Two for the Ages

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 27, 2016 in Spiritual, Striving

September 26, 2016, Prescott- Sunday took two bookends from our midst: Arnold Palmer, with his “army” of fans from Fort Gordon, GA, near his beloved Augusta National Country Club, and his popularizing golf as a sport for Everyman; Jose Fernandez, an exemplary pitcher, at the top of his game and on the verge of winning 30 games in a regular Major League Baseball season.

Arnold was an elder, had lived a full, astonishingly varied life. He lived it for his beloved first wife, and threw his reputation and his well-gotten wealth into a hospital, named for her and dedicated to the well-being of women and infants. He lived it for his two daughters, letting them realize their own dreams and never abandoning them to a de facto celebrity orphanhood. He lived it for his children’s children and for their offspring, and saw one of his grandsons excel at their shared beloved sport. Most importantly, he lived it for the city, state and nation that he loved so much. Pittsburgh returned the favour, during “The King of the Fairways’ ” last few days, taking loving care of him, as he prepared to take his final tee-off.

Jose was up-and-coming, in Major League Baseball. He threw himself, with Little League style abandon, into every game he pitched for the Miami Marlins.This was a good thing,and he became the toast of the town. Here was a man on the verge of winning 30 regular season games, a feat not seen in the big leagues since Denny McLain won 31 games, in 1968. The other 13 men who won 30 or more regular season games, all did so between 1900-1934. Jose was due to pitch on Sunday. He was, instead, moved back a day, in the pitching rotation. He went boating, off Miami Beach, as a way of relaxing on his off-day. The boat was speeding, due to circumstances still being investigated, and hit the dock at Miami Beach. Jose died instantly, in the crash.

Although far from proficient in either sport, I feel both losses. Many of my relatives are golfers. My brother, living in Georgia, has attended the Masters PGA Tournament, several times and has often been on the links, in courses across the country- and around the globe. The passing of Arnold Palmer brings to the forefront all the triumphs and troubles which the Masters, and Augusta National, have endured, over the past five decades.

The death of Jose Fernandez brings to mind the tragic loss, albeit over several years of suffering, of another great young player, Tony Conigliaro, hit in the head by a pitch and never able to resume his march to destiny. “Conig” was a hero, to my above-mentioned brother, and to me, as he and the great Carl Yastrzemski led the Boston Red Sox into the 1967 World Series. Jose’s Marlins are a long-shot to reach that lofty height, this year. With him, they might have surprised everyone. and done so. In his honour, they may yet be inspired to do so, anyway.

Life has a rough way of marching on, regardless of who, young or old, drops off its awesome and beautiful chain. It is, though, hard to imagine two more wondrous links in that line. Rest in peace, Arnie and Jose, and look through the veil at us, with messages of hope and strength.

Equinox

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 23, 2016 in collaborating, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

September 22, 2016, Prescott-

The Moon keeps us on our toes.

Calendar dates change,

based on its phases,

year to year,

for equinoxes and solstices;

for Baha’i Holy Days;

for Ramadan and Eid;

for Lent and Easter;

for the Jewish High Holy Days

and Passover.

The hearts who celebrate

do not change,

with the phases of the Moon,

or even with the climate’s fickleness.

We remain connected,

even across thousands of miles

and hectares of fenced-in fields.

We remain unified,

soul to soul,

in the face of contrived divisions,

of walls which no one really wants.

Walls and fences,

that delude us.

The only real safety

lies in connection.

Blessed be Charlotte,

Tulsa, Milwaukee,

St. Louis, Manhattan,

Elizabeth, Seaside Park.

God, be watchful,

over Pakistan, Syria,

Afghanistan, Iraq,

Yemen, South Sudan.

Stay the hands of the dividers,

wherever they may be.

Ginger Rising

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 20, 2016 in children, Community, Personal Values, Poetry, Social, Striving

September 19, 2016, Prescott-

The child had had enough.

He stood and told off a surreptitious bully,

who of course denied having said,

what I heard him say,

under his breath,

from across the room.

The intended target of abuse

does not have to suffer,

for the colour of his hair.

I think red, to be a fine hue

for a coiffure.

All colours of hair are good.

