Healing Metaphors

I had a wound today, some wounds are obvious, and despite the size they are easy to treat. It's the ones inside that worry the medical field. Things that don't show but exist nonetheless these wounds are discovered by changes in things not always examined by the casual observer, blood pressure changes could show internal loss of fluids not long before it becomes serious, but soon enough to help the sufferer.

People are funny, some types of pressures effect how they act and respond to normal everyday stimulus. Start on a scheduled trip late, and the way you drive and feel about other drivers changes remarkably.

Pressure can cause wounds all by its self, a "bed sore" as actually called a pressure wound because someone is so sick or sedated they don't move while resting. The pressure on one spot over a few hours cuts off blood supply and sensation to the place where the wound forms.

I get pressure sores on my soul sometimes, I had one today.

When we get pressure wounds in the hospital it's serious, People die from the associated infection. We bandage and treat for infection. Provide help keeping the needed body reposition happening. And with care even terrible wounds heal in time.

 But what about the soul? Let's see....

Bandages could be a listening ear, a quiet walk, a loud party, the fishing channel, or a book. It depends on the patient. My bandage sometimes is accompanied solitude, I do like people, but sam and fin seem to understand when I'm not ready to talk, listen happily when I do, and love to be in the places where solitude feels best to me. They also serve to keep me from being surprised by any unwelcome or dangerous visitors. That increases my feeling of security even if I become lost in tangled thought gazing at a fire.

These walkabouts are not a replacement for religion, I know others love to seek the temple for these types of treatments. But for me religion is a organized work party even in the temple I'm always aware that what I do and think has consequence I can't let my mind wander at work, and work is what I do most when I worship God our father.

I guess my hike and fire making take work, but it is a nurturing self preserving work. As my small fire is planned for, prepared for, and rises off the cold damp ground, I feel a real warming that seems the say : you are safe, protected and capable of giving your self these associated feelings.i understand that I am in control of many things that effect me, I feel less driven by outside forces, touching the primitive self sufficiency of a simple fire. Quelling darkness and chill at once.

The dogs are not so impressed, they run about and inspect every square foot of my selected brief campsite. I here them ridding my vicinity of all the dangerous birds and squirrels. And after the fire dies down we sit/lay quietly listening to the forest sounds, the occasional aircraft overhead and in the darkness of our favorite canyon wait for the moon to rise. We need the moon to better see our way back down the trail in a few hours.

It is quite profound to me, how much light there is in darkness, how much difference the moon makes on the landscape, and how noisy the "empty" late winter forest really is! The dogs take turn lying across my lap for burr removal, then dash right back into the dark to pick up a dozen more. I sit feeling the warmth of the coals wondering if I could be comfortable sleeping here as I am.

But....my treatment is over, I may not feel perfectly renewed, but I feel the nessisary restoration to continue. It takes time to heal completely.... I like the process. I think about how important this is to me, and wonder if I can in any way explain it, even if it makes sense.... I thank God for the teaching as a child that allows me to be comfortable here and the primal connection to these two inarticulate but perfectly expressive companions. The moon is bright, it makes the forest seem like a tri-toned watercolor painting as I walk back. I think I left something behind, I definetly feel lighter now.

Beautiful....