What a Wonderful World, Sometimes
I went up river today with my dog and my camera. I packed a couple apples and a bag of pistachios, and stopped at the Irving to gas up, and grab a salad… and some date cookies. Recently, a fellow mom mentioned her 80-20 rule. I don’t believe in rules, but I do like moderation better than complete restriction.
Just before I left, a friend told me to, “Enjoy the woods and the fresh air!” I later laughed because of the dry dirt roads with billows of dust when I met logging trucks.
The dirt roads full of potholes, bumps, and dust were worth it to see this beautiful moose. He stood tall and lanky, and side-eyed me for quite a while. I love the light on his face.
Isn’t it interesting how a song just pops into your head, and you start to sing it without having heard it recently. It’s like the unconscious mind tracks back to a similar time, reminding you that you felt like this before. It does that with both good and bad root events.
Today the song was, What a Wonderful World. I couldn’t keep it from coming to mind, even though I was sympathizing with friends who experienced tragedy yesterday. Singing What a Wonderful World seemed like a temporary “La La Land” when you consider the harsh realities of what is going on in people’s hearts and minds. It’s certainly not always wonderful for the wild kingdom, both human and animals. The struggle to survive is a daily challenge for most.
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
I see trees of green, Red roses too, I see them bloom, For me and you, And I think to myself, What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue, And clouds of white, The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night, And I think to myself, What a wonderful world
How we see this world is through the filters of our own life experiences, emotions, beliefs, and values. That’s why people who have seemingly similar lives on the outside, may have very different struggles on the inside. Two people can be raised in the same family, and grow up, and have similar lives with similar families. When a bad thing happens, one of them experiences different emotional shocks in regard to how they got caught off guard when the bad thing happened. And in that lightning moment, the brain changes. By downgrading the traumas, they can begin to be at peace again, instead of being on guard.
As I drove, my mind also remembered exploring this part of the woods in recent years, with my first cousin once-removed. She drove her side-by-side, and packed us a bologna sandwich lunch. We had a great time, and I took lots of pictures. This past spring and summer, I attended both her big birthday celebration, and then a couple months later, her funeral.
It’s not all peaches and cream in the woods either. You come across a lot of clear cuts. And you do take your thoughts with you. But then, out of the blue, you find yourself singing What a Wonderful World again, and you forget. Maybe you even apply: “Is this mine?” or “Is this theirs?” And let go of burdens not yours to carry.
Then something happened to me today. I was walking on the road after taking pictures, and I fell. I couldn’t catch myself, and I went down pretty hard. It was one of those times when you shouldn’t get hurt, because you’re alone way up in the woods. I was in enough discomfort that I had to turn around, and go home. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to take an alternate scenic route, and I was able to take a few more pictures even though I was physically hurting. I still am.
On the drive home, the music in my head changed. It went to a beautiful, sad song my father chose for my wedding (now divorced).
Turn Around by Harry Belafonte, Malvina Reynolds and Alan Greene
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
Turn around and you're four,
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door.
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you're tiny,
Turn around and you're grown,
Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.
