One Last Gift

This is me, seven years ago.  I was on Maui. 

 

This is me, ecstatic because I had experienced something absolutely thrilling and magical.  I had just returned from a flight in this small plane which had taken me over the island of Maui, to the Big Island of Hawaii’.  I had seen pods of humpback whales from the air.  I had witnessed thousand foot cliff waterfalls, lined up row upon row in a gorgeous staircase of creation along Hawaii’s north shore. 

But, most magical of all, I had witnessed creation itself, and felt the kiss of Madame Pele.  We had flown directly over Kilauea’s active caldera, and along the volcanic coast.  The plane shifted violently in the sky, thanks to the massive change in temperature directly below us.  It was thrilling.  I looked out my window and was filled with wonder.  I stared through an opening directly into the red-hot earth below.  The hole in the earth’s crust was in the shape of a human heart, the vog (volcanic fog) rose from it in steady clouds making it appear as if it were beating.  It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my entire life.  The hole was certainly large enough to swallow the small plane, but I trusted the pilot to get us through.  I had to. I had given up control getting on this flight, something I don’t like to do.

We spent a half hour circling the caldera before flying over the volcanic coast, which stretched in a thick black carpet for miles and miles.  We flew over Mauna Loa, and back over the channel to the coast of Maui.  Pods of whales again frolicked below us, dolphins miniaturized next to them. 

I titled this “One Last Gift” because this plane ride was the last Christmas present that I would ever receive from my beloved grandmother, although I didn’t realize it at the time.  Several months later she would pass away unexpectedly in my arms.  But, she left me with this amazing gift, the gift of knowing that sometimes you just have to buckle up and let the Pilot do His job.  He will get you there safe.  He has the expertise that you don’t.  And, if you are very lucky, He will fly you over a volcano and show you the secrets of creation itself while you are on the journey. 

Thank you for that gift, Grandma Betty.   I still miss you and love you every single moment.  

(Please note that this photo isn't a photo that I took.  We couldn't take photos in the plane.  I found this at usgs.gov, but it's pretty close to what I saw.  And, in real life, it appears much larger.)

Dali and Disney

Taken from: http://www.disneyonline.dk/news/?id=679

     This photo is of (if you don’t know who they are – where have you been?) Salvador Dali and Walt Disney.   They are individuals that embody the magical spark of creativity that I can only dream of having a sliver of in my lifetime.  I am fascinated by these two men. 

     Salvador Dali is by far one of my favorite artists.  He not only created art, he lived it.  He WAS art.  He embodied it in his lifestyle.  That is what I love about him.  He was fearless in his creativity.  He didn’t care what anyone thought about him or the way he lived his life.  He lived for art.  If only.  If only I could project that sort of fearless attitude.  Many viewed him as “strange”, and still do to this day because they can’t see beyond the canvas.  But I don’t view him as strange, or his art.  I think he was amazing, passionate and a true diamond of a soul.  His art moves me; his portrayal of his beloved wife in his paintings moves me to goose bumps.  His art is romantic, honest and raw. 

     Walt Disney, on the other hand, inspires me in other ways.  His story motivates me to follow my dreams, no matter how crazy they sound.  He dreamt of building a mouse and duck farm, literally, and he did.  He was inspired by the sparkle in his children’s eyes when they rode a merry-go-round at a park.   He wanted to capture that happiness (happiness is a hard thing to capture) and re-produce it so everyone could have the opportunity to enjoy it.  It took blood, sweat and tears, but he accomplished his dream.  What he did was amazing and inspirational.  I would argue that his original idea has brought more genuine happiness to people than many churches.  I’m not talking about the modern incarnations of the Disney empire, I’m talking about the heart and soul of his original idea.  It was a wonderful idea, an amazingly selfless journey, and he succeeded. 

     If only I could combine the energy of these two special souls, it would probably split the atom.  Or implode.  They are that rare.  

Think Outside of the Box

Don’t we all live in boxes?  Comfy little caves that we were either placed in as a child, or designed for ourselves as the forces around us defeated our desire to stand tall?  Well, that’s a crappy way to live – all cramped and uncomfortable.  Barely room to move, breathe, stretch or even think sometimes.  The limitations are too restrictive.  And, who was it that put the restrictions there in the first place?  Was it a parent, parents, grandparents, or friends?  Or was it yourself, in response to social conditioning?  Was there a moment where you were so thrilled about something, a moment where your light shone so bright only to be extinguished by a mere word, action or thought of someone that you loved and respected?  I’m sure it’s happened.  It has happened to everyone.  None of us are truly alone.  If we could see outside our boxes, we would see that there are hundreds, thousands, even millions of other boxes lined up together, side by side, stretching to eternity. 

What would happen if we kicked the side off those boxes and crawled out?  I think we should.  We deserve to live in the sunshine.

Telly

I always feel defensive when someone acts stunned when I reveal that I haven’t seen a particular movie, TV show, read a certain book, or am not familiar with their favorite musical artist.  So what?  Does it make me less human?  You’d think so, based on their reaction.  So I missed out on some TV show, does that mean that my experience of this this thing called “life” is diminished?

I mean, really?

We’re all on separate journeys here.  Mine may or may not include the same programming as yours.  Yours may or may not include the same programming as mine.  I have an unknown amount of minutes to live and rather or not I choose to use some of them to watch, read, and/or listen to something that you suggest is purely my prerogative. 

Let’s ponder that shall we. 

In the meantime, I will take your well-meaning suggestions and filter them.