Posted by giveawayboy on April 13, 2002 at 12:57:04:
with all this talk of camping and kamanas and such, i think it's important to remember a HUGE part of this experience. silence is very important for connecting to God and to our sister nature. A real big part of the experience of connecting w nature will be silence. So, although I think group camping can be fun and a good diversion, I think it's important to also take time in silence. You can do sit out on the concrete sidewalk and just allow yourself to connect. The other night I went out and sat for about half an hour and I was just aware of my breathing and the things around me. After awhile, the cement and the cars and the lights on porches around me sort of fell into the background and I was able to see the last few bright green parrots doing strange things on the ground, then taking their last flights up into the singing palms. They were all carrying straw in their beaks. It was for nestbuilding I imagine. I don't know if parrots make nests though. I'll have to try to find out. Then at one point I hear this low steady sound like someone makes when he sticks his tongue on the roof of his mouth, right behind his teeth and then begins to blow out a steady note. I knew that this had to be some sort of owl. Soon, I saw what I thought was a parrot on top of this no parking sign, and the closer i got to him (walking slowly and quietly) i realized that his head was shaped funny for a parrot. Soon I realized that it was my owl. this was so cool. then i told God that i wished i could see one more owl that night and about five minutes later i saw another one flying. i am starting to think that we miss out on so much because we aren't outside at the right times, and beyond this, because we are usually so loud or busy. but by being still and getting wrapped up in silence we can begin to notice still, small things like this.
later, bill