Anchorage

Providing anchorage is something the Real World is especially talented at doing. When we allow ourselves to connect to the natural world in meaningful ways, we are attaching ourselves to a source of ballast we can use to keep us steady in the ups and downs of living.  A quiet walk, a few days away can give us the change of scenery we need to be able to view ourselves more objectively; to find time to sort through some of our insides and imagine how to go about living our lives differently.  And even if we do not readily reach a place of resolution or discern our next action, we are still nourished by the beauty of place.

 Vacations are the modern equivalent of the ancient ritual of time apart. Older cultures recognized the value and necessity of reflection.  Their acceptance of this need was a cultural anchor for everyone, something our world is sorely lacking.  We live instantaneously and have been lulled into believing that everything should happen right now.  Think for a moment how many times we have heard the media and talking heads in the wake of a disaster only hours old begin to ask when things will be back to normal?  That probing has always disturbed me.  Life does not ever go back.  It builds on what has happened and goes forward. Creating something from the debris of what is left behind requires time and devotion.  When we are reeling in the aftermath of turmoil whether it be within or without, what we need most is something steady to provide support and solace as we work through the meaning of what has happened. Perhaps when the moment arrives and we find ourselves beside the ditch wondering what to do next, we might remember it is the Real World that can always be counted on to be waiting with open arms.