I have changed the title of this Blog to be more fitting. "The Adventures of Kev" was kind of cute, and yet, I realize I have grown out of the title as well.
Yes, I still have plenty of adventures... but after a climbing trip to the Tetons, I felt refreshed, renewed, and, looking back to ask the question :where am I at right now?" I think this title is more appropriate... After I have achieved a new perspective, I come to find another, and another..... and another. Maybe there are a few valleys along the way, offering a lull in perspective, a time of living in the present... but for me the summits are all about reflection- looking at where I once was. making sense of the valley of the daily task that I had just climbed out of. Does this make sense? I can go on rants that seem totally clear to me, but not so seen by others... kind of like route finding without a guidebook...
So I say to you my friends... you are missed. From the summits past and present of my crazy, work-filled, currently-nomadic, experiential/crazy life... I chose this path. Sometimes that means I am lonely on these peaks. I can always peer in to the valleys below and know that you all are there.... doing well. I may not be able to shout back to where you are? and you may not be able to see me way far above the treeline... but we're all still here... just spread out a little bit.
I close this entry with a quote from the french poet Rene Daumal:
One cannot stay on the summit forever -
One has to come down again.
So why bother in the first place? Just this.
What is above knows what is below -
But what is below does not know what is above
One climb, one sees-
One descends and sees no longer
But one has seen!
There is an art of conducting one's self in
The lower regions by the memory of
What one saw higher up.
When one can no longer see,
One does at least still know.
So there you have it, I will not always be on the summit. Someday I must come down. This journey is rich with life, and yet vacant all the same. At times I feel enriched by the solitude of adventure, and other times, I lament for the summit is a cold, lonely place.
May I always remember what I saw higher up... As we will always be beckoned to climb the summits beyond.
- Good night
image from: http://www.presscluboftibet.org/UserFiles/Mount_Everest.jpg
1 comment:
Kev,
Speaking from an old guy’s perspective, your life will continue to be a journey of summits, valleys, bogs, beaches, sun and rain. It is your God, your family, and your friends that are the pontoons that keep you afloat. When you are taking on water they will be by your side helping you to bail. In the next instant you will be on the oars of their lives, powering them through the waves. Keep your eyes on Him and He will guide you to the summits. Turn your heart to Him when you hit the valleys and He will make your journey a journey of joy and fulfillment. You may not be able to see it but I know you have been making a difference in many people’s lives with your commitment to Outward Bound, your strength, and your faith. Mr. C.
Post a Comment