WHAT IS LIFE??---A MAZE OR A LABYRINTH??

A MYSTERY TO BE SOLVED WITH REASON OR A PATH TO BE WALKED BY INTUITION?

Meet Cordelia Rose---a lovely, friendly British/American who lives high upon White Mesa and has gone to considerable effort to express her fascination for Labyrinths----constructing lots of them on her land.  Laurie, Peg and I made our way up on this mysterious plateau and introduced ourselves. Want the full story:

http://www.wmlabyrinths.com/events_wld.shtml

She gave us a tour---explained a bit of labyrinth history--distinguished them from mazes-- then let us walk as many of them as we wanted---in whatever meditative fashion we chose.

Each has an entrance and when fully walked brings one out at the same place one entered.

This is not a labyrinth----it is a maze---she constructed it to show the difference.  Labyrinths are an effortless experience----a guided path requiring no decisions.  The maze is a puzzle--a challenge---it is possible to go wrong--to get frustrated even---it has a prize---a right answer---it calls forth our reason.

Of course I accepted the challenge----and eventually worked my way to the center---the prize.

Laurie is lost in meditative bliss as she follows the path ---in full confidence it will lead wherever it should.  Unlike the maze---each step is as significant as any other---there is no challenge or failure---just experience. 

Likewise Peg ---also a  meditator seems lost in a pleasant--going nowhere--journey. I gave the meditative journey a shot also.   Enjoyed it! Certainly a sharp contrast to the maze experience.

Laurie contemplates a very imaginative labyrinth---a blank one--of soft--carefully raked earth.  The idea is to walk a path of pure intuition---eyes opened or closed---just letting yourself be gently guided by?  Whatever.  When you finish, you may look at your tracks to see what your wanderings suggest to you.  Then you take the provided rake, walk a circular route outward and restore the earth for the next walker.

An unlikely labyrinth made of horse turds---I walked it.

close up shot

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I believe life is more like a maze than a labyrinth---more like a puzzle than a path; that creative responsiveness is better than obedience.  If there is a God I don't think He writes (or inspires) authoritative books or has a divine will---a path--for us to follow.  I prefer the notion that He made us co-creators ---responsible for creating our ethics, art and purpose.  That He winces at the misguided millions who merely wish to obey.  

LADY IN THE TOWER-----MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD

ONE DAY WHEN I'M OUT AND ABOUT---THAT TINY HOUSE IN THE AIR CAUGHT MY EYE.  Can you see it above the trees?

It's a fire tower of course--and I want to go there.

It's beyond the top of this hill---up that steep road.

Steeper than I supposed---but doable. (this is a going down shot)

And there it is---50 feet in the air.  Lots of steps but I need the exercise.

And Yeah--the view is worth the climb---but not in itself worth reporting to you.

BUT THIS IS!!---Meet Lana---a gentle, open firetower lady with a remarkable story:  Married long ago to a military guy---baby comes---marriage falls apart---no way to make a living.  She got an old camper and retreated to a hidden nook in the vast forest below this tower----AND LIVED THERE WITH HER SON FOR 14 YEARS.  Early in her stay---the rangers discovered her hiding place---sized up her situation and offered her a summer job in this tower.  She gratefully accepted ---did a good job--and returned the next year---and the next 20 years. Meanwhile the son grew up and moved away.

Lana continued to live in the forest  SURVIVING ON 3 MONTHS OF MINIMUM WAGE SALARY.

Often, she would simply live in the tower itself.

Can you see her bed and the edge of her sink? (has to carry water up) There is a fridge and stove also.

I was moved by her story---returned next day with two companions--Laurie (left) and Ginger (right) the lady in the middle is Lana's replacement for Thurs and Fri. She gave me more details about Lana's story.

The hilltop is also a  communication center.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Lana's unspoken message/lesson for the world is: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS.  She has survived for 20 years on the income from a summer job.  LET THE WORD GO FORTH TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF GREECE, SPAIN,PORTUGAL,IRELAND, THE UNITED STATES AND ALSO TO THE CITIZENS OF ALL COUNTRIES: Live within your means!

And P.S. Lana's story has a happy ending:  Beginning this month she will receive a widows pension because her long departed husband recently died.

Quest for community caravan update:  Interesting new people in interesting rigs have rolled in---I will show you in a day or so.  Prepare yourself for a whopper.  

A HOPEFUL WORD TO THE CASUALTIES---OF THE ECONOMIC SLUMP

WE CAN ESCAPE TOGETHER----ON THE LOW ROAD---WITH COMFORT---FRUGALITY.                                                                HERE'S PROOF

The current view from my front window---a meadow of 1000 plus acres at an elevation of 9000 feet---wonderfully cool and beautiful.  ITS ALL YOURS---YOU OWN IT---YOU CAN USE IT---FREE OF CHARGE. 