A certain public figure

voiced the opinion

that some, who hold views

contrary to hers,

are deplorable.

Have we not had enough

of tossing human beings

into one scrap heap,

or another.

Outmoded or disreputable viewpoints

can be deplorable.

People are not;

regardless of their opinions,

or their physical attributes,

or their life experiences.

People are worthy of being treated

with dignity,

even when they don’t carry themselves so.

Children are always worthy of dignity,

because they are still works in progress.

Charades and Illusions

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 19, 2016 in Literary criticism, Personal goals, Personal Values, Striving

September 18, 2016, Prescott- Fall is coming. Phoenix anticipates the last of its triple-digit days, for the year, will be this coming Wednesday. That may, or may not, prove to be true. We in Prescott have already had night temperatures below 40.

Fall was the season of my birth. It is, thus, the main time of year that I take stock of who I am, as a human being, and what remains to be addressed, as I move further along, in the earthly classroom of living.

My parents were very much the voice of reason, and prepared each of us well, for the challenges they knew were going to throw themselves our way. I was the one who had just a smidgen of faith in Deus ex maxina, supernatural rescuers and unicorns that one could ride to glory. None of these ever got me anywhere. The rolled up sleeves, and willingness to watch, learn and work at least have enabled me to survive, to have had a loving marriage and to have raised a solid young man.

I did two things today, to give myself a push forward, in the reality department. First, I moderated a faith meeting, helping to set short-term goals for our community. Second, I called my satellite television provider, of 20 years, cancelled the service and boxed up the receiver and its accouterments. This last is an acknowledgement that a new television, right now, would be an extravagance, at a time when there are other priorities- such as exercise, service activities and my son’s preparation for a change of duty station.

Last night, I finished reading “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s tale of a family which wallowed in self-imposed isolation, incestuous relationships and delusions of grandeur. It is one of the most intense novels of the 20th Century, presenting a northeast Colombian town (fictional, of course), from the time of the country’s independence to the early twentieth century, in all its political acrimony and struggles to reconcile spiritual mythology and paranormal occurrences with the encroachment of international economics and trade. No member of La Familia Buendia was ever really happy.

I thought of the illusions into which I bought, in my own life, and how much sweeter the ups and downs of reality have been for me, all through my married life and (for the most part) in the years since, than any of the flights of fancy that characterized my earlier years, or the brief periods, in 2011 and 2013, when I dealt with relapses into personal chaos.

So, on I will go, honouring my family, being present for those around me and building new friendships, both in real time and online. Happy Autumn, one and all.

Nearly a year ago, north of Watson Lake, Prescott

Different Strokes

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 14, 2016 in Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Striving

September 13, 2016, Prescott-

Today,I heard that someone who takes issue with my facilitating style will absent herself from the Wednesday group. At work, I find it best to treat a couple of colleagues with kid gloves- and to keep my distance from one, in particular, unless it’s absolutely necessary to consult.

Not everyone is going to respond positively, to any one of us, at any given time. The best course of action, for me, has always been to keep an open mind and heart, while giving hateful people a wide berth. By “hateful”, I do NOT mean critical. God knows, I have learned much from those with differing perspectives. Those who don’t have my well-being at heart, though, are best avoided.

Sooner or later, though, the human race will learn that every person has some value. I will have more to say, on other subjects, tomorrow. Now, though, I’m tired of the struggle and will say “Goodnight, all.”

Ongoing

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 13, 2016 in Education, Family, Inner Struggles, Poetry, Social, Striving

September 12, 2016, Prescott-

Meetings tire me,

more than the antics of children.

So, as I sat through the proceedings

in a stuffy second-floor room,

I took in all I needed,

through careful listening.

Then came afternoon.

Cool outside,

stale and debilitating, within.

My thoughts wandered

to the school district clerks,

who will occupy these rooms,

after a renovation next year.

The process is ongoing.

I had a nice time,

at a birthday party last night.

It was a good transition,

from the dark memories of

that day, fifteen years ago.

New friends, and old,

drummed, sang and ate

delectable barbecued meats

and all manner of side dishes.

Friendship and camaraderie are ongoing.

Today is my brother’s birthday.

