Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Reflections on mortality...and arrowheads
This morning: corner of the yard outside my office and view from the beach. An easy day to not work...Life goes by quickly. I can't remember which one of you has a counter that shows the minutes, hours and days of life since your birth - this might make it seem like it goes by slowly, especially if you check your blog say... every hour... to see how long you've lived. (How do I get that counter by the way?)Tick, tick, tick.
On the other hand, I look for arrowheads on the beaches on Kootenay Lake, where I live. I have found dozens of small chippings and about 6 full arrowheads so far. I showed them to someone who knows archeology and the history of the Ktunaxa people, who lived (and still live) in this area. For a few he said, "Probably pretty new, within 250 years." For one he said, "This is an older style - normally we figure this is 1,000 years old or more."
Geez, some guys sat on my beach 1,000 years ago, knocking chips off the churt. Maybe they lost my arrowhead or maybe it was a reject. "Hey man, there's time to get it right, get rid of that one."
When I hold one of these things, I sometimes do get a deeper sense of time and place.
Now those people who squatted on my beach are moisture in the sky, or dust, or soil, or merged into one of the ancient cedar trees that still survive in a few valleys in these mountains. Blink of time.
With such a short stay here, what matters? You tell me what you think, and I'll tell you what I think.
Whoops, I'm rambling.
On the other hand, I look for arrowheads on the beaches on Kootenay Lake, where I live. I have found dozens of small chippings and about 6 full arrowheads so far. I showed them to someone who knows archeology and the history of the Ktunaxa people, who lived (and still live) in this area. For a few he said, "Probably pretty new, within 250 years." For one he said, "This is an older style - normally we figure this is 1,000 years old or more."
Geez, some guys sat on my beach 1,000 years ago, knocking chips off the churt. Maybe they lost my arrowhead or maybe it was a reject. "Hey man, there's time to get it right, get rid of that one."
When I hold one of these things, I sometimes do get a deeper sense of time and place.
Now those people who squatted on my beach are moisture in the sky, or dust, or soil, or merged into one of the ancient cedar trees that still survive in a few valleys in these mountains. Blink of time.
With such a short stay here, what matters? You tell me what you think, and I'll tell you what I think.
Whoops, I'm rambling.
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I love feeling that connection through time of those that have gone before us.
What matters? Not many of things we spend time worrying about I'd say.
What matters? Not many of things we spend time worrying about I'd say.
What matters? A pressing question for me these days. I'll keep it simple - I've never desired to make a huge impact upon the world. I would hope that I raised my children well and that I spent my time here being kind to both others and to the earth itself. (And although that does sound simple, it's not always easy to do...)
A beautiful post.... life has been so good lately that I wake up in the night, shaking, terrified of no longer existing. It's thoughts like these that talk me out of my terrors -- I'm sure my ego will be referencing your post and pictures next time my id get out of hand.
Mary - you're right I think.
Beth - very simple and worthy too...
Kimber - yes, it's interesting how we react when things are wonderful, isn't it? Maybe it's mortality awareness at work too. Enjoy your happiness! (I ordered your book by the way.)
Casdok - I work from a home office, so yes, that's right outside the door. Sometimes I sit there having coffee when I should be sitting here at the computer.
Beth - very simple and worthy too...
Kimber - yes, it's interesting how we react when things are wonderful, isn't it? Maybe it's mortality awareness at work too. Enjoy your happiness! (I ordered your book by the way.)
Casdok - I work from a home office, so yes, that's right outside the door. Sometimes I sit there having coffee when I should be sitting here at the computer.
Well,
I would sit there having coffee too if I were in your shoes. I bet it is good for the creativity or sharpening your brain. Those arrowheads, that must feel interesting to hold one of those in your hand and get the vibe from the former owner. I do not think much of anything about this whole sense of time and space. It just does not occur to me. I bet it would occur more if I lived near such grand nature. The city takes those thoughts out of a person. You just become an ant on the land and the land is just the man-made land, highways and such.
I would sit there having coffee too if I were in your shoes. I bet it is good for the creativity or sharpening your brain. Those arrowheads, that must feel interesting to hold one of those in your hand and get the vibe from the former owner. I do not think much of anything about this whole sense of time and space. It just does not occur to me. I bet it would occur more if I lived near such grand nature. The city takes those thoughts out of a person. You just become an ant on the land and the land is just the man-made land, highways and such.
Pursey - yeah, the city can pull a lot from you. I've lived in several large cities (including NYC) and always gravitated to the parks.
Scarlet - I don't believe in much to be honest with you. I really don't know what happens to our awareness when life leaves the frame. I'm open to finding out and am comfortable with the idea that it's blank and over when it's over. I think that all the heaven, paradise, hell and other places-stuff is human being projecting their limited fears and imaginations and nothing more...What a meagre universe it would be if there was some moralistic method behind it all. How tiny.
Incarnation is more fun to imagine. Hey, I'm pretty sure you and I were siblings in another life, but you were the boy and I was the girl! And we were royalty (of course).
Scarlet - I don't believe in much to be honest with you. I really don't know what happens to our awareness when life leaves the frame. I'm open to finding out and am comfortable with the idea that it's blank and over when it's over. I think that all the heaven, paradise, hell and other places-stuff is human being projecting their limited fears and imaginations and nothing more...What a meagre universe it would be if there was some moralistic method behind it all. How tiny.
Incarnation is more fun to imagine. Hey, I'm pretty sure you and I were siblings in another life, but you were the boy and I was the girl! And we were royalty (of course).
A nice reflective posting!! Its sounds like an ideal place to experience a kind of dreamtime to rejoice in nature and think about those who were present thousands of years ago. What do I think? Well if you don’t mind me rambling off into the abstract, I think time and space is one and the same thing, but we are trapped in this time and space unable to go outside and view it independently. And information and reality are one in the same thing, so maybe it boils down to experiences and shared experiences(information) , in joy and humility, as seekers of the truth as best we can in the knowledge it will change over time but to show reverence to all life.
I think experience is the great teacher but in whisky Teachers Scotch Whisky is the great experience?
And being aware I think is to be aware (heightened sense through emotions or casual agency or stimuli) of our consciousness?
Best wishes
I think experience is the great teacher but in whisky Teachers Scotch Whisky is the great experience?
And being aware I think is to be aware (heightened sense through emotions or casual agency or stimuli) of our consciousness?
Best wishes
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I particularly enjoyed this post!!!
I'm just so damn lazy or tired these days that my energy dribbles down to a trickle when it comes to leaving comments on blogs. It's not a personal thing Gary, it is just lifecircumstances - waiting for the second wind, sort of ....
I'm just so damn lazy or tired these days that my energy dribbles down to a trickle when it comes to leaving comments on blogs. It's not a personal thing Gary, it is just lifecircumstances - waiting for the second wind, sort of ....
Zee. Feel free to drop by anytime, with our without a comment.
Lindsay, I love the profound thoughts in your post ... and the whisky reference too!
Lindsay, I love the profound thoughts in your post ... and the whisky reference too!
I don't believe in an afterlife. What we have here, this life, is all there is. One day the sun will burn out, and nothing will exist as we know it. Everything that seems 'important' probably isn't.
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