I will post photos when I get home tonight. Also, remember for tomorrow: bring a sleeping bag, overnight stuff, $$$$$, and a change of clothes for a mountain hike on Friday. We'll probably be back relatively early on Friday -- I'd say 2:00 or 2:30.
Well, today was supposed to be the throwaway day, the day where we stayed close to home and didn't wear people out for tomorrow's 10-mile cross country trek. I'd say it was a pretty good throwaway day. We got in a good short hike to a perfect little chill spot pond -- and a couple of hours of hanging out, strumming on the guitar, scrambling up the river, daredevil bouldering (Colin), and walking the ridge line. A nice way to spend 3-4 hours, I'd say.
I've been thinking a lot about some of the central ideas that drive this mini class -- nature, self, solitude, society. No doubt the great appeal of the natural world is a form of escapism -- every step toward nature (for us it's usually east, as Mr. Aiston pointed out) is a step away from responsibility, obligation, work, all of the stuff that we have to do every day to live in the world. But it has to be more than that -- otherwise we would escape only to video games and movies and swimming pools and golf, right? I really enjoyed hearing Andy talk this morning because it's a good reminder that responsibility and nature don't always characterized by dichotomy; often they seem black and white, opposites, but they don't have to me. Clearly he has figured out a way to marry work and nature. .
Here's what I wrote on Tuesday, sitting on my rock, looking back at the beautiful, serene Water of the Woods:
Emerson says, "Nature is a symbol for the spirit." There's a lot there to reflect upon as I sit on this slopey boulder overlooking a field of snow with Jeffrey pines close enough to touch and far enough to form a single monolithic line of green. If nature is a symbol of the spirit, does that mean that hypercivilization, Koyaanisqatsi style, like the ridiculous traffic jam I sat in this morning, is a symbol of the spirit gone bad, the spirit removed from its moorings? My spirit is not a tangible thing, so this becomes a difficult proposition to test, but I do know that when I am in nature, especially in solitude like this, I feel a kind of pureness, openness, a kind of in-the-moment awareness and connectedness that sure feels like what I imagine is the natural state of man.
I liked what Andy quoted from Peter Matthiessen this morning. Paraphrase from memory: 'Mountains are simple, but I'm not simple.' It really seems like being around mountains, which just sit there like big Buddhas, would bring you closer to simple. And sometimes simple is the hardest place to reach.
More buttery goodness.
ReplyDeleteToday might have been less intense than yesterday, but it was no less rewarding. The quiet moments I spent sitting in the grass with dappled light filtering through California Live Oaks are moments I will look back upon again and again. While our newborn screams, I will think back those moments, to a spot not far away where the wind is cool and the sun is warm and Pine Creek babbles. I will think back to those quiet moments.
On a more tragic note, I just heard about Frenchie's injury. I'm thinking about you, brother. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I hope that the pain subsides quickly so that you can cruise up and spend some low-key cabin time with the crew tomorrow evening. Regardless, I will find a spot with a nice view and build a tall, thin (and devilishly handsome) snowman there, in your honor. On a related note, does anyone own a Beret?
A couple of suggestions:
Tony: You should put some lyrics to that there guitar music you were playing on the way down, it was beautiful.
Raphie: Don't jump so close to the rocks next time.
I think Andy's quote was perfect for today. We took it easy, just went outside for the day, and kept it simple. There was nothing incredibly profound or epic about today, but that was what we needed. It was a nice day to chill and just sit around among the trees and rocks. Sometimes there's nothing better than to do nothing; it makes everything seem calm and brings back that simple that can be difficult to find. I really enjoyed playing guitar today and I thought it was very nice of Andy to lend me his instrument, so if you read this, thank you very much. I haven't felt so good playing guitar in well over a year, and I finally remembered why I used to love it so much. It was perfect to just find a quiet, secluded spot and improvise and play a little Radiohead for a couple birds strolling by.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of birds? And did they really "stroll"?
Delete:)
Today as I was sitting on a ridge overlooking the stream, I thought about how hard it is for us to live in the moment. As I was sitting at the top I found I was thinking about ski week next week, what I'm going to do this summer, and everything in between. I thought about Andy's quote and for the next ten minutes I tried to be like the mountains and just be. I got to thinking later in the day how much better life could be if our lives were simpler, and how complicated our lives truly are. With everything from college and our last year of high school to our personal lives, our lives as a whole are truly complex. This is one of the reasons I enjoy going to nature so much, because, even if only for a little while, makes our lives a little bit simpler.
ReplyDeleteAmen, brother.
DeleteMy writing today was focused on why I'm happy I'm here in San Diego rather than on a trip. The prompt in and of itself intrigued me because at first glance, its difficult for me to justify not going on a trip I'll have few chances to go on again. But, as we truly got to be in a state of solitude, I found the answer. Our classmates are undoubtedly having the times of their lives in the wonderful farfetched places they're in, building camaraderie, learning about cultures, etc. But being here has taught me more than I could have ever found about my home, and myself. Many people are afraid to be alone with themselves, which is the greatest deprivation one can keep from oneself. Solitude has taught me not only my constant necessity for being productive, but also how the feeling of constant productivity stresses me out as well. I've seen many of my classmates fill the time meant for themselves to excessive degrees with activities like ASB, sports, and other extracurriculars simply because at a psychological level, they don't know how to just have a day to themselves. I'm so relieved I'm learning about who I am here and now, rather than in a few months when I'm in a college dorm. It helps that I'm learning these things with my friends, teachers, and overall cool dudes. Despite the nonchalantness of the whole week, I'll definitely carry these experiences for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI was feeling similar to Raphie. I was thinking about how in the past when I have been on trips I thought of Interim trips as an inferior way to fill up class time for people not on trips. I realized on day one that that was demonstrably false, and I realized why in the canyon today. In the future all of us kids are going to be spending a lot more time in San DIego and the surrounding areas, and not many of us see it for what it really is. It has all of this natural beauty that people see in little bits but not very many of us appreciate it like we should. People on trips will have their amazing experience like Raphie said, but when they come home, they will go back to their routine with memories of Africa or Columbia or Turkey. When Interim ends for us, we can go home, and go back to our normal routines, but have those same memorable experiences here at home. The best part about that is that we can relive the experiences everyday because they revolve around our home.
ReplyDeleteI think walker nailed it. The trips out of the country are great but there is nothing to loose by staying home and seeing parts of San Diego we have never seen before. As we all get ready to go off to college it's nice knowing there is a whole new side of San Diego I have yet to be familiar. Today, like Mr. H said, was a throw away day but in no way did it feel like one. I realized today that it doesn't take a trip out of the country to realize how different a place can be.
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