I sometimes like the city. But I don't love it. I can appreciate the kind of life that dwells here. Homes filled with people and pets. Streets filled with much of the same and a little more. The pace can be exciting to me at times. Most times though it is too much for my senses.
Traffic.
Smog.
Concrete and asphalt spreading out as far as the eye can see.
NOISE.
The barrage of billboards sending streams of advertisements for the stuff of our consumer culture…they are always shouting at me. And I hate that.
“Welcome home kids. Welcome back to reality. Now, here is a list of things you need to do and buy in order to be happy/healthy/successful/etc. Lucky for you, yours is a kind and generous culture. We’ll give you 20% off your next purchase if you run out your door RIGHT NOW!”
What?
No.
Is it sad that what I like most about a city has little if nothing to do with the city itself? I am breath-taken by the yellow trumpet tree that lives on the median on Allen St. just south of the 210 freeway. I wonder if people in their cars are moving too fast to notice it’s golden presence. I must have passed it a hundred times before I saw it. It seems so out of place.
Where are all the trees? Buildings and parking lots should seem out of place rather than trees. Why do we insist on replacing natural things with unnatural things?
Anyway…
We packed our little car with our camping gear earlier this month and hit the road for a couple of weeks to celebrate our two-year anniversary. It was a much needed get away from all of the above. It was a time to center ourselves and to take in the beauty of God’s creation. The grandeur of Yosemite provided a corrected perspective of things:
I am so very small…God has created such incredible beauty out of much tougher things than me. Why do I let myself forget that he is always loving and careful with his creation, including me? He carved and shaped this valley out of rock and ice. He brings the rains that fill the rushing rivers and the smallest creeks. He formed me in my mother’s womb. Amazing.
And that was the thought that continually came to me in some form or another as we slowly and happily traveled down the wild central California coast. Stopping at every other turn out to admire the view of the powerful waves crashing against the rocks. We were both filled with amazement by the natural beauty we experienced over the course of our trip.
Needless to say, it is difficult to come back to all of this noise. And there is so much of it. And if there is one thing that I have brought home with me from our last couple of weeks, it’s that everything that shouts over His still small voice is completely expendable.
I appeciate your thoughts here-as well as your new banner.
ReplyDeleteSome of my thinking: if you lived in a quiet place like in a national park, as opposed to a city, you might be longing in this posting for the "noise" of life, & missing we the people.
Most of us in this world are outta balance. Either we have too much or too little, or none at all of the fundamentals of life. But, then, that's a prime purpose for living.
btw, U can catch some inspirational loud noise at the Rose Bowl this Sunday evening.
True...I have thought about that. I would miss being so close to family and friends who are here, but I wouldn't miss the noise of busy streets and all that comes with that. I don't think I would live in a National Park either (as cool as that would be for a time!)...but maybe somewhere greener than our area. I like being surrounded by nature.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this. I don't think wanting solitude and a quiet places is ever bad or will ever be unrecognized. Nor do I think there needs to be any kind of "balance" between peace and turmoil. We as humans are not made to thrive in this chaos, though we can get by with surviving. And surviving should never be equated with living.
ReplyDeleteThere's just something so beautiful and raw about the places we saw, and so many more out there, that it SCREAMS at you in its silence. This is the noise we long for, not the man made anxiety-producing distractions of media and pop culture and trendy competition and cyber obsession. There is a noise that is not noise at all but the resonance of a sound that is inside us at all times, it just happens to be drowned out so easily by the world that we create around us when we are patient enough or still enough to hear it.
It's awfully peaceful in the country... like... in Texas. Just thought you could use a reminder. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa ha...nice one Dani. I need to come out and visit you to be convinced of that though. My experience with Texas was not so peaceful as it was...I don't know...lame? ;) Just kidding...kind of. You'll have to show me around sometime. I thought you were a beach bum???? DOn't you miss the BEACH? The sea is calling you! Come back!
ReplyDeleteOf course I miss the beach! But, I must say, it's pretty glorious not dealing with traffic, and crowds, and LA's other delights. The other day Chris and I were on a walk and I was like, "hey! remember smog?!"
ReplyDelete