The Whistle in the Distance

         The whistle of a train sounds in the distance and for a moment, I am a child again.  I had a flash of a memory from long ago; the call of the wild echos across my mind.  What a delightful way to live, my young mind thought, to live free, see new sights, work a while, rest a while.......ahhhh is this heaven?  In reality, of course, it wasn't all good times, I'm sure.  My guess is the men and women that rode the trains went hungry a lot, longed for a clean bed, a hot bath and a table laden with good food.  But that spirit that aches inside still yearned for an escape sometimes.  Not because things were bad, there were those times also, but because each and every one of us wishes for that freedom in some sense of the word. 
        We crave what we can't have, I guess, and as a child those things seem possible.  As an adult, real life steps in and says "not on my watch buddy".  Grow up, act your age, don't be childish....have we not all heard these admonishments?  With childhood came a freedom, a train whistle brings that aspiration of a life not hampered by the daily round of worry and frustration.  A fantasy of each day with no demands and the time and money to come and go as one pleases.  We all know in our hearts the guy with the million dollar check isn't coming to the door, but the dreamer  in all of us keeps one ear tuned for the doorbell, just in case. 
        So, on we go, the solution within ourselves to use or not, as we choose.  Be grateful for each day, get up, do your best, cherish your friends and family and give yourself your due.  Each of us is worthy of the best each day can bring, believe it, live it and appreciate what you do have, my friends, the alternative has no options at all. 

Hunger

             Hunger, really an odd word if you look at it too long.  I guess that holds true for a lot of words, but tonight this is the one at the top of the list for me.  It has a lot of definitions, here's a new one on me; appetency,  according to my Wordsmyth dictionary, it is an intense craving or desire.  So, it's not unlike an addiction, and for me that addiction is to food.  For my partner, it's alcohol, so how can I judge him for his, when I have so little control over my own?  I'm losing weight, only because I went and got hypnotized a few months ago, it worked for me to help me stop smoking.  Thirty years and three packs a day, all gone in a half an hour session; I am so grateful.  I am struggling with the weight loss to a certain degree, it wasn't as absolute as the smoking session was.  I'm hungry almost all the time, and I'm not sure it's always food that I want, although, it would be a rarity for me to turn it down.  I am eating better, I must say, not so much junk and/or fried foods, hence the weight loss. 
           So what is the real need?  And why does a full stomach seem to beat back the demons for a time?  Am I strong enough to  reach into that viper pit and pull out the one labeled 'hunger"?  Will it slowly rise to the surface, it's ascent hampered by all the "I want" and "I needs" hanging on for dear life?  Each of those little monsters clamoring for attention; 'fix me', 'help me', 'no ME, I'm more important'.  I wonder, if we could deal with all these little ogres, is there a svelte and sylphlike goddess just waiting to manifest before our mirror?  Would our hearts and spirits soar higher if not encumbered by our worries and fears?  Do we dare to find out?

To my friend Marlia, I say thank you for being so strong.  Reading your blog this a.m. inspired me to write, because someone in my life is like that woman behind the counter at the hardware store.  Thinking only of themselves, and pretty much ignoring anything that is good in their life.  Self pity rarely serves any good purpose that I can see, although, probably every person indulges in it from time to time.  It's what you do about it that makes all the difference in the world.  It also changes all the worlds around you of the people you love. 
I want to grab this sad person and tell them, WAKE UP!  Life is a gift and you are standing on it crushing it into the ground because it's just too much effort to lean down and pick it up.  Enough, already, take that bedraggled gift and be appreciative of what you have.  It may not be much in the eyes of someone like Bill Gates, by it should be enough for the likes of us.  We should thrive on the love of friends and family, for in the end, money and things won't count for a lick.  Love, on the other hand, counts for everything and will get you through irregardless of your worth on the stock market of life. 
Thank you my dear friend, for reminding me that we all have that choice that I so love to quote:

GET BUSY LIVING, OR GET BUSY DYING.......

Within the Beauty

This is undoubtedly one of the seven wonders of my worlds.  I have stood in this spot, looked at this view and snapped this scene so many times; it is breathtaking in it's glory to me.  The Columbia River looks calm from up here, but don't be fooled by the calm surface.  It is a metaphor for our lives, all kinds of emotions roil and rage beneath the facade that we put forth for the world to see.

Storm clouds gather and fill the horizon with the promise of rain to come.  Yet beneath them lies a vista of trees and grasses, stretching as far as one can see.  The panorama extends in all directions, your eyes can barely absorb the resplendence that plays out with each sweep of the spectacle that is the Gorge.  Again, as in life, it may fool one into a false sense of security, things are rarely what they appear to be.  Beneath the overview of beauty, another world exists, fraught with danger and fears.  We do our best to keep these beneath the mantle of debris we use to disguise our insecurities and phobias; emotions all  of us have to some degree and have learned to deal with as best we can, daily mulchings of love and acceptance work wonders in the great scheme of life. 

