Islands in the Stream
The Body Knows What the Mind Can Not
When you are on a long, physically taxing journey, picking a point on the horizon to aim for often allows a new kind of attention to come online. You shift back and forth from your inner reserves to your outer focal point. The spot becomes a beacon and the closer you get, the more the energy comes alive in you. That single pointed attention allows your body to do what it knows how to do without the distraction of your mind.
There have been many times in my life when I was unable to find the rhythm I needed to continue. Each and every time that happened it was my mind that convinced me I could not do something and that I should give up. I became so distracted by my mind that my resilience faded and I gave up. These failures are great teachers and I have begun to notice that my inner reserves fill up when I am more deeply connected to the natural world, including my human community.
Blueberries for All
There are some who believe that soaking in the positive ions of the salty ocean helps to release negativity stored up in your body. I have often experienced a different clarity after spending time at the seashore, and our time in Jonesport seemed to have released some of the stored tension and negativity in my body. When your vessel is clear, you tend to magnetize deeper experiences.
Our deeper experiences began with a genuine and heartfelt invitation from a retired couple we met camping on the coast. They invited our family to come down to visit their house and blueberry farm in Dresden, Maine. The blueberries and sunset views of the Kennebec River were alluring, but the real prize was the opportunity to trust in the gifts that life was bringing us and enjoy the deepening with two amazing humans.
They were not lying when they said the spot was a little slice of paradise. It would have been easy to get distracted by the beauty and creature comforts (hot showers and working a/c for the heat wave). We could have stayed on the surface, but it was clear that life and the river wanted us to go deeper.
Our hosts were deeply engaging, had enormous hearts and the conversation was inviting and interesting. It was the perfect place to go deep. And as promised the blueberries were intoxicating. The three of us probably picked a gallon and ate almost that much while picking. What a sweet treat!
The Inevitable Call of Eagles
There was only one thing our hosts recommended we not do while playing in the beautiful tidal estuary in front of their house. That one thing was to not venture into the strong tidal pull of the Kennebec. The house sat on the very placid Eastern River right where it meets up with the much bigger and more powerful Kennebec River. Whereas the Eastern River is as gentle as a lamb, the Kennebec is more of a lion with strong tidal currents.
So, what did we do? I think we felt so enriched by the joy, family and friendship that it made us feel embodied and truly alive. I paddled out to some rocks on the border of where the two rivers met to witness a gulp (no really, that is what a group of them is called) of cormorants chilling on the rocks with their wings spread drying and sunning themselves. Moments later, while I was feeling a bit like one of those cormorants myself drying in the sun, my wife and son paddled up on boogie boards. Collectively, the idea of crossing the Kennebec to Eagle Island became intoxicating – inevitable even.
And so, as soon as the invitation was whispered, how could I say no? We were off. It was a tad bit insane of a journey by society’s definition of what is safe. And one kayak and two boogie boards were not the right equipment for such a strong tide. The odds were certainly not in our favor.
The Heroes’ Journey
We were too drunk on life to care. It was clear that our bodies knew what our minds could not. We took turns swimming, boating, floating and towing. We each managed to get stuck from time to time as we paddled in place in the undertow. And harbor seals kept popping their heads out of the water to laugh at us.
It was pure pleasure, every cell in our bodies were alive. We finally managed to make it to the island and in the mind’s last gasp of wondering how we were ever going to make it back, we just let go. I slowly paddled along the shore exploring while my wife and son frolicked on the island.
We were connected in our quest of wonder and discovery. It was pure ecstasy. The true aliveness that we felt in which our minds and spirits took charge is what carried us home. The journey back was like a dream. Floating across the expanse of two rivers to a safe haven carried by the joy in our bodies and love in our hearts.
The struggle was real but became achievable because we had each other and we surrendered to the joy of the journey. We set the intention in our travels to be on a hero’s journey individually and collectively as a family. Our quests are not always this intense, but sometimes these moments are just the thing needed to springboard us to the next step on the path.
Now that we have slayed the biggest dragon of them all, the fearful mind, our hearts and bodies are ready for whatever comes next. Wild rivers, solitary islands, friends old and new and more adventures lay ahead.
