Life Goes On
Many mornings during the week, I am blessed with time to read inspirational/spiritual books, listen to calming music, and write. Today is one of those days, and I am even more blessed with an extra hour.
The bookmarks I use are laminated pictures taken on my long, arduous hike through the Scottish Highlands in 2017. The one that caught my attention this morning is looking down upon Loch Ness and the Urquhart Castle.
The castle stood for 1000 years and changed hands many times between the different clans as well as the English Government. When I wandered through the remains, I wondered about life for the inhabitants. What were their worries or dramas? How did they make sense of their life? How could an individual’s actions during that time shape our world today? Could I have had an ancestor who once lived or visited the castle?
I think about how small their personal world was. Concerns only for their immediate area and which clan will raid them tomorrow. Most people never traveled more than a few miles from their home. They were not concerned about what was happening in Asia, North America, or much of Europe, which probably seemed so far away, if they ever heard of those far away lands.
Compare that to the 21st century of being connected 24/7 and faster transportation. Does this make our world larger or smaller today?
Looking at this picture, I think about how significantly the world has changed. Horse and cart traveling a few miles per hour versus vehicles, trains, and airplanes. Ships with sails have evolved into aircraft carriers or massive cargo ships. Hunting and gathering in forests and fields versus grocery stores and backyard gardens. They didn’t have toilet paper and today it is cherished.
Simplicity and hardship. Rising and sleeping with the patterns of the sun. Traditions and rights of passage revered. Little knowledge of science and dependent on the Divine.
I look at these pictures, and I think about the millions of people who came before me and will come after. This aids to keep my problems in perspective. Not to minimize them, but to remind me that there is so much more to life than my personal dramas.
Like a sunset, these pictures are a prompt that life goes on. An important reminder on a day when I am feeling down (life is not living up to my vision/expectation – the “shoulds”). Or frustrated with other’s behaviors (if everyone just marched to the beat of my drum then life would be perfect). Or fearful of expensive repairs (the refrigerator again).
Life goes on, and I can either push back against the flow to try and control everything. Or I can go with the flow and allow the secret of life to unfold as it may (but sometimes I just want an email from the Divine explaining the mystery).
These pictures remind me the world will keep spinning, and I will keep going. The next moments may be easy or hard…some will depend on how I approach it while some are out of my control. Hard requires a deep breath, an expletive of some sort, and finding the place to start to sort it out. But life goes on and marches to the beat of its own drummer.
And maybe someday, centuries from now, someone will see a picture of my house and have the same musings about me and life in the 21st century.
© 2013-2020 Kelly Marker, Charlie’s Wisdom All Rights Reserved
The information and material on this blog are based on my personal opinions and experiences. It is not intended as professional mental health advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your mental health situation, or without consulting a mental health professional. My thoughts and opinions will continue to evolve and change as I continue to grow and learn.
