I was driving on Upper Ranchitos a few days ago. That is my
old neighborhood and it is an entirely different climate than where I live now.
It reminds me of the English countryside with narrow roads and hedgerows only
wilder. It has a lot of the old Taos ambiance with its aged Cottonwoods,
willows and latia fences gradually succumbing to gravity and age. It is very
green with a high water table, rather than the sagebrush covered desert of our
current residence. The fall colors have been awesome this year and nature is
presenting her finest performance before retreating into drab. For some reason, the beauty of the season inspired thoughts about our human presence on this planet. We can’t
remember when it all began. From our point of view, it was just waiting for our
arrival.
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| Taos Pueblo a few days ago. |
Then it occurred to me that planet earth might still be in
the beginning stages of development. We assume that since it is so old by human
standards, it must be wearing out. Yet it’s possible that our species might be
an experiment on the way to a creature of upgraded design. We might even be another transitional species
suited to an age that is now passing like the dinosaurs. It’s apparent that humans in our present
condition are not well adapted to the earth. We are not even well adapted to our
own interests, which is ultimately the same thing.
Probably there are cosmic administrators looking on from
another dimension or galaxy, possibly far removed from our little solar system attempting
to decide if this human experiment is a lost cause or whether tweaking it a bit
might still bring success.
One night in my early twenties, I came home late from a date,
went to bed and fell into a deep sleep then suddenly shot out of bed without
knowing why. Progressively I became aware that soaring sparks of fire souring a
hundred feet in the air were illuminating my bedroom. Although still partially asleep, I stood at the west
window and watched with reverent awe. It was surreal and breathtakingly beautiful, the
ultimate fireworks show. Gradually it dawned on me that this wasn’t the Fourth
of July, the Second Coming of Christ or the landing of an alien ship but half
an acre of the Silvetti’s house, barn and side buildings simultaneously going
up in flames adjacent to our back fence. Their little farm was part of my life since the age of four. We
bought eggs from the Silvetti’s and later milk when they added a small dairy
farm. It seemed as permanent as the mountains. My familiar reality was experiencing
a nearly supernatural seizure.
This entire presidential season has impacted me in a similar
way to that fire that changed the landscape and future of our neighborhood.
It’s hard to believe it is what it is. Sometimes I watch passively as if what
I’m seeing couldn’t possibly be real.
Watching the first of the Presidential debates resembled more a Saturday
Night Live lampoon than a presidential debate (Written before the actual
Saturday Night Live lampoon).
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| On the way to Arroyo Seco three days ago. |
The man, who exemplifies the worst of America in his
exploitation of business, tax evasion tactics, women and media, says he is
going to “make America great again.” It’s honestly unbelievable that he wants
to do anything other than make himself greater. However, as a manipulator, he
knows the slogans that will awaken the fears and hopes of those who feel left
out and exploited. Many people seem to have forgotten that change can be not
only for the best but also for the worst. In nature, there are many techniques
used by predators to create trust in their victims.
The other candidate is experienced in the ways of Washington
and in political protocol. It seems apparent that she is the least damaging choice yet,
I find myself without any trust in the system in which she learned to swim with
the sharks. My intuition tells me that
the skin covering this system is beginning to peel away from disease and as
with most major transformations; it begins with disintegration of the familiar
form. I don’t envy anyone who wins this election and I think we must begin to
download instructions for an updated version of ourselves from the cosmic
source, whatever you choose to call it, God, or the evolution of species. These
are just words and concepts in need of a rethink. We humans aren’t doing very
well with our present concept of reality.
