It has been a very lovely day in South Bend...sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60s. This afternoon I sat on our back deck enjoying the tranquil scene of the forest beyond. A light breeze rustled through the trees and, with exception of a stray car here or there down on the highway or the distant hum of a lawnmower, the only sounds I heard came from the forest itself.
What an idyllic picture, I thought to myself.
After basking in the warm rays of sunlight for several minutes, the tranquility was broken by two jays screaming at each other as they seemed to engage in aerial combat. A few moments later a robin landed on the ground and set about to find a juicy worm. Aah, there's one!
Once the jays and robin flew off, I thought I would now get back to the idyllic picture. A thought occurred to me, though. The struggles of life and death are ever present...even beneath or within tranquil settings. The idyllic picture is nothing more than a self-framed facade.
At any given moment, a war is transpiring within each of us. Various foreign entities (like bacteria) have entered into our bodies and they are locked in a battle for survival with our antibodies. When the latter prevail, we feel good. When the former prevail, we feel sick and, sometimes, it means our own death.
We've have entered our 2 1/2 month dry season here in South Bend. Over the next 10 weeks, we average only about 4 inches of rain. So, in the forest and in our lawns, plants fight to soak up as much of the limited moisture as they can. Dandelions and other weeds are known water hogs. As they sop up the moisture available -- without human intervention in the form of a hose and a sprinkler -- the other plants often struggle to survive. It's that life and death tug-of-war again!
I bet, if I focused my gaze on the soil level instead of the panoramic view of the forest, I would see quite a lot of life and death struggles. Various bugs eating other bugs. Some live to eat another day, while some are the eaten.
My point here is that we can't escape the struggles of survival. On or in every windswept beach, starry night sky or sun-drenched meadow, there is an earthiness than transcends the romanticized beauty -- a perpetual fight to live...and die.
What an idyllic picture, I thought to myself.
After basking in the warm rays of sunlight for several minutes, the tranquility was broken by two jays screaming at each other as they seemed to engage in aerial combat. A few moments later a robin landed on the ground and set about to find a juicy worm. Aah, there's one!
Once the jays and robin flew off, I thought I would now get back to the idyllic picture. A thought occurred to me, though. The struggles of life and death are ever present...even beneath or within tranquil settings. The idyllic picture is nothing more than a self-framed facade.
At any given moment, a war is transpiring within each of us. Various foreign entities (like bacteria) have entered into our bodies and they are locked in a battle for survival with our antibodies. When the latter prevail, we feel good. When the former prevail, we feel sick and, sometimes, it means our own death.
We've have entered our 2 1/2 month dry season here in South Bend. Over the next 10 weeks, we average only about 4 inches of rain. So, in the forest and in our lawns, plants fight to soak up as much of the limited moisture as they can. Dandelions and other weeds are known water hogs. As they sop up the moisture available -- without human intervention in the form of a hose and a sprinkler -- the other plants often struggle to survive. It's that life and death tug-of-war again!
I bet, if I focused my gaze on the soil level instead of the panoramic view of the forest, I would see quite a lot of life and death struggles. Various bugs eating other bugs. Some live to eat another day, while some are the eaten.
My point here is that we can't escape the struggles of survival. On or in every windswept beach, starry night sky or sun-drenched meadow, there is an earthiness than transcends the romanticized beauty -- a perpetual fight to live...and die.
For some reason, this has got me to thinking about Maoist -era "struggle sessions." Not a pretty thought.
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