BLOG 43 Connection (Gary)

When I walk The Hill I am often taken back to distant memories, fond memories of walking the logging roads in Oregon as a kid or walking the sand dunes in North Bay, Oregon, with my brother.  When we cross a sandy part of the trail I always think of the time my brother and I walked a great distance until the sand dunes seemed to run out and we turned around.  It was warm, it was an adventure, and my brother was leading the way.  When I was walking the lumber roads it was with my buddies.  We borrowed single-shot .22 rifles, bought a box of fifty rounds for fifty cents, and were off to explore and see what we could hit.  My friend David Zimmerman (where are you David?) was a great shot.  I watched him shoot the cigarette out of our friend Thorold Simpson's mouth.  Those two were tight buddies and now I can't find them.  Anyway, this is just one reminiscence out of many when I walk this trail. 

Sometimes I want to smell those logging-camp smells of fresh cut wood and chain saw oil again.  Sometimes I want to recapture the moment with my brother and my friends.  This is about connection.  I feel most alive when I am connected. 

Find the energy that makes you feel most connected and that is the best medicine.  What from your history fuels you?  Uncover what it is.  Pay attention to what has meaning to you.  No judgment; just the truth of what is.

For me it’s like the moment at this morning’s coffee meeting (tea, for me, actually) when my friend Barry taps me on the shoulder and says evenly, “Shut your mouth.”  I used to be a mouth breather and he knows I am trying to break the habit.  His simple act of caring means a lot to me. 

BUY THE BOOK