Archive for September, 2006

on the path…brack toe part 2

Monday, September 11th, 2006

As per request, I’ve sent Davak some pictures to upload regarding this story so I’m interested in your feedback.

Our new hiking friend, led Tim and I down the mountain trail back to the stream which seemed to appear out of nowhere. Before we knew it we were sitting on cool rocks under tree canopy in the heat of the day. Our attention turns to food and water and movies.

I have a cliff bar, Tim has an orange, and our hiking friend has some other sort of energy bar. We start talking about ‘Sideways’, because Tim and I were formulating theories about why many women we meet don’t dig that movie. Our young friend was unflinched; saying, “I thought that movie was about life. At any given moment your life could change in drastic ways. It could happen catching someone’s glance at a gas station. Right then your life is changed.” I found this quite insightful. An angle I had yet to consider.

I ask her what kind of movies she grew up watching being considerably younger, and she said her Mother had a huge collection of Woody Allen movies, and she watched those. I forgot to ask if they were overdubbed in Hungarian. We talk about Woody Allen for a while.

I’m recollecting favorite Woody Allen movies PoetDoc introduced me to in high school to deepen the conversation a bit.

She asks about a particular movie that is made up of 5 movie vignettes and I try to remember the title so I throw out “Purple Rose of Cairo” Then I can’t remember if that’s Dianne Keaton or Dianne Weist. (I think Dianne Weist plays a great mom by the way. Especially in Edward Scissor Hands knowing that’s not an Woody Allen film.)

I am 97 1/3% sure it’s not the right title. I stick with it in hopes something else jogs my memory.

She talks about Annie Hall which I had seen recently thanks to poet doc sending me his extra copy. Later it reminded me of my favorite Woody Allen joke. I try to reformulate it for a cheap laugh.

He’s giving a soliloquoy to camera(sp)

‘I was telling my therapist, “I’m concerned about my brother.”
She asked, “why?”
“because I believe he’s crazy. He keeps acting like a chicken.”
She asks, “Why don’t you turn him in?”
& I say, “because I need the eggs.” ‘

I really enjoyed telling this joke to the Nurses at the nursing home because they’d laugh whether they got it, or thought it was funny, or not.

By the time I think of all this. She and Tim are talking about a different movie; a new movie coming out that’s supposed to be similar to ‘the Illusionist.’ Has anyone seen this movie?

We decide it’s time to search for the path back. Apparently the stream is down and that is why there aren’t the pools and the larger falls and such. We saw more of the mountain than Tim and I ever expected to though, we were quite pleased how far we hiked.

We make our way back to our first swimming hole. We consider jumping back in. Well, I’m considering how much clothes to remove. By the time I decide how much of my doughey-ness to reveal, Tim has proudly jumped in disturbing our snake friend and stirring up the algae. The water is better now that it’s in the afternoon but still cold. Prompting to get out of there quick. Ten miuntes later we were all three jumping off rocks while a snake friend climbed on a rock out of the disturbance.

It wasn’t a labor day hike anymore. It was 3 people who found some commonality some how. Some sort of mutual friendship despite age, gender or country. Quite amazing actually. We were taking much needed break from everyday-business just to be around nature and it responded with grace.

I asked some rock hoppers if they wanted to jump in and they declined my offer, giving me a glance that made me feel like I was eleven years old again.

We managed to stir the water up from crystal clear to nice murky green. The snake finished his sunbathing now and found a good cut in the side of the pool to rest in while we continued to try out new rocks.

I thought it was nice of him to share.

About this time 2 svelte atheltic guys approached us. We saw them go by once already, it had only been about 15 minutes and they had made it to the top of the falls and back. “Impressive,” I thought to myself, embarrassed that I had actually gained weight by eating Cliff bars the past 2 months.

Tim and our hiking friend began a conversation on a rock where we had gathered shoes. I took a cue from the snake and decided to let the sun dry me out a little before putting on shirt and shoes again. The sun felt great, drying the sand and dirt off my ankles and feet so it brushed right off. I shut my eyes and quietly began my favorite meditation from the Jack Kornfield book. A sign of respect more than anything. Respect for the snake, and navigating head busting rocks, and for the 20% chance of rain that drenched Riverside but missed Malibu.

Thanks for checking in.

Stephen A. Thomas

on the path…brack toe part 1

Tuesday, September 5th, 2006