This evening after dinner I decided to walk up to the Garry Oak meadow nearby my home. I had in mind to do a little meditation and nature connecting. When I arrived, the rock outcropping that I often sit on, was vacant, so up I went. There is an amazing panoramic view of the region from up there; as well as that of the immediate area.
I noticed soon after settling in, that what only a few short weeks ago was the lush green new growth of Spring, was already becoming considerably dehydrated. I wondered if that was a precursor for a "long dry summer." April certainly was uncharacteristically dry and certainly I recall many a cool, damp day in May, which so far is not the case. Hard to imagine how the detractors of climate change can manage to continue to find traction for their own conviction - don't they ever look out the window?
Next my thoughts went to the intelligence that lies behind or within all that is. The last few times I've sat on the hill top there has been varying size "swarms" of something gnat-like. Without fail if one sits and observes within a natural setting all forms of life become apparent - the surrounding become very "animated." Now some might think, certainly not the most exotic of wildlife he has chosen to observe! As I said, I'm interested in seeing for myself the divine intelligence present in it all. I was a little concerned that if they flew too close, I could wipe out a significant portion of the squadron with my next inhalation. Therein begins to unfold the presence of the intelligence. While I exercised my curiosity observing them, if they had any corresponding curiosity, they kept their distance while attending it. God knows what they actually are doing, at first glance it appears to be chaotic flying. Closer viewing realizes that there must be some kind of "order" because despite the vast numbers, complexity of flight patterns and relative speed, there never was any midair collisions. What I did see was something similar to those (I believe the term is ) murmurations; albeit on a much smaller scale. They did move about in some form of unison. Somehow that must be being communicated within the collective; while at the same time pointing out, stay away from the guy with the big nose, or it will be Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom meets Fantastic Voyage, as you are abruptly given a tour of his sinuses and upper respiratory tract.
The other thing that I have taken to doing up there lately, is what I suppose might be identified as a cross between a lying meditation and stretching. It's somewhat like the "corpse pose" in Yoga, except it's done over the face of the hill top, I've been sitting on. The curved shape of the rock offers a supported stretch. On top of that, the rock has been warmed by the sun, so I also get a free heated stone treatment. This "routine" is supplementary therapy to restore some suppleness to my low back. I stretched out on there one afternoon (coaxed by the heat radiating off the rock) and once I wiggled around a bit and found the "right fit," it wasn't long before various places in my skeletal system were "adjusting themselves." I might add, this was done through the intelligence of my body (perhaps in conjunction with the stones) not like at the chiropractor; where it's more someone else's will be asserted on my body (without really asking it what it wants or needs). I'm not wishing to malign the chiropractic profession, there is a time and a place for all expertise. I further suppose that if I'm one with nature and it with me, then my reconnecting with nature is reconnecting to myself; therefore I ask to be "realigned" right along with it.
While I was lying there - I thought I could hear singing where it had previously been very quiet. I wondered if I was dreaming/tripping? I sat up and turned to look and saw a women with what looked like a small guitar with the voice of an angel. For clarities sake I wasn't tripping - she was there. And then she joined me on the rock in pursuit of two young high energy sons. "This is the end of your quiet moment, "she said. "We're a noisy bunch!"
"Quite alright I said I was really enjoying your singing and besides I can get solitude most anytime." Turns out what she was playing was called a Guitalele (a guitar/ukelele hybrid) could be the answer to my traveling instrument quandary! She told me about the instrument, while at the same time, offering suggestions to her sons regarding some minimal guidelines to consider; while charging up and down the side of the rock face.
When she realized the her plan to play some more music while the boys played and then they would do some reading together wasn't going to happen, she adeptly switched gears. The older of the two boys had sat down with his book and was writing, the other son wanted a drink of water (the drinking fountain being on the other side of the park). A little to my surprise she negotiated with the son and his book - "will you sit here then and work on your book while we get a drink?" "And then when I call you, you'll come and meet us?" He agreed and off she went. I thanked her for the music and she thanked me for "allowing" it. It didn't occur to me that I was "allowing" anything. I said early "surprised" because I had never met these folks before and yet here she was, going off to the other side of the park and leaving her son with me. I mean not "with me" but with me. How did she know it was ok to do that? By which I mean, not that I felt put upon, but how did she know it was safe? (It was sort of refreshing in a way - what with so much fear in the world - it just tickled my curiosity).
As it turned out the young lad was a delight. I asked him what he was writing. He looked up and answered "I'm writing a comic book." I figure him to be maybe eight or nine. "Really I said, that's really cool! "Ya, this is my third one I'm working on." "Maybe you're going to be a famous comic book creator." "It's not easy ya know", he says. "You've got to do all the drawing and then write the story too!" "And pretty much, the characters have to be drawn the same every time!" "Wow, I didn't know there was so much to it, good for you for taking that on!"
I asked him what his comics were about - did they have "super heroes" as characters? "No he said, they are about leprechauns!""They talk to me and I write it down." "Really, that's so amazing," I said. "Do you have Irish ancestry?" As quick as it came out of my mouth I wondered if the word ancestry would throw him for a loop. "Yes I do," he said matter of factly "What is your last name?" "Rabourn" he answered (I didn't verify the spelling). Was it your grandparents that came from Ireland?" "No it goes way back he says, we might have been one of the first seven to nine families to come out to Canada." "Hmm... interesting," says I.
Then I said to him, ya know I don't think the leprechauns will speak to just anybody." "No that's right, I write them letters too and they write back to me, they've told me to come back to the old country."
No sooner did he say this than his mom called him. I just about said, "Really do we have to go already?" I thought she had called "Liam" I asked if that was his name? He said no, my name is (and he pronounced it) Will-aum. "Well then, pleased to meet you." "Same here, good bye now." he answered, and off he went. I didn't leave very long behind and considered that with the two young boys along, they might not take the most direct route out of the park - they were no where to be seen.
Maybe I was tripping?
I kept repeating his name so I wouldn't forget it. I came home and tried to search for something close to how he pronounced his name. The search produced "William" along with the "meaning" and an audio track that pronounced the name as "Liam" (meaning was "strong protector").
He was "strong" as well as being what I believe is deemed a "bonny lad." I don't actually know what that means, it just occurs to me I say that, of him.
Mark my words Liam/Will-aum Rebourn is a name to remember and a force to reckon with. Somehow I don't think that I will soon forget him - I suppose if I'm meant to meet him again, our paths will cross.
I didn't get a chance to tell him of my ancestry, it all transpired so quickly. I came there to connect with nature - my nature, and it seems the ancestors are calling me, in more ways than one!
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