Black holes, baited traps, charisma… they all suck us in—hook, line and sinker. But it usually happens before we even realize what’s going on. And by then it’s too late. We’ve already swallowed the Kool-Aid and then continue to only ingest that which is now familiar—and therefore true. Our inquiring mind takes in a narrowing field of reference.

          This morning I went to check the mouse snap trap which I set periodically to attempt to keep the critters at bay. But I couldn’t find it! This was a quandary. I do sometimes go into a room and then not be able to remember why, so there was that to consider. I searched the other logical places to no avail. Upon closer inspection my eyes locked onto a trail of tiny mouse droppings. Perplexed, but determined, I pulled out the refrigerator part way and there it was—upside down with mouse attached.

          With Now mind you, I’m not proud of this activity, but I justify it to myself because of this being our living space. I tried live traps without much luck. Our property is overrun with squirrels, as well, however I can’t seem to bring the hammer down on them, and neither can my husband.

          This is kind of a confession on my part. When I un-sprang the trap to drop the mouse under a bush, its leg twitched slightly. Of course, I felt terrible. After a useless apology to the rodent’s spirit, I sadly went back inside to reset the trap. Some might see me as just another “bleeding heart,” or may firmly believe that these actions are necessary and our right. But things are usually not completely one way or another. We can often get in trouble by getting sucked into either/or thinking.

          In every area of study or profession it’s generally beneficial to glean ideas from other fields, not only access what’s said and done in our own realm of expertise or experience. Whether or not something directly relates to the topic at hand, it might provide some unexpected insight. Artists, writers, choreographers, teachers… take fodder from everything that crosses their path.

          Perhaps this is why integrative medicine has become so popular. Each medical discipline brings its own expertise, but often a patient’s symptoms don’t fit within one category. With our medical system becoming more and more fragmented, it’s easy to see why one would want to be seen as a whole person, not just a sum of their symptoms.

          And then there’s education. Would you prefer your child to be taught by a person or by a method? I’d pick a person. Integrative research and teaching are essential for the growth toward our full potential. I think we must continuously question our convictions (about literally everything) since new information, insights, and alternative ways of looking at things are constantly coming forward.

          So, what do you say—is it time to unspring those traps that control our views? It may not be fun, but who knows? It just might be.

Chi Varnado has four recently published books. The Old House in the Country, women’s fiction; and three YA novels in The Dance Centre Presents series. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, and her children’s book, The Tale of Broken Tail, are also available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. You can follow her on Instagram or on www.Facebook.com/dancecentrepresents.  

           Newton’s law of inertia states that an object in motion stays in motion while an object at rest stays at rest—that is, without gravity factored in. He basically restated Galileo’s idea that a force is not needed to keep an object in motion. This is true unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

          These days, it feels to me like there are more “unbalanced forces” out there than ever. Maybe there are and maybe there aren’t, but still. We have to be prepared to turn on a dime, at any time, be willing to wing it sometimes, and seek balance as quickly as possible without letting our emotions get the best of us.

          With the pandemic ebbing and flowing and constantly changing, we try to figure out our daily lives the best we can. Conflicting information can toss us one way or pull us in another direction. Things are rarely black and white. Well-established stores and cafes up and vanish. Do we send the kids back to school or deal with remote learning? Which vaccine, when, or not? Is the website for the restaurant we want to go to even up to date with current hours, offerings and prices? Who would have thought that women’s rights would take such a major backslide? It’s nice when the stock market performs in our favor, however what goes up must come down. We just don’t know when. And then there are the gas prices. When should we travel? Will it be less expensive later or is now a better time? And so on, ad infinitum.

          Companies around the world employ “planned obsolescence”. It’s all about more dollars for the corporations. We are at their mercy as we all need some of these devices and machines in order to function in the modern world. There are frequent changes in design, termination of parts, and use of subpar materials in our phones, computers, solar panels, appliances both large and small, even in the tools we use to fix things… This is not sustainable for our planet.
After the Cedar Fire I insisted that we rebuild a house that made use of optimum “passive solar” so as not to rely on unnecessary electricity. We decided on thick log walls which provided substantial thermal mass and plenty of double-paned, low-e windows for cross-ventilation. Appliances were energy-saving units… When I applied for the ‘Green Building Rebate’ they turned us down because we didn’t put in air conditioning!