Far off, in Atlanta, or

somewhere else on business,

he keeps setting the bar high

and setting his employees straight.

Communication is ongoing.

On Juniper Mesa

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 6, 2016 in Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inspiration, Striving

Juniper Mesa, from George Wood Canyon

September 4, 2016, Walnut Creek, AZ- This settlement is only intermittently populated, when researchers from Arizona’s public universities, and Prescott College, show up to conduct their monitoring of the high desert’s overall health, in an area far from any permanent, sizable human community. A few ranches break the landscape and, indeed, one of those ranches, just west of Juniper Mesa’s main trailhead, is sealed off from anyone not associated with its operation.

I came out here, in mid-afternoon, to explore the sky island known as Juniper Mesa. The place was, in the 1870’s and 80’s, a military encampment, an extension of Prescott’s Fort Whipple. It was, to the cavalrymen of the time, the perfect spot for a railway station, with the route commencing in Prescott, going through Del Rio (now Chino Valley) and pushing clear to the Colorado River, at Hardyville (now Bullhead City) and, from there, to San Pedro, one of the ports serving Los Angeles. The railroad was built, but it went north, to Ash Fork, then to Seligman and Kingman, connecting with a much larger, transcontinental track, the Santa Fe.

So, Juniper Mesa has reverted to a lonesomeness. I was the only person on the trail today. Fortunately, I have come to expect that, even in areas closer to Prescott. The large pack, with an ample water supply, a first aid kit, two knives, a detailed topographic map and a sturdy flashlight, along with one of my trusty walking sticks, has been an integral part of my communes with nature. What has occasionally caused chuckles, from the smug hipsters doing lakeside botanical and entomological research in Prescott’s city parks, is, to me, a must on any hike lasting more than an hour. Besides, it wasn’t too long ago, that one of those individuals had to be rescued from Watson Lake Park, a ten-minute walk from a North Prescott business district, because she was dehydrated and delirious.

I saw fairly fresh horse-hoof prints, along the way and smelled fresh bobcat urine, trail side, closer to evening, but it was the insects and I who had the place to ourselves, from all outward seeming. Juniper Mesa could be for lovers, but so far, it is for the soloists.

I used three trails, in the course of my loop hike: Oaks and Willows; Juniper Mesa (rim) and the steep Bull Spring Trail. Oaks and Willows meets Walnut Creek Road (County Road 125), proceeds through the lush George Wood Canyon to the top of Juniper Mesa, then branches off to the northeast.

Here are some scenes of Oaks and Willows.

Broad trail, along the Oaks and Willows, Juniper Mesa

Thick scrub, George Wood Canyon, Juniper Mesa Wilderness

View across George Wood Canyon

Sign, gnawed by black bears, over several years

Heart of George Wood Canyon, Juniper Mesa Wilderness

Once atop the mesa, I basically followed Juniper Mesa Rim Trail, though finding it rather sparse, in several places. Horse trails, though, are easy to identify by their indentation into the ground.

Alligator Juniper, top of Juniper Mesa. I almost see a parrot’s face, in the branch stump.

Bear image, small sandstone, Juniper Mesa Rim Trail

Bears are reported to be common here, but I saw no sign of them- not even old scat. They are probably further north, or in areas more sheltered from the lightning that hits Juniper Mesa frequently, during the monsoon season, that is in hiatus for several days.

Lightning-struck tree, Juniper Mesa Rim Trail

Lightning-struck piece of limestone, and heart rock, Juniper Mesa Rim Trail

The rock above was given a fierce countenance, by a recent lightning strike.

Cairn, Juniper Mesa Rim Trail

Large cairns mark Juniper Mesa Rim Trail, at several points, especially after Oaks and Willows Trail branches off to the north. A half-mile further east, I bid farewell to the benign rout along the rim, and began the descent, on steep Bull Springs Trail.

View of Walnut Creek settlement and the Santa Maria Range, from Bull Spring Trail

Hazy view of Walnut Creek settlement, from Bull Spring Trail

Limestone cliff, east end of Juniper Mesa

The cliffs seen above, and in the next photo, were redoubts for Yavapai and Hualapai warriors, who resisted the U.S. Cavalry in the 1870’s.

