Time to get Serious*
My original intention for this blog was to record my thoughts and inspirations, reflections and heartfelt beliefs…at some point. This present journey was (supposed to be) about much more than photos and explanations of my daily meanderings. I feel as though I’ve been traveling towards adulthood — no longer scratching and clawing in protest along the way.
In my early 20’s I dreaded a routine life; same old, same old with one’s spouse and job. It seemed that nothing could be more horrific than the mundanity of whatever rut might await me. So, for the most part I avoided that life — thanks to my scratching/clawing; but still found myself mired in laziness and complacency during my detox work and private practice doing Acupuncture. The work itself, while often rewarding, felt like an anchor holding me at Bay, so to speak. I knew that I needed a change, but lacked the courage or stamina to leave my comfort zone. Instead, my 2006 “breakdown” forced me to undergo a career transition.
But, we all know that life is mundane, and full of same- olds. Heck, every morning without fail that red/yellow ball in the sky shows its face —illuminating and bringing life to our planet. And each day, we MUST find nourishment and refuge from the elements for our body and soul.
Today, rather than fearing (the rut, route, or rout of) routine, I now relish the opportunity in meeting the daily challenges of psycho-physical life in our cosmic playground.
Last month, I mentioned fears I was confronting during this voyage. Most recently, acrophobia has reared its ugly head. While seriously afraid of heights throughout my childhood, working as a house painter during many Summers eased my discomfort to a considerable degree. However, driving on steep mountain roads and climbing rocky mountain ridges has resurrected my fear of falling — and subsequent mortality no doubt — and has been a constant companion these past two weeks on Samos.
- Some kids who were definitely not scared of heights
- One of them was attacking a poor defenseless olive tree
3. & 4. Speaking of heights and their intermittent grip on my fear factory…these two shots attest to a proud moment. Several days ago I took photos of the archway out the back of Pythagoras’ real cave. Well, as it turns out it’s only about 80 yards of a drop. A couple of days earlier I reconnoitered to see weather there was a path towards that back descent.
On October 11th, after early morning yoga on the beach and my morning meditation (and while Hubi was still in bed) I drove the 11 km to “base camp” and took off off up the mountain. The rock sign on the path did not deter me!…but I should have worn long pants!!
Intuitively I angled my way up to where I thought it best to attack the rocks weaving my way through a tangled mess of stone and scrub…but I’m certain that this wasn’t the first time my route had been trodden by boots and the like. At the base of the rock wall, no doubts or concerns surfaced. At a couple points I was climbing with my hands and knees, but still, no problem. A couple of momentary pauses to evaluate the next move, and a few knee scrapes later… and I was home free drinking some water in Pgor’s cave😁👍. My first thought was, Jonas 💜 would be really proud of me.