Two more meadows of equal size await you just beyond my trailer.

Can you see the rigs of my companions tucked in those trees.  They've been here awhile---I just rolled in.

A morning walk through an aspen grove.

Giant christmas trees--Super healthy

Lyn's Pleasureway van---I show it for the benefit of her concerned daughter Lexie -your mother is ok

So is the puppy Rain

Three of us walk the dogs together at 6 pm

Took this shot on the way in---see those cell towers---Boonie finds spots that have service--so I can send this to you.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Millions are needlessly suffering.   "Grunting and sweating under a weary life" ---casualties perhaps of the economic downturn---(but more likely of bad choices).  At least a million of you already have enough money to retire if you will join the million of us on the Free Road---the low road of simplicity, frugality, mobility and connection.  The above is a real world example of freedom.  If you can shake loose of the traps you are ensnared in: 1. The identity trap (trying to be what somebody else wants you to be) 2. The Previous Investment trap (in too deep) and 8 other common traps: (See Harry Browne: "HOW I FOUND FREEDOM IN AN UNFREE WORLD")

Then you can have the freedom to follow your dream.  Six to Eight hundred dollars a month of income or savings can lift you out of the rat race.  (No--wait---I've reconsidered: Once you get a vehicle to live in---you can live well on half that amount---$300 to $400 if you carefully limit your travels)

Caravan Update: The Quest for community caravan is coming along nicely---a social organism inventing itself---now converging on Bluewater St Park, NM. 

WALK A NEW STREET

THE JOYS OF SMALL TOWN STRANGER--ING.

Walk a New Street

Walk a street that’s new to you;

Notice what happens in your head.

Pulses of pleasure are released

Like bubbles in rising bread.

Now some scientist has proven what

RVers knew was true:

Travelers feel a surge of joy

Experiencing something new.

Endorphins are released, it seems,

When we see novelty,

Natural pleasure chemicals

In the brain of you and me.

So now we know how to make ourselves happy:

Go do something new.

To generate fun just walk some “un”

Familiar avenue.

Thanks to the research of James Austin

(Zen and the Brain,

MIT Press, Cambridge, 1998, p. 219)

Hwy 180--North of Silver City, NM---a beautiful drive.  The caravan nearly always travels separately---to preserve our freedom to stop where we will.

Suddenly the world turns green ---in Glenwood.  We all stop here to appreciate this lovely oasis.

We decide to stay a few days---never mind there's a bear on the loose. This sign right behind my rig.

Hard to believe but there's a free campground two blocks north of town.

Here's 3 of the 4 of us settled in.

The town's famous for this:

Perhaps the greatest "catwalk" in America---maybe a mile long suspended walkway into this grand canyon. 

Laurie is as charmed as I am:

Actually more so---She disappeared down into the canyon.   When I caught up she was well out of her clothes---Oh she is bold---finally swimming around in the pool behind her.

See the story here? Biblical Religious nuts who believe the earth is only about 10,000 years old are registering their dissent with science. Does it shock you that 47 percent of Americans do not believe in evolution?  That is like believing the world is flat. 

Nightime finds us at the local bar---everybody is having a great time---the local rancher/band was playing Ghost riders in the sky. 

In walks Louis- a seasonal firefighter from LA.  Laurie and I interview him thoroughly---about firefighting---then finally learning about his love life.

The town has a great library---free wifi---friendly personnel---super generous lending policy---complete strangers can take books home.  And we did!

Out back---a really good mural by the children of the town.

And a giant concrete slab--colored chalk provided--the public invited--to have its say. Can you read what the philosopher wrote?  "PROGRESS IS THE INCREASE OF OPTIONS." (Arthur C. Clarke)

The love lady drew a heart that said CELEBRATE LIFE!

Peg went Zennish deep:  THE OCEAN REFUSES NO RIVER!

Evenings found us strolling Glenwood's cool streets.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Something wonderful is happening in small towns everywhere---Art--Music--festivals---Community consciousness---good libraries---gardens--flowers---sculptures.  People are coming alive---lowering their defenses---discovering the joys of playfulness---cooperating to make a more civil society.  Bisbee,Az, Patagonia,Az, Columbus, NM, Silver City, NM, Glenwood, NM--to name a few.  The age of Aquairus my indeed be dawning. 

QUEST FOR COMMUNITY UPDATE:  We have temporarily scattered in 4 directions---tomorrow we begin moving together again--aiming to assemble at Bluewater State Park near Grants, NM. Feel free to visit us.