of Western North Carolina (Jackson Co) They've located land and a non-toxic builder but need more mcs people to make it affordable. If interested call Heather at 828-586-3649. Let me know if this is anything you haven't seen and may be interested in.
Take care,
Ruth
Leslie,
Ditto to Ruth's comment. Your writing and photos are getting stronger and rich with the life you are living. EA!
@Panne "it would both weaken and strengthen your health ... it will always weaken the ego." That is such a bushel of truth. The hold on ideas is the domain of ego and I have seen that happen over and over and I try to stay with my path no as a 'bliss ninny' but perhaps. I love this comment and appreciate it for all the reasons important to us out here in nature and the city' nature.
Mokihana
Blair- Hells yeah. Maybe I can't make it uphill too good, but i love my bike for every inch it can take me, and the swoosh of downhill.
Panne- I have always felt that my health would be better intuitively- but have the underlying fear of being broken (health-wise) by modern life too much already... I am certain I am moving towards it though now and think I might just step up the pace a bit. What helps, is learning from other people all the skills it takes to be the 'tribal earth mama', and combining it with natural instincts and observations.
I certainly know that mother nature's combo of cruel and kind is really just a way to keep it balanced and clean. It's cruelty is part of the natural order of things, and as much as it may suck to our human mind and hearts at times- even producing tragedy - earth would fail to thrive otherwise (and therefore so would we as a species).
This leads me to there being so much more tragedy because there are so many more people on the earth- but gawd, don't even get me started on overpopulation!
Ruth! - Thanks so much! Also, I don't get that newsletter and I know exactly where Jackson County is, it's is not even an hour from my house here- in fact I have alot of family living in that county right now.
I have various thoughts on living within a MCS community - i know there are great benefits, but then i worry about the collective restrictions that I feel I could grow out of one day. Not that I would ever be using anything not natural and organic... i have no desire to go "back to" a lifestyle which uses toxic products. But there are things i wonder about- like burning wood for heat, which I do because it is the poor man's original warmth and I do OK with it if the wood stove is good...
But knowing my neighbors are not going to be polluting is a MAJOR plus!!! Right now I am in the process of looking for land, and I think I will give Heather a call just to see whats going on with them. :) Thanks for the tip! (What are ya'lls thoughts on MCS communities?)
Mokihana - Your comments are always full of introspective joy and movement....
I purposely leave my blog posts open ended so people can take it where ever it took them, the comments are what add the richness to the post and I appreciate every single one of them.
xoxo
All of your blogs draw me into your experience, but this blog is particularly powerful. Like you, I grew up in Louisiana, pretty much surrounded by water and/or rain. I always find something in/about water that touches my emotions...rushing water humbles me, reminds me I am but one of many; a strong river like the Mississippi urges me to carry on when muscles are sore; a gentle stream urges me to sit down and think nothing or stick my toes in the water and enjoy the freedom of being who I am; polluted water, tho, angers me, pushes my Hot Button, that more has to be done to clean up our environment, protect our environment...Anyway, I got goose bumps looking at your pics, even clicked the link...THANK YOU!
Re MCS communities. The idea of MCS community is a positive vision to hold. The reality of implementation is difficult. We have experienced both sides of that vision and implementation, and have learned that the extreme differences in sensitivities (between two with MCS) challenges forward movement. When an exposure brings one person down, the dynamic of community changes. I'm not so sure at this stage in life whether I have it in me to focus my energy on that (MCS community) as a path.
Our journey appears to be about relieving ourselves of ego-attachment/worn out beliefs and completing the tiny home and wee life from a simple wagon. Those are plenty work out here in the wilds and in the cities lit with over-consumption.
Perhaps with time and a collective of MCSers with more healing, supportive folks who are not sensitive , pods of shared living can grow. It's a good dream that needs lots of positive attending from many directions.
i'd volunteer to help out with the things that a mcs individual or community can't deal with due to sensitivities. just because it's non toxic or organic doesn't mean mcs people won't react to it. just becaus it's organic doesn't mean it's non toxic.
i'm one of the most chemically tolerant individuals i know. from knee boarding behind a dirt bike in sewage ditches as a kid, being fed turpentine for worms, chemicals of all varieties on the farm including DDT, automotive paints and strippers, furniture refinishing, living in a disaster area for 41 years and doing disaster relief work and a host of others i'm sure i never realized.
i should've been dead a long time ago. i probably emit enough chemical residue that leslie is probably allergic to me, lol.
everyone's health and well being improves when they find the place where their soul sings, dances and laughs.
Kittie- that was perfectly and poetically written! The power of water in no joke growing up in the daily thunderstorms of Louisiana, were land meets swamp at every turn. I like how describe water pressing different emotional buttons.
Mokihana- I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on MCS communities, especially since I know you have put alot of effort and thought into trying it! Your concerns and learning experiences are very similar to my own --- there are many illnesses that require much of the same and coherent practices, but people with chemical injury really do react to all sorts of different things! It's congruent that we all do bad with chems, but like Panne points out there are some organic things and natural things people react to.
on that note- PANNE! my gawd, the things we were exposed to growing up in that state are really crazy! You have good strong genes, that it made you tolerant instead of sick.
I am totally with you on the health improving when you find a place where your soul sings! It not about specifics, but it is the place and time that brings up the feeling of wanting to celebrate life...that is home. :)
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