For even in the decay beneath our feet, life moves forward, sending up seedlings that will grow and reach their massive arms skyward.  Small creatures scuttle and scurry, doing their best to hasten the process of regeneration and creation, unseen by most, but occurring in spite of our lack of acknowledgement.  Even the things that we cannot control move and grow, as life goes forward we are forever faced with choices; i.e. right/wrong, good/bad, kind/mean.  Each and everyday brings us the opportunity to be like the mighty oaks, strong, true and reaching for the source of life, beneath the surface and above.  Solid roots of love and respect, for ourselves and each other, our trunks standing staunch and true able to hold our arms up, ever reaching towards the skies.  They spread far and wide to encompass our friends and family, knowing the true meaning of life is to love and be loved.  Loving each other is the key to forming the roots that will keep our hearts and minds strong, family and friends form the base, sharing and growing tall, capturing all into the web that bonds us all together.

This was the sky I woke up to this morning, the promise of rain so close as the clouds slowly drifted into my line of vision.  A promise given of another day to savor life to its fullest.  If we don't do this each day, we have no one to blame but ourselves.  Stop to look around you occasionally at the wonders of the world.  Did you look up today to see what might be floating above you?   Perhaps a dragon, or dolphins at play in the sea foam?  When did you last see a sunrise, I was fortunate enough to see a very special one just a few days ago......

This is just one of the pictures I took, it gives me the sensation of being in space, looking down at our planet, as the orange tide ebbs and flows beneath me.  I share these pictures on Facebook for anyone and everyone to see.  But even more than seeing someone elses' pictures, look up once in a while.  Sunsets are quite lovely also, and to be shared.  I wonder how many people never notice them, so sad.  Have you walked in a park lately?  Stopped to smell a rose?  Taken notice of the birds, heard their songs or the staccato tapping of a woodpecker?  Life is so much more, please don't let the beauty of it slip by you.  Learn to listen, give more than you take, love as if it's the greatest gift that you can give and keep your eyes forward.  That which is behind you is just that, behind you, we move and grow and that allows our universes to expand.  Be safe, be free, be loved...........

I really like this picture, there are a few more similar to it that I like just as well, it's very unique, al least for me.  I just happened to be lucky enough to be up that particular morning and catch this spectacular sunrise.  It just took my breath away, I felt so blessed to a viewer of the pageant that played out for me for those fifteen or twenty minutes.  The colors were spectacular for that little slice of the day, I felt as if it was just for me.  Maybe it was, these days so many things inspire me to write, and it's a very good thing I don't have to put film in a camera anymore.  I can't get enough clouds, the variations are never-ending.  Trees, flowers, moss, lichens, wood, you name it, it's a picture in my head already.  The camera just allows me to put it here or on Facebook to share with my friends.  I dream of having an opportunity to put these in a book, a book of clouds, sunrises and sunsets, they stir my soul each and everyday.  We need these moments, we need to remember there is more than keyboards, moniters, televisions, steel, bricks and mortar.  I'm afraid if we forget those things, we'll all end up in a horror novel, cold and alone, having forgotten the the words to the song of life.

What happened?

        Do you ever just sit and wonder at how the world has changed?  I'm 61 and have seen a lot of things come and go just in that short time on this planet.  Sometimes it's absolutely overwhelming.
        What happened to food servers that wear hairnets, for instance?  Have we progressed so fast and so far in our lives that we no longer mind finding hair in our food?  I know I haven't hit that particular pinnacle.
        What happened to the simplicity of childhood?  We ran and played until that last loud yell-KIMBERLEY!-made me know I better move my little butt and head for home.  The cowboys and indians, the princesses and their courts , all had to be sent on their way too for the night.  Now we listen to the news of our children and video games, childhood obesity on the rise and wonder why.
         What happened to sitting on our porches, swinging gently to the music of the night?  Talk, or not, hold hands, or not, watch the stars as they leisurely stroll across the skies, sadly, all lost arts. 
        What happened to manners?  Consideration for others?  I cannot remember the last time I was out in public and didn't have to listen to someone else's conversation filled with the "F" word.  It's tossed around now like a basketball, no regard for age, gender or location.
         Progress, oh yes, I hear that, and in some respects, yes, we've jumped by leaps and bounds.  But, have we progressed in the things that truly matter?  When it all comes crashing down around us, do you know your neighbor well enough to go and ask for help?  My mom told me so many times, stop and smell the roses. 
           I got it mom, thanks.....