A rock in the path

Benton Mackaye Trail

It begins as a lark. You just meet. You find out about this person. Then it winds up as something more. You've not figured out yet, just what it is. That comes later, afterward, when it transforms to it's next state.

The amorphous feeling of infatuation is intoxicating. It's strike can be deadly and leave you in recovery for years to come. Be warned of it, it can lead you down a road from which you may never return.

At least without the help of professionals.

I have fallen, and gotten up. I dust myself off, and move along down this path when I stumble upon a rock unseen. The trail is lovely and filled with wonders. Flowers scent the air and butterflies tumble to alight softly, pause, then vanish in a flutter of wings. The stream, background noise gurgling Doppler effect, changing slightly in the depths of your hearing as you travel past.

What miracles lie ahead beyond the ridge,  terrors of overturned rock trapped in geological process, or other slithering hidden magic. Traveling the path ahead is rigorous climbing, the loose gravel shuffling underfoot.

Step lightly, and tread softly with patience for the summit is in reach.

The Wolf is always at the Door

Nothing makes sense at times, but there's always the simplicity of bliss.

We move through this life, doing our best to find some ultimate happiness. If we are lucky, we find some transient bliss that will carry us through the long spans of time when there is none. We have it within us to live within memories for our entire lives, sometimes this can be a benefit, but others it is a handicap.

The bliss, when we find it can be transformative and comforting, bringing us back to life from the long slumber we fall into in response to the pitfalls of daily living. Schedules, responsibilities, and the mundane business of making in this world today all have worn us thin to bare threads, financially and spiritually. Today, we are even more in ill-repose to our blissful lives, we are desensitized by media, our attentions impacted by technology, and our hearts hardened by the constant stream of bad news blaring from every open port.

But, there is a richness in the undercurrent of living which bliss can bring to us. Whether it is the comfort of friendship, the caress of a lover, or the sanctity of a marriage, all of us are craving completion whether we will admit to it or not. Some try to fill the voids with work and personal accomplishments, eventually, they find themselves alone with a wealth and richness of the self, but lacking the simple bliss that another person can bring to their lives. This world is better when it is shared with another, I can vouch for that.

If you find somebody to love in this world, you better hang on tooth and nail. The wolf is always at the door. -- from "New York Minute" by Don Henley.