Yea! Made it to Elmore...

 

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Yea… made it to Elmore. 16km from where I was dropped off this morning, which was where i got to yesterday arvo. 

I had my charged phone, some trail-mix, and dates Mum gave me in Qld, in my pocket, a plastic poncho folded in my back pocket and a 600ml water bottle my daughter-in-law gave me in one hand. … jogging, walking, talking on the phone, taking pics or videos, trying to put life responses into words. Times to talk with two workmen putting Granny's letterbox out at the front fence, a lady selling old wares (and puppets), at the front of her shop. Getting a lovely coffee at The Oasis opposite the railway station, with a little quiche and piece of fruit cake.

Thought this plaque was interesting in the coffee shop:

Specially for me, in my present activity…

I cleared a bit of a table up and gave the plates to the lady whom i had paid $11.80 to for a large coffee, a small piece of quiche, and some fruit cake…

Look what I got (& I've just had half of the quiche, and salad, and coffee):

Looked after...

What fun. What a morning. 

Lovely to not have any pack to have to carry.

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morning walk-er

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My God, I'm walking in this world that's fresh 

today and seeing all these dewdrops hung

announcing diamond-like with colours spesh-

ly crafted on the edges of each one.

Just like a ring of covenanted trōth,

that leads to singing, working strong and hard,

to grow a living love, that's more than both

the individu'l entities on guard.

And now I'm in an arbour under trees,

with all these diff'rent bird calls up above,

the soft sun's shade is speckled by all these

and really, it's not hard to recall love.

Some little birds are flying just ahead

from clump to clump of grasses on  the side.

Just like those little children at some wed-

dings, holding flowers just before the bride.

The groom seems out of sight, for just this mo-

meant, as it's just before the wedding's here,

this thriving country sparkles with the fo-

ment of the love that's unrequited, near

enough, it feels, just here, "alone" on road,

in comp'ny with creative love itself,

but learning as I look and bear the load

that love itself prescribed, and gain in health.

Just like a ring in covenanted trōth,

that leads to singing, working hard, with strength,

to grow a living love, that's more than both

good feelings & good suffering, at length.

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These picture(s) and video(s) might be of no use at all. … They don't communicate the best bits;   the 3 dimentional-ness, and wonten beauty of the big and small (sky, clouds, horizon, trees from a distance, and trees up close, grass heads & little sperm-like wriggly tailed grass-seeds, and spider webs, the breeze on a face, the intermittent and wonderfully varied birdcalls, and cheeps, and chirrups, and warbles etc…

Let alone a phone-call from a daughter and child, or friend, to say hello, while this is all happening… Rich, beyond measure & words, and beyond what can be passed on through any one communication method.

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2 questions to help share life together:

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1. Was there anything you thought about today that's already brought a smile to your lips? (that is appropriately shareable)

• Yep. Thinking about this question and sharing a day walking through the world with the creative love that designed and made it. Even when I'm slow to join in, if I'm ready to share my slowness with creative love.

2. Did you witness someone disclosing more than they needed to? Or doing something they didn't need to for someoneelse?

• A young man in a big black ute (on his way home to Wangaratta) stopped, even after I had waved to him, and asked if i was ok. And talked for a bit.

• An older bloke drove (past, then) back to me and asked if i was ok? And talked for a bit, & told me about the famous bakery at Elmore.

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Thursday after noon

Well here I am around 3 pm.. the rain has stopped, though it's still overcast and there's a cool wind, lovely for walking.

Still not trail fit at all. Sore feet and aching thighs. Think I'll wait here (putting my legs up against a fence) for my son, and try to make the 16km to Elmore tomorrow. Probably only done 12km today, but I want to look after and train this body, not smash it. It has served me well so far. 

..

Not woke, more wakening..

 

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Yesterday I spoke to a few people about what I interpret to be: thankfulness, immediate responsiveness to insights into reality, and love of people (both those immediately before my senses and those out of my present line of sight). 

Yet this morning I am noticeably more sluggish to do any of these. I am bothered,  because I smell that hypocrisy which Jesus warned his disciples against so forceably.

"I wonder why this appears to be?" A part of me asks.

As I attempt to name or describe my present condition, rather than noticing what i am not doing or am slow to do, I come up with this: "I seem to be quite tired, and self absorbed."

Another part of me, on hearing the results of this naming process almost laughs at that apparently sincere question: "I wonder why…?".  As though the questioner must be joking. It seems so self evident, even though, as it hits me and I sit with it while I write this, i realize there is about 5 logical connections or conclusions I have to make to arrive at the place where that part of me can validly laugh, and it could take some arguing and hard work to prove those connections (for each step might have been an unfounded jump to a conclusion).

As i reflect on deeds from the last day, and bodily responses, and pains, I wonder more. 

