Brought low by political discord and the looming election, I needed a pick-me-up. Nothing too big. Not a cruise, or a safari, or a mind-numbing drink, but something that would lift that weight off my chest.
Holding a baby bird eating out of my open hand would be perfect!
Our youngest daughter is taking her annual motorcycle trip with Moto Safari. This month she is motorcycling the Himalayas. Quoting the leader’s agenda for day two:
“September 17, Day 02 – If your hangover and jetlag isn’t enough, we face a 6 am start to reach Shimla by afternoon. We head north from Delhi to Chandigarh by coach for 170 miles of “oh shit ” moments on India’s remote roads. After countless butt pucker encounters on the mountain passes, we reach Pinjore Gardens where you meet the rest of Moto Safari Crew, and your trusty rig for the very first time. We ride an easy 55 highway miles until we reach Shimla. This is the first and last time your Royal Enfield is clean and unharmed. The same goes for you.”
I shouldn’t be anxious, Sarah, after all, is an adult, an experienced nomad and travelling with a tried-and-true crew, but… do mothers (who aren’t birds) ever stop tying to protect their baby birds? No matter their age, I open my arms and urge my birds to come close enough for me to feel their warmth.
If I had a recipe calling for worms, I would make it. And they would come.
Anyway prior to Sarah’s leaving, I guess I sounded uneasy. Hoping to allay my fears, she sent me a couple of posts to cheer me up. One post featured Jane Goodall – everyone’s favorite primatologist. When most people retire and call it a-day, Jane Goodall is still knee-deep in bringing environmental, conservation, and humanitarian issues to the public’s attention.
The post my daughter sent referenced Goodall’s 90th birthday in on BBC’s Channel 4 in which Goodall said,
“My next great adventure age 90 is going to be dying.”
Goodall continued, “It’s nothing or something. If it’s nothing, that’s it. If there’s something, I can’t think of a greater adventure than finding out what it is. I happen to think there is something because of experiences I’ve had and because of experiences other people have had… very powerful ones… “
I had never thought of Death as “an adventure.” But days after watching the interview (I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched) I’m thinking about death in a new context. Watch the interview yourself. Watch Goodall’s face – you can feel her enthusiasm for her next adventure.
What do you think? https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=jane+goodall++my+next+adventure+at+90
I took this photo in Jerome, AZ – Apparently, these folks are quite happy in the afterlife.
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