Larry Jordan

Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan, in Travel

Sure, my posts have been contradictory:  Are we feeling joy or enduring suffering? Are we holding on or losing control? Are we in danger or are we secure? Are we sick or are we well?

Yes. Both...and. Like life.

The paradox makes it more challenging. Most of us can handle good news, many of us can handle bad news, but few of us can handle uncertainty. It's like climbing without a rope.

In Africa, our experience was so deep and so rich that I sent daily updates to family and friends for the whole trip.

As Jill's condition worsened, we decided not to tell anyone what was happening, because we did not want to alarm them. Big mistake.

Now, we know that we would not be serving you well (and we would not be serving ourselves well) if we told you half the story.

It helps us to process this by retelling it, and it helps us to know that we have the love and support of our family and friends, who are with us (albeit vicariously and virtually) in real time.

Sally Meyers is a childhood friend, who made some comments that really resonate with me:

     "You both take frequent, huge and juicy bites out of life..." Please put that on our tombstones (or plaques or urns or compost heaps.)
     "...But not without some bumps and bruises. So worth it, I bet you’d agree." Yes. Both...and. Like life.
     "West Side Story in Ecuador" Beautiful, insightful, poignant.

I saw a documentary about rock climbers who climb without ropes. They never feel more alive than when they are close to death. We are not climbing without ropes, and we are not close to death, but sometimes, I think that we feel more alive on this uncertain knife edge of danger and security, joy and suffering.
Soon, we will return to our normal lives of certainty, health, joy, and security, and we will be glad to be back. We really miss it.

But, part of us will miss the aliveness, the awareness, the awesomeness of this deep and rich experience. We are blessed to be here.

To be continued...

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