It is mid-morning as I sit to write. I've already been out and about. I noticed the change in the leaves and saw the signs. The corn crops have been harvested and the fields are full of stubble. Won't be long before that gets plowed under. Fall is racing toward us led by that harvest moon. It is a spectacular sight. Tonight there will be a rare eclipse of that moon, I'll attempt to catch it but most likely will fall asleep. It is times like this when I think about my ancestors and how they might have lived. I'm certain they were quite a bit more connected to the universe than I. And I think perhaps that has something to do with the condition of the world today. When you marvel at the works of nature you can not help but feel a connection. It is a longing in all of us. It is just that we have so many distractions today that we fail to find that connection.
I know some of my long ago ancestors where steel makers in Sweden. My great grand Uncle Albert left his memoirs and tells some details of that past. These folks lived in mountains, isolated and alone most of the year. They did take their product to market. But the majority of the time they harvested lumber for fuel for the forge. I can only imagine the hours of work required to forge steel into ingots that could be transported to market. Surely they were connected to the world around them, living on the mountain. The sky must have been so clear and the stars so close, the moon too, must have seemed like a neighbor. I have other ancestors that were round the world whalers. Sailing the seas in search of that elusive prize how many days or weeks did they spend with nothing but the sea and sky ? I know of many that were tradesmen. Is that where the disconnect began ? When we began to work indoors, in factories and such, we became less dependent upon the cooperation of mother nature. When you are not dependent you do tend to forget the kindness of the past. It is that way sometimes with people as well. There is a disconnect.
The environment man has created is far more stable, no denying that, but no where near as beautiful. We enjoy even temperatures and are sheltered from the elements. We have so many things to occupy our time that we have little time to just observe. That is what is missing I believe, that time spent connected to the universe. Now we believe we can explain it all, when we used to just marvel. Some of the luster is lost. Our artificial light obstructs the light from above, blinding us to that beauty. As with everything, true beauty takes times to admire, an occasional glimpse isn't enough. This morning for the first time in a long while, I just sat and watched the day arrive. As the sun rose the world before me was revealed. What I saw was the arrival of fall. The hand of time has moved another click. It wasn't a tick, it was a tock. I was aware of that distinction.
It is times like this when I find myself a little lonesome. It is a feeling, not a reality, for I am surrounded by those that love me. I think I am feeling something of the past, something long ago. No, I don't believe I have lived a past life, that is not what I mean. I think maybe it is a part of my soul, which I believe is eternal. I believe that is true for all of us. Our souls are surely connected to the universe, to the wonder of it all. The miracle of life could be no other. There are moments when we sense that, when we connect. Some call it spirituality others have a different name for it. The ancients knew it, long before man had written his first words. And so, I leave you with that thought.
I know some of my long ago ancestors where steel makers in Sweden. My great grand Uncle Albert left his memoirs and tells some details of that past. These folks lived in mountains, isolated and alone most of the year. They did take their product to market. But the majority of the time they harvested lumber for fuel for the forge. I can only imagine the hours of work required to forge steel into ingots that could be transported to market. Surely they were connected to the world around them, living on the mountain. The sky must have been so clear and the stars so close, the moon too, must have seemed like a neighbor. I have other ancestors that were round the world whalers. Sailing the seas in search of that elusive prize how many days or weeks did they spend with nothing but the sea and sky ? I know of many that were tradesmen. Is that where the disconnect began ? When we began to work indoors, in factories and such, we became less dependent upon the cooperation of mother nature. When you are not dependent you do tend to forget the kindness of the past. It is that way sometimes with people as well. There is a disconnect.
The environment man has created is far more stable, no denying that, but no where near as beautiful. We enjoy even temperatures and are sheltered from the elements. We have so many things to occupy our time that we have little time to just observe. That is what is missing I believe, that time spent connected to the universe. Now we believe we can explain it all, when we used to just marvel. Some of the luster is lost. Our artificial light obstructs the light from above, blinding us to that beauty. As with everything, true beauty takes times to admire, an occasional glimpse isn't enough. This morning for the first time in a long while, I just sat and watched the day arrive. As the sun rose the world before me was revealed. What I saw was the arrival of fall. The hand of time has moved another click. It wasn't a tick, it was a tock. I was aware of that distinction.
It is times like this when I find myself a little lonesome. It is a feeling, not a reality, for I am surrounded by those that love me. I think I am feeling something of the past, something long ago. No, I don't believe I have lived a past life, that is not what I mean. I think maybe it is a part of my soul, which I believe is eternal. I believe that is true for all of us. Our souls are surely connected to the universe, to the wonder of it all. The miracle of life could be no other. There are moments when we sense that, when we connect. Some call it spirituality others have a different name for it. The ancients knew it, long before man had written his first words. And so, I leave you with that thought.
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