Limestone cliffs, east end of Juniper Mesa

After climbing down from the mesa top, I followed Bull Spring Trail, into the darkness. Although it was along this trail, that I smelled the bobcat’s markings, the animal itself stayed out of sight, and only small insects, attracted by the flashlight’s beam, showed me any interest. It took careful attention for me to find the last trail sign, returning to the nub of Oaks and Willows Trail that led me to the car, but I enjoyed a very deep sleep tonight- far from Juniper Mesa.

This is one of several places, in the middle of Arizona’s “nowhere”, that have been on my hiker’s list, in the wake of having completed Prescott Circle. Stay tuned for others.

The Thick Accent

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 3, 2016 in impediments, Poetry, Social, Striving

September 2, 2016, Prescott-

(A brief thought, on a sultry night, in which I am lying low.)

You cannot understand, why I take up for men in blue.

Do you not see, that the worst among them represent what will happen,

should the best among them feel abandoned.

You say, “But you don’t understand, that WE don’t understand

their tendency to rush to judgment, and juryhood.

The police speak a language that is indecipherable, in these parts.

This is a language of both words and gestures, often simultaneous with one another.

Their speech and body language, are hard to understand.”

Hmm. I see the problem of dealing with snap decisions.

The police officer weighs in on the young men gathered up ahead.

“I think I’ll need backup- and have a bus ready.

You never know what tricks some of THEM may have up their sleeves,” he opines,

as the air feels thick with words and gestures, from one and foreign to the other.

I, the translator and peacemaker, get weary- as well as wary.

Whose Truth?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on August 30, 2016 in Community, Matters of Faith, Service Activities, Spiritual, Striving

August 28, 2016, Prescott- I attended a couple of spiritual gatherings, this weekend. Last night, several faith leaders and community activists gathered at Scottsdale Baha’i Center. The purpose was a delayed Race Unity Day. The weather has cooled, just a tad, from June’s more extreme temperatures, thus making a late August version of “Juneteenth” more palatable to many.

The array of speakers was far more concerned with solving the ongoing problem of race relations, than in any semblance of showmanship or exclusive claim to truth. The gathering of about 100 people were able to engage in well-balanced discourse, without resorting to recrimination.

This evening, I joined a much smaller group, at an observance of Janmashtami,(Krishna’s Birthday), one of the key Hindu religious observances. It had been 32 years since I last attended any kind of Hindu gathering. Prescott’s small community is made up of white Americans- an anomaly, with the South Asian community here seeming to be mainly Christian and Muslim. They are no less fervent, though, than the multitudes of India and Nepal.

The swami, who hails from Sedona, is, like me, a child of the 1960’s. His inspiration to become Hindu came from the Beatles and others who flocked to the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I must say, he has done a fair amount of homework on the body of Hindu Scripture. Anyone who can cite the data of the created Universe that is listed in such detail ,as it is in the Bhagavad Gita, is worthy of profound respect.

There is, though, a common thread woven through all the religious traditions, from time immemorial. Each does build on those before it, as Man becomes more conscious of, and in tune with, his unique station on this Earthly plane. Truth, to me, did not stop with Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. It has not stopped with the Baha’i Faith. There will be other Spiritual Teachers, Avatars, Buddhas or whichever name one sees fit to apply to a Divine Messenger, and They will come when mankind needs them.

Truth, though, remains One- and none can claim a corner on its entirety. I was gratified to see that the swami and his community has sensed this, and dispelled some misgivings I was about to have, about their faith and its possible trend towards fundamentalism. I will be able to maintain the same dialogue with the Hindu community that I am still working to establish with devout Christians.

It was a fine, useful weekend.

	Sagittarian Seeker on The Hana Chronicles: Month 5,…
	murisopsis on The Hana Chronicles: Month 5,…
	Sagittarian Seeker on Worlds Within A World, Part…
	Anonymous on Worlds Within A World, Part…
	Sagittarian Seeker on By Example

A Sagittarian Seeker

Sharing a life of inner and outer journeys

Category Archives: Striving

Two for the Ages

Equinox

Charades and Illusions

Different Strokes

On Juniper Mesa

Whose Truth?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: