I went to Houston for my (summa cum laude!) niece’s high school graduation this weekend and got a wonderful dip into the world of families and graduating seniors. The buzz of youth at that age and the excitement of their moving on is an infectious palpable energy. My niece is pretty AND smart, and we were proud of her and her classmates as they awaited their turn to walk across the stage and exit into another phase of life. The visit brought to mind my Dad’s mentioning many times that none of his family ever attended any of his graduations. Each time we went to such an event, he mentioned this, with a smile and with the pride of sharing such a time with the honoree. My nephew, in Alabama, graduated two weeks before. When I talked with him and asked how he feels about finishing high school and getting ready for college, he said, I’m definitely ready. I’ve only been waiting twelve years for this… Each milestone we reach has its own significance for us. I remember high school graduation very well – it had more significance as an “event” than my graduation from college. Our class of 33 (at Hillcrest in Nigeria) was scattering to places around the globe.
I had four books with me in my carryon bag: Bridges of Consciousness (Kathy Oddenino); The Wave (Susan Casey); Industrial Evolution (Pittsboro local Lyle Estill); and Bird Cloud (Annie Proulx). An interesting combo platter, and I ate well from each one. I’ve long been fascinated by the ocean, big waves, and surfing, especially the big-wave surfing. Last year I read a fantastic book about the Atlantic, so when I saw The Wave it seemed a perfect follow-up. The personalities of the surfers and what they learn and know about the elements, particularly the wind and the waves and themselves, is fascinating to me, as is the history of the science of wave-studying. Waves seem so simple, yet they are the most complex pattern in Nature. I learned something while reading about the internal wave, which I got very excited about because this offers another image to me about the energy of us as living energy beings and the collective consciousness we create and live. Energy streams of us throughout time are always part of us, and we change them as we evolve as a consciousness. When conditions are exactly right, energy forces come together to create a freak wave – other wave patterns may be hidden until gathered by this Giant force to be released as a collective force which is stronger and more impressive than its smaller relations. I’m no scientist, nor am I a surfer, but I love how our minds thread information into knowledge through experience, and the passion of those who feel the life within each experience that calls them. Spiritual Philosophy teaches us to Know Thyself, and each fascinating piece of information about wave dynamics, passion, and personalities in relationship to Earth elements, teaches me more about the reality of energy, which begins internally. More to come on Industrial Evolution, Bird Cloud, passion, and the Elements…
