1/17/26

This was a sapling 300 years ago. 1726. Jonathan Swift published Gulliver’s Travels. Poverty was rampant in the colony city of Philadelphia and the poor went on a rampage destroying  pillories and stockades . Ben Franklin, a young man living in England, returned to to Colonies while the English tabloids were inundated  with stories of Mary Toft who claimed to have given birth to a litter of rabbits…

This morning it snowed . A beautiful quiet landscape of white greeted me as I started my day. 

I decided to walk in the woods behind my home with my dog.

I stopped to look at fallen trees from a summer storm. I waded into the underbrush to count rings on cuts. Everything which falls in the forests here is allowed to decay returning Souls to the Earth to nurture generations of life to come. 

The now fallen trees ranged from 150 to 300 years old. Mother Nature always brings the present into perspective if we are willing to open our eyes to Her lessons. 

I rarely watch the news or read about current events but I happened to see a cover story of Time magazine yesterday expounding on the President’s need to leave a Legacy…

I am not a fan but nevertheless  I think that he must be one of the most miserable, lonely people alive…chasing a Legacy as his time comes near…

I recently decided to run for town council . My town is small, 500 people nestled in a Maryland Historic Preserve. I want to contribute to this community. Many years ago I ran for and won an election for School Board in an eastern North Carolina county. When I ran I was told by the election board that public officials fall into these categories; 33% want power,33% want wealth, and 30% want sex. The other 4% want to help the constituency. After 3 years on the board as a 4 percenter I decided they were right. In addition all seemed to be concerned about a personal Legacy. 

As time passed I came to understand that Legacy is a myth, a need to hope one is remembered after Mother Nature takes us…turning us to simple Dust nurturing the coming generations. I’m hoping that if I win this time my co-council members will miraculously fall into the 4%… I’m hoping Legacy means nothing to them…I mean, come on…Legacy from a group of 500 people who have chosen to live in a forest?!

I recently signed up for two more cross country bike rides. These rides, besides keeping me young and healthy, have taught me the importance of living in the moment. I have been able to incorporate that strategy into my daily life with painting, exercise, being with my family, and walks in the woods with my dog. 

Daily life can overwhelm with clutter and emotional complexities. 

 Given space and time these worry evoking events fade into nothingness. There will always be fallen trees in the woods.

Living in the moment brings clarity of thought and often reveals a path forward. 

 

I have often wondered at the relationship of dogs to humans…a nearly unique cross species bond. Dogs have mastered living in the moment and if cared for seem to be the happiest creatures alive. Mine wanders outside to relieve herself then returns with explosive joy as if she has not seen me in 10 years…living in the moment negates the concept of time. We get to experience this when we are concentrating on an activity we love only to stop and see hours have passed instead of a few minutes. Dogs live this every moment of their lives. 

Legacy is not a word in a dog’s vocabulary. There are no layers of complexity. 

Each of us is bombarded by daily events. Each of us survive as best we can but some suffer more than others. 

Wouldn’t life be easier if we all nurtured the idea of living in the moment ?

 I believe so . 

I don’t believe in Legacy. Someday I will become Dust marked by an anonymous tree ring in a forest where no one hears the trees fall… but as I pass the boundary I hope to take satisfaction in that I have lived my life as best I could, one moment at a time. 

Each of us must open our eyes to the Now and find the path forward regardless of age or circumstances. 

If you own a dog, give them an extra rub or treat. If you don’t consider getting one. They are Mother Nature’s gift to us…our Guides…