Earth Abides

Once there was a National Forest ranger named Rick that worked at Indian Creek Guard Station on the banks of the Middle Fork Salmon in Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness where I have worked and lived many days as a guide. 

Rick would orient the guests to the wilderness, ministering about camp ethics, cultural and natural histories, welcoming them to this special and profound piece of Earth they were about to spend a week floating through. I remember Rick as an excellent interpreter and storyteller. People listened to him.

A crucial point he would make during his talk was that designated wilderness, parks, monuments, and forests like those of the Middle Fork, were "apparently wild" places — that they had been set aside as particularly inspirational, beautiful, and pristine. "Hey everybody! Travel to these places and see how beautiful and wild and inspiring they are!"  

AND

That kind of categorizing might lead a person to think that these designated areas are the only places where the wild Earth flourishes. This of course is false. 

The wildness of the Earth is an abiding force.

It is everywhere— beneath us in all times and places, not just in the "apparently wild" spots. It is everywhere. It's under the concrete, steel and glass. It's always with us , supporting and sustaining. 

I am never not on or with the Earth.

Reflect on this. Feel it. Gaia is there. She loves you. 

Earth Abides. 

Thanks Rick.