Jeff's Commentary - 4/1 - The Grand Canyon

I spent three days in the Grand Canyon last week. Three days of peace and serenity. No stories of health care; nuts going after Senators and Congress men and women; unemployment; and your daily shootings, fires and local legislative malaise.

Just three days of seeing the beauty that the Grand Canyon offers. It “wows” you with its presence. When you stare out into the vast monument of nature, all the pains of the day seem minor to what really matters in life. Sometimes I long for the simplicity of what once was. We’ve removed ourselves from the beauty that is in our own horizons because we are so caught up in the now.

As we were coming back up after descending down a few miles, I watched the faces of those that we passed and those that passed us. A simple journey. An opportunity to exist with the canyon and the canyon’s rules. Though it was tiring and painful coming back up, it was something my mind and body accepted as the cost of being allowed to participate in something special. There was a sign at 3 miles that said something like, “it’s optional going down, but mandatory to get back up”. I guess that summed up the trip.

Health care, unemployment, fires and bad guys are all part of what’s going down in the world. It’s mandatory that we as human beings figure out what it takes to get back up and re build our society to mirror the peace and serenity of the canyon. That we take the time to look out for one another. That we actually say hi to our neighbors. That we understand what ails others and have compassion toward those issues. I want to hold those memories from the canyon in my mind every day moving forward so I can remember what it’s like to get back up. I want to have that “wow” moment more often in my life whether at work, home, with my kids or my friends.
I spent three days in the Grand Canyon last week and have renewed inspiration about my life and who I am.

That’s a pretty good value in a pretty messed up world.

Jeff