          I like to think that I’m trying to do my part by NOT going out and buying the latest iPhone or laptop, replacing functioning appliances, performing ongoing remodeling of one’s living spaces… Honestly! Our world’s toxic heap of trash is too massive already. Do we really need to keep adding to it unnecessarily? I understand that everything really is impermanent. My gut tells me that one of the biggest contributions we can make to the earth’s health is to consume less and not give in to getting newer, faster…

          I just reread the book, Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, by Mark J. Plotkin, Ph. D. This ethnobotanist wrote about his many trips deep into the Amazon rainforests, working with medicine men and villagers, to document as many plants and their medicinal uses as possible before modern civilization wiped them out. He also passed along many of the stories that went with them. He then worked on getting this knowledge written down in their own language before it would be lost forever.

           Many years ago, I bought a donkey from a mule trainer/horse & donkey breeder. He basically just wanted to get rid of her since the preferred breeding uses a mother horse (mare) and a father donkey (jack). She had given birth to a baby donkey and they took him away to bottle feed him formula. When I asked why they didn’t want to keep her until the foal was weaned, their answer shocked me. “Because we can do better than nature.” I kid you not, these were their words. I felt so bad for this beautiful burro mama that I took her home. I heard her cry every night for months. It was heart-breaking. It seems to me that working with nature would have been so much less painful, at least for the donkey, her baby, and me, as well as being healthier and more balanced for all involved.

          These thoughts carry my mind down tangents. Rusty hinges need oiling to get them to move. Too much rust and the metal completely breaks down. Yet—a bronze sculpture buried in a manure pile and well-weathered copper can both take on amazingly stunning hues. Rust and patina. Patina and rust. Two sides of the same coin. I’ve always tried to maintain a certain balance in my life, but I’m finding it to be more challenging these days as outside forces arrive from various directions and impel me to change course. And again—to seek balance. Sometimes it can be quite a creative journey. Perhaps we might choose to look at our own roles in these circumstances as if in a movie where we all try to be “the good guy”. I think it’s worth the effort.

Chi Varnado has four recently published books. The Old House in the Country, women’s fiction; and three YA novels in The Dance Centre Presents series. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, and her children’s book, The Tale of Broken Tail, are also available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. You can follow her on Instagram or on www.Facebook.com/dancecentrepresents.  

          Are you coming from or going on a trip? Either way it can be viewed from a positive lens. During the preparations for an adventure, we look forward to it with anticipation. Our minds conjure up what it might be like and how much fun it could be. We imagine and plan for activities in new settings, our thoughts running wild. This anticipation can certainly bring us joy.

            And then it’s time to embark! Fresh sights to see, new things to do, local cuisines to savor… fill our days with vivid experiences. We explore unique areas with a sense of wonder, perhaps gaining new insights to old issues. Hopefully our travels go smoothly, but, if not, we can at least view them not so negatively if things somehow turn out all right in the end. Fantastic, or not so great, we add them to our memory banks.

          Coming home can be just as wonderful. No matter how fabulous the trip has been, I always feel grateful getting home. And this feeling can last a good long while. Even weeks later it can still hit me: There’s no place like home and no place I’d rather live.

            In early June a friend and I took a vacation together up to the western Sierras. We hiked beautiful new trails, drove through stunning national parks, had meaningful conversations, and checked out a local health food store. We had a great time, and yet I was still happy to get home and appreciated it much more than if I hadn’t gone at all. Our adventure truly was a win/win/win.

            It seems to me now, as it does from time to time, how each of us is a slightly different person depending on who we are with. I would not have been the same if I’d traveled with my husband, or my sister, or my kids or grandchildren. Each relationship is unique and I try to be my best authentic self in each of these roles. But, being human, I can only give it my best shot.

            Even if we could be exactly the same self to every person, they would not perceive us the same as anyone else does. Their personality changes slightly with different individuals as well. Each of us has varying experiences as well as different ways of experiencing things. We can’t always predict how things are going to go.

            As I travel through life and go through new adventures (both inner and outer) I can gain new perspectives while continuing to renew my spirit. Maintaining a freshness of appreciation is definitely worth the effort. The journey forward, however, is seldom linear. It’s usually circular. What goes around comes around, you know? The best I can hope for is that by the time each thing comes back around again I’ll be better able to handle it. Or embrace and revel in it—appreciating what really is.

            So, whether we’re coming or going, may each of us remember how special life is and, if nothing else, we can at least rack it up to experience. Happy travels!

Chi Varnado has four recently published books. The Old House in the Country, women’s fiction; and three YA novels in The Dance Centre Presents series. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, and her children’s book, The Tale of Broken Tail, are also available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. You can follow her on Instagram or on www.Facebook.com/dancecentrepresents.