Something to think on today. 

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Oh source of all this world, creative love, 

please help me to see clearly more  today,

to hold what insight I have from above

my situation, in objective way,

and not to let it blow away, but dig

it deep within the soi-il of this life,

to let it grow - small herb, or tree that's big,

to change my constitution, and the strife,

or kinds of strife, I'll now encounter here

(I take it as a given: "strife will come"),

for growth of living gardens, it appears

is natural, and not just there for some..

(Unless the garden, grass, is plastic stuff

that's made to have the feel and look of some-

thing living, without hastles that are tough,

and need for disciplines to overcome.)

So, in this day, throughout it, I invite

you to be present, and present to you

this garden bed, that's me, for you to sight,

and prune, as you would, as you wander through,

& in me, and above, below, beside,

I know I'm your belov-ed, and you love

to wander with and in me, near and wide,

and I must say I love that you're above

and I'm below, and sometimes right beside,

whatever you think up will be so good

(so when you think to partner with me I'd..

I'd better do the best I ever could).

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Thursday am..

 

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About 9:25am my son drops me out on the highway beside the place (same square of hard plastic on the ground and a stand of little gum-trees through the fence) that he picked me up from yesterday evening…

he heads back into town to collect a trailer & do jobs today. 

I start walking and get my phone out to write this. Last night i went with him to his "Life Group" where a bunch of men listened to each other's stories, & let some ideas bubble up as a result, (while acknowledging a hunger for some sort of spiritual/ social/ meaning/ purpose based and purpose building dimension to life). An amazing experience. Also one that affected me when i woke to go to the loo during the night, and when i woke at an alarm this morning. I tried tk capture the bones of the insighs that had come, and in the process I understood more, and had more questions posed. I  knew that there would be much more to be "mined" during the day as I wandered (& wondered) beside these roads. I'm typing this, in the mist, as I walk on the RHS of the road on white and grey pebbles (just now).

I talked, on the way to my drop off point, with my son about being a father present with his beloved at the birth of their child; & then about "mindfulness"; both the mind part, and the fullness part. I learn through his questions. As well as being blessed by his [& my new daughter (-in-lawove)'s] hospitality. 

Wow, what a context within which to be walking with creative love through this country, and trying to tune in to the spirit of creative love.

I feel like I cannot lose, & have already gained so much. e.g… 

Did I mention what happened yesterday when I called in on an old friend and mentor who had rung and talked with me (as I walked to or from Gisbourn several weeks ago) and invited me to join him for a cuppa when i was walking through Bendigo?

And after that, emboldened, i guessed where another old mate might now be living (from his mother's rough description), knocked on the door, and ended up talking with his wife (whom i may, or may not, have met in person). He was out of town. I walked on and bumped into another old family friend who was their neighbour & happened to wonder if that was me walking past his door towards his neighbour's, so had came out, then the man who was out of town rang and we've pencilled in that he'll find me on the highway Friday night (if I'm no too far away by then), and give me dinner, and maybe a bed for the night. (to be confirmed, it might not work, or another night on the weekend might be better? We'll see)

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Wed arvo

 Just made it to Ascott at 3:23pm

And here by 4:40pm:

Then by 4:49pm made ut to Epsom sand and soil:

I'll keep walking till my son makes it to pick me up.

Next leg - in Bendigo

... in Bendigo... a couple of friends offered for a catch up cuppa... which I'll take the offer of, if it works out, then head t'wards Sheparton... 

A few cuppas later, some lovely toasted sandwiches, an offer of a bed on Friday night, and a few toilet stops and some walk in the drizzle under a poncho, and 8'm getting t'wards the outskirts of Bendigo... just passed the "Welcome to Bendigo" sign....

I'll see if I can make it to the edge...

Travel back 2 Bendigo

 

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Lot of things we've talked of here so far

including windmills that we've seen from car,

while we sit in our lounge chairs where we are

and travel over roads of dark grey tar.

Ol' Tully's in the back with canines both,

the girls are in the middle holding things,

the dads are talking such that both their growth

continues, while it's true that neither sings.

We hear some riddles, and learn how to ask

the kind of questions that will do the job

and help us understand, fulfill the task

that's set while we live on this Earthy blob.

We see an accident and stop to aid.

Tim opens up a truck door that's been jammed.

We help to clear the road of rubbish made

when trucks upon the Hume highway are rammed.

And then an extra turn or two brings on

some more adventure, till we reach the home

of Godfrey family, where they will be gone

from, soon when they sell it, or start to roam.

Then Pizza from Big Jim's, the "Gorm eh?" kind.

I get to spy the builded house they're in,

and share another yummy meal I find

within my reach, there where this fam'ly's been.

We empty bikes and other stuff from car

& trailer, where they've travelled all the day,

and travel up to Bendigo where are

the folk I'll be with all the while I stay.

