Finding Yourself & Others: Rafting the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. What a wonderous place. Everyone should put this on their bucket list. I think it can go a long way in helping to bring people together, Our social pendulum seems to swing back and forth faster and faster and is not seeming to slow down any. But imagine, if we could, for a moment, slow down and float on a slow-moving current, feeling the gentle rocking motion of your raft, hearing nothing but birds and the gentle lapping of the river against the shore.
Then imagine looking up to the bluest sky you have ever seen. You need to look past the canyon walls which are like fortresses. Some are unable to be scaled – emphasizing that we do not have control over everything in this world. You will soon realize how much you are part of a much bigger world.
But all of a sudden, you encounter possibly some of your biggest fears. It becomes a brutal, seeming out-of-control few moments. You hold on for everything that is within you. Water comes teeming over you where you think you might drown. The cold paralyzes you and you begin to doubt your own strength. Seconds later, you can see clearly again, your grip relaxes, you cheer with your boat mates, and you say a quiet prayer of thanksgiving once again. You are not alone on this journey. With you are many others- loved ones, perhaps, good friends, and strangers. Of course, by the end of the journey, there are no more strangers. You learn to work together to accomplish goals and tasks along the trip. You discover that being in sync produces greater rewards than trying to do things on your own. You learn to compromise, to listen, to empathize. You also learn to celebrate little victories, to encourage each other and to out others before yourself. Now, just imagine if we could get members of either side of whatever spectrum – political, cultural, societal, and sent them on this trip together. A full week of being disconnected from the rest of the world. No media, no sound bites, no distractors. I cannot help but think we could see progress. Sitting around a campfire at night allows for some contemplation. We need people willing to do this. Our national rhetoric is getting dangerous. We have been on some of these journeys for decades, and nothing is changing. That should be a cue that we must change our course.
What are your thoughts?
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