I spent yesterday afternoon with my brother and
sister-in-law and CR. It was a day full of laughter and funny moments, and I am
feeling particularly grateful this morning. It is Sunday, overcast, probably
around 50 degrees outside and it is absolutely lovely in the calm, quiet of
such a day. We are surrounded by the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and they
are low, rolling and green. They do not have the majesty of the mountains in
the west, but they are much older and have been eroding for so much longer.
They have earned their stateliness. As I look at the Adirondacks, the Green
Mountains of Vermont, and these, the White Mountains, I find myself intrigued
by their age. I try to picture them younger, more craggy, more rugged, higher
as they are in the west and I can almost catch the sight in my minds eye. But
these mountains have been eroding for so much longer than the Rockies or the
Olympics have been "alive". They have a different peace to them. They
are home to incredible animals and incredible plants. Yesterday we drove to the
top of Mt. Washington in Gorham, which is where we are staying. It was a scary
drive to me, but not to CR, Bobby or Betsy. That was fine; I kept my eyes
closed to the top for the most part and I was able to swallow my fears. Once up
at the top I am truly ok. I love the vistas, looking out at the rolling hills,
the distant landmarks, the layers and layers of mountains surrounding. It fascinates
me and inspires me; and it does instill in me a healthy fear and reverence for
the beauty and wildness of it all. We ended up having to leave sooner, rather
than later, however, because the weather settled in over us; the clouds that
were below us met with the clouds above and a cold, heavy with moisture rain
came with this meeting. Mt. Washington, interestingly enough, is proud to be
"home" of the worst weather in the world. It proudly proclaims to be
the record holder for the highest ever recorded wind gust in the world; 231
miles per hour. To me, gusts of 30 can be breathtaking and a bit pushy. I
cannot fathom what it must have been like at the top of a mountain 6300 feet in
the air being pushed around by such winds.
Brave people settled our world and helped to tame it to
what it is we know know. Someone was the first to come here to America - even
farther back than European settlers. I am not discounting early man and early
spreading of humanity. I am thinking of more recent settlers; those that came
within the past 600 years. They were so courageous to begin such a journey at
such a time in history. There were no modern conveniences; no heated cabins,
catered food, no long hot showers. It is required for me to have clean
underwear, a place to take a shower; a toothbrush, potable water - even, pretty
much, a bathroom. I am basic, but I am pampered and I know that I am not the
most un-hardy person out there! So these brave souls - women in skirts, bearing
children, caring for families, ventured into the unknown and came here. They
slowly settled across the country enduring hardships I cannot even begin to
fathom. And here we are, more than 500 years later sitting at the foot of a
mountain that was explored by horse, wagon, mules back 150 odd years ago. Brave
men cut trees, blasted boulders with black powder in order to arrive at the top
of this particularly high (by eastern landscape standards), treacherous
mountain, and they created a road in their wake. Was it just to do it? Some
trapper or adventurer had made it to the top prior to that. I believe it was
first explored because it was believed that precious metals or stones might be
discovered, but the truth is, those shining rocks are mica and quartz, common
and nothing of any real monetary value. So, here we are, so many years later,
climbing the mountain in the comfort of our cars, sheltered (mostly) from the
impending, inevitable storms. We are imagining those early settlers; those
brave, hearty souls who climbed in previous years and spent the night in the
old hotel at the top. Those brave, hearty souls who stay there all winter
recording and measuring wind gusts, snowfall, other storms. It is breathtaking
and amazing and impressive all at once, and as much as I like to think I like
to adventure, the thought of doing all that work and experiencing true fear -
alone on a mountaintop in the middle of winter, not able to go down, measuring
the worst weather in the world? Nothing scary there. The truth is I am much
more pampered and much less brave.
It makes me feel a bit small and insignificant, put into
that kind of perspective. I don't mean that in a self-deprecating way. I know
and can admire and value my own strengths. I can learn recognize and work on my
own weaknesses. The insignificance I mean is what it means to be in awe of
nature and the thoughts and feelings that can invoke and inspire. We are such
small beings on the face of the earth, and really not only our planet but in
the universe. It is humbling. It shows me that the problems of the world? All
the strife occurring now - our president and his funky shenanigans, the mental
state society seems to be in; the anger, the ire, the what-about-me mentality;
the me-first-and-to-heck-with-you way of thinking and living? All that seems
just so basic and so silly and so unnecessary. All around us we live on this
lovely planet. Nature goes on, despite our best efforts to tame it and make it
do our bidding. It scoffs at us, really. The rain still rains. Trees still
grow. Animals live, eat, procreate, survive, and die. It is the cycle of
things; it is how it should all be. It seems so cliche, and yet it is all so
basic. I cannot think cynical about the world as a whole. Yes, people do bad
things to our world, to each other, to nature. And yet it seems to struggle on.
One day humankind will not be here. One day these trees and rocks, animals,
plants - all that will be gone. That is the cycle. New things will come and
replace what we know, what we hold scared. It is the natural order of things
and it is refreshing to truly believe that is just how it really needs to be.
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| CR and I |
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| My brother and Sister-of-my-heart |
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