Voices Without and Within
Our trip last week included a tour bus excursion to Grand Canyon West. Not national park land, this West Rim area is located on the Hualapai Reservation and includes a visitor’s center, Skywalk, Eagle’s Point, Guano Point, and more.
We didn’t have ideal weather that day. Until a few days before, my visions of seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time always included clear blue skies. It ended up cloudy, chilly, with periodic drizzle and rain. The views were still spectacular. The vastness and variety of colors on the canyon walls were breathtaking. I took pictures, but I also took several pauses to stand still and breathe in the view with much more than my eyes.
As I walked along a wide stretch of trail to rejoin my husband, I heard one young man behind me jokingly say to the person he was with “If I’m going down, you’re going down too.” I smiled, but my next thought wasn’t as pleasant. “If I’m going down, you’re going down too.” In some ways, this is the state of the nation I live in and the world we all inhabit.
Environmental havoc, gun violence, mental health crises. These are just some of the problems pressing in on us. It can be overwhelming. But it can also be as simple as doing my part today to be a contributor and not a contaminator. Wise and conservative use of our resources. A friendly hello to fellow humans, face to face. Having direct conversations with others, even when difficult. If we continue to isolate, point fingers, and spin in overwhelm, we grow hopeless.
Hope can be found anywhere at any time. We also encountered a homeless man at a stoplight near the Las Vegas Strip last week. He was talking to passersby about being blessed and only needing today, this 24 hours. These are reminders I truly appreciate and need.
Voices from without gave me reasons to pause and listen to the voice within. I plan to be a contributor today.
How about you?
Bonus photo, kept in grand size. This is Eagle’s Point at Grand Canyon West. Do you see the eagle with wings spread?
Eagle’s Point at Grand Canyon West
