Go Ahead and Roar in Everyday Ramblings

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After an incredibly dense morning fog yesterday we had not only clearing in the afternoon but warmth! Laugh; go ahead, those of you coming out of summer into fall, and for those of you where winter is still very much in evidence I feel your pain. It was such a gift here though.

After texting S. to meet me at the bottom of the 180-step old concrete staircase (we found a couple of weeks ago) at 4PM I flew home from the office, changed into cropped sweats and sneakers (I have learned this new way to lace my sneakers that help with my bunion) fed the cats a handful of dry food and burst out of the house camera in hand… ever so ready.

It took me longer to hustle over there than I thought so I ended up taking a bit of a short cut and still being a few minutes late. Good to know. Her heart rate monitor hasn’t come yet but I wore mine.

She was pouring over the same public staircase guide I bought from Goodwill when I arrived. It doesn’t give the best directions in the world that is for sure. We talked to the few people that walked by and this wonderful woman, just lovely, out walking her happy healthy dog in a harness (in my opinion harnesses are so much better than traditional leashes that pull at the neck) walked us up this obscure road that workmen were laying greenery down on… a road to make a bike path and took us right to the top of “The Elevator Stairs”, a winding narrow staircase made of wood with 203 steps, which reputedly replaced an elevator up the cliff face.

The views were spectacular! Just gorgeous glimpses everywhere.

We had so much fun. There is no way we could retrace the meandering route we took but we spent about an hour and a half gawking at both the views and talking and peering at the unique very expensive homes up there.

The castle like house that boasts this gorgeous faded wooden door had an elaborate Easter display in the hilly side yard including what looked like a giganto chocolate Easter Bunny next to a tree full of oversize decorated eggs. It was romantic and magical up there.

I’ve lived here 7 years and have never been up there a mile from home. I am so lucky that S. has retired and has both the time and inclination to do this traipsing around thing.

We saw lots of historic houses and that made my heart ache a bit for my sister who did a bunch of research on that area a few years back after I took her for a ride on our aerial tram. There was a failed tram project in the area over 100 years ago and she was fascinated by the stories behind it.

It is all about stories isn’t it? Our lives, who we think we are, our perceptions and judgments. Stories we tell others and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.
There is a lot about this in both the Buddhist and Yogic teachings and S. and I were talking about it as we were wandering around.

The Zendo folks are reading this book called Awakening: A Paradigm Shift of the Heart by Rodney Smith that uses many different approaches (including the latest science on Quantum Theory) to point out that although we have evolutionary and biological reasons based on our brain development to believe ourselves when we tell ourselves that we are isolated and alone, we aren’t.

So much pain and suffering comes from that sense of isolation. One can’t help but wonder if it was a factor in this most recent tragic plane crash in the Alps?

To me it is the only thing that makes sense, that this young man could not have possibly felt a sense of connection to others to take a random selection of humanity, (including babies!) with him in his suicidal descent.

It breaks my barely open heart.

The book opens with a quote from Rumi that I just love…

“You that come to birth and bring the mysteries,
Your voice-thunder awakens us,
Roar, lion of the heart,
And tear me open.”

Last updated March 28, 2015