The River of Life

Written by Jim Blue
JimBlueMusic.com
From Reiki to Rock - Creator of Music That Moves You


Don’t ya just LOVE flowing water?

Think about it.  Can you picture it?  Do you have a special memory of flowing water?  Now that I’ve mention it, I’m sure that you have a vision of flowing water in your mind right now!  I know I do.

Water flows in so many different ways.  In a creek, in a river, in the ocean, from the sky, from a faucet!  And for me, being near flowing water is mesmerizing and relaxing and I always feel a connection with it.  Especially LARGE flowing water like Niagara Falls or the ocean.

Just the other day, while on a hike in the woods, I was thinking about this very subject.  I walked to the river which becomes extra interesting when there is a warm winter thaw or a heavy summer rain.  As I approached the river, I could hear the sounds of the flowing water.  I smiled, stopped, and looked.  I could see the crooked path of the water following the riverbed, and the sunshine glistening off the ripples.
I found myself compelled to follow the winding water as it meandered downhill through the woods.  Imprints in the muddy bank, left by deer and raccoon, reminding me that I was not alone in my adoration of this natural wonder.

My mind went back to a childhood memory of fashioning a toy boat out of paper and watching it dance with the current of my favorite creek.  A creek that I loved reaching into and turning rocks over to see what scurried out from underneath.  A happy memory indeed.

Then my mind went back to wonderful memories of boogie boarding in the South Daytona ocean surf.  The hot Florida sun, the roar of the surf, the warm wind, the undercurrent, the frothy waves, the lull between the big waves, wading and waiting for the perfect wave that would propel me all the way to the sandy shore.

Being the curious individual that I am, as my mind came back to the present moment, I began to contemplate why watching the water flow downstream “felt” better than looking upstream.  Something about the water flowing unconstrained, downstream, resonated with me.  Like courageously moving forward in life towards new adventures and experiences as opposed to sheepishly wallowing in the past.  When I turned around to look upstream, it just felt like the wrong way to be looking.  A “been there, done that” kind of feeling.

Isn’t it amazing how the mind works?  This little story, with it’s little analogy, was conceived from a spontaneous and contemplative walk by a river in the woods.

Jim Blue
JimBlueMusic.com
From Reiki to Rock – Creator of Music That Moves You