The other day was my friend’s birthday, and she wanted to climb the mountain to celebrate the moment of her vaginal emergence. I was super excited to participate in this holy ceremony, but also had a mild anxiety attack thinking about not spending the day in front of my computer. Who am I if not desperately trying to be noticed through the confines of a screen!!??
Before moving to New Hampshire I used to hike the mountain all the time. I would come visit from New York City at least twice a season, and go up with the vigor of a wild goat. Even in the dead of winter I would traverse up the terrain, proving my undying devotion to mother Gaia. But now that I live here, I never hike anymore because I am too busy tippity tapping against the keys of my post modern existence.
It really is the most tragic example of how we don’t appreciate what is in front of our faces. I used to worship nature like a pagan princess, and I now have become an ungrateful shadow of my former self. When you get used to something, sometimes you forget to recognize its magnificence. It is as if your eyes glaze over the familiarity, and you stop seeing the glory of what’s around you. Your brain starts to filter out the beauty because it has become too accustomed, and therefor complacent. Just like long-term relationships… just kidding (audible sigh).
Climbing the mountain with my friends was beyond life affirming. It reminded me of all that I am surrounded by, and the utmost importance of lodging my head out of my ass… even though that is a pretty advanced yoga move.
On the top of the mountain we did a Kundalini meditation to celebrate life, death, and the infinity… then we lunched on avocado bacon sandwiches – because why not bring a bag of roasted bacon for a trek up a mountain? Of course being with a bunch of hippies, we all took our shoes off for the journey down so we could better connect to the earth’s energy. There is a school of thought that believes much of our disease and disconnection to nature is the partly because we wear shoes, and have little physical contact with the dirt. We need to roll around in the mud, and have skin to soil contact! I do feel like there is logic to that rational however, because I felt invigorated by soaking up the mountain’s essence through the soles of my feet as it fed into the soul of my being. Or maybe I just got a contact high…