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moving right along

Still in Orange connecting with family and friends & "extended family", about to return to the walk at where I left off in Bendigo about 3 weeks ago. But realizing the need for continual pilgrimage wherever I am, whenever...

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We're made by Yahweh God in such a way

that we will have a journey through our life.

And though we are all im-mat-ur-e… Hey! -

This world is ou-r womb to grow - through "strife".

We are developing or growing still.

Things hardly could be diff'rent in such space.

But following, or chucking, blue-prints will

still bring resulting tumours, or a face.

Some egress isn't what we'd call   progress.

But very mostly there will be a wait

(unless the death of womb and child effects,

with outcome that: they need not separate).

But otherwise, we know there will be "still"

such "birth", with it's resulting grief or joy.

This world is a conveyor belt that will,

like rivers do, keep moving or annoy

the part of us that thinks we're done with growth,

and travelling. The journey's just begun.

In learning to keep trust, and also trōth,

we're like a baby daughter or a son

who's learning that there's more than just "des-ire",

there's such a thing as "choice" as well for us,

who from the cattle race, can move to higher

forms of existence. And without much fuss,

just choosing as a human god can do,

yet cannot so be forced, for privilege

like that is just the case, with me and you;

Though help can be asked for, this civil age.

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Walking through life, taking time to cogitate, meditate, & relate..

 

I did a Science degree... I'm still thinking about these "invisible" worlds Science has helped us discover... the world of the immense (where black holes are possible), and of the atom (mostly space, speed, and energy), and how they relate to this old "Middle World" we live most of our lives in, let alone the World Of Human Interactions, where friendship, perseverance, hate, and love are possible).

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OLD TO NEW WORLD VIEW

Despite that science tells us "This world is

not what it seems on outside, to the feel,

but layers of more insubstantial things",

I still believe that our ol' world is real.

Our scientific story tells us that

despite what we all see here (think we "know"),

there's layers of "community" which mat

together, and which interleave.. (quite so):《1》

Inside, within each body, making up

the living ones, are individu'l "cells",

or living creatures that can be corrupt-

ed, or combined to make a host where dwells

the multicelled "community" we see

that's planted right before us "on" (or "in")

our ground of being. Even you and me.

And these can be disrupted or can win!

The ways that these communities would seize

things 'round about to aid their tiny parts,

to work together: shelter, feed, and ease

their life, to bring a thriving from their starts,

are called in this Our world "to feed", & "clothe

and shelter", self or else some other lives.

The old words from Our world that covered both

are these two: "love", & "peace"- which meant "life thrives".

But smaller yet, each body that exists,

of rocks, or gasses, animals or plants;

(and irrespective of "life" tagged to its

existence as an entity, per chance..)

is made of smaller atoms, molecules,

or other things that kind of are like "seas".

But smaller yet (these aren't just  words of fools)

are forces "circling", "balancing" with ease.

Where either particles or waves "impart"

existence - to those higher levels too.

But here we haven't even made a start

on bigger things, like Galaxies and Moons,

the Universe, & categ'ries rehearsed,

like Supernova, Nebulae, and Giants,

Dwarves, and other stars that shoot and burst,

to cook up compounds, elements and ions

from which all of the rest can start to "be".

Invisible dimensions. In this way

we start to understand, and maybe "see"

within our "mind's eye" - as they used to say.

But still our story makes more sense, or less

of all dimensions we've encountered here,

since we were born - to order and to mess,

with this ol' world. - And this is where I cheer

myself as I move on, and others too.

The world we "started" in, that let us train,

so we could learn about these "worlds" that you

have just now been reminded of, remains!

The story that's apparent: God made this

whole world with more dimensions than you'd poke

at with a stick, does not seem so remiss

and starts to look less like it was a joke!

"The best is yet to come", as A.A. found

through living in this re-al world, in fact, 

there is a higher power hanging round

to see if we would reach out, where we lacked

for love and wisdom, to the source of both,

and let the Great Creator's fam-il-y

look after us and grow us, and our trōth,

towards more of a nature that is free

to love back, as we have ourselves been loved.

And that's why most religions in this world

admire, and think good-life was surely gloved

within the life, that we have mostly hurled

our insults at, and blamed him for our faults

and misdemeanours, laziness, and such.

It's him I would commend to you. Us dolts,

we killed the model human which loved much -

the second Adarm (and would kill his Eve,

that God brings from him while he's "not around").

In jealousy and ignorance, we'd weave

a net to catch them yet, like beasts been found

and named. So if you ask me to, I'll tell

the story of the glory of "GOD THERE",

who loves his kids, and wants them to do well,

take on creative love, and learn to share.

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《1》 physically enact this by interleaving the fingers from each hand with those of the other

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