Cairn About Something Other Than Ourselves

With the drought and hot weather that we've been having lately, it pains me to see the flowers and plants at the hotel back home die off... no match for a full day's sun beating down on them without the respite of getting a sip of rain and recuperating in some shade. I look at these plants as some may look at their children; nursing them from a seed, nourishing them, caring for them, watching them grow... now if I can only get them to cut my grass or make my tennis shoes tied to a chair in a sweat shop as children should be doing... but I digress.  My dog, Shelby, a Cairn Terrier that passed away several years ago, was the closest thing I'll ever get to having a child... unless you want to count my Dad.  "Wash your hands"... "Don't touch that"... "Sit here and don't move, I'll be right back"... all things that my parents said to me as a kid... and now I catch myself saying them to my Dad.

Currently, in our country, we are so hyped up on this American superiority complex, which has created this selfish, unintelligent, self-important heir about us that isn't appealing, especially to those from other countries.  It's really embarrassing to those who are not like that and, sadly, those who are don't even realize that it's happening since it's their way of life and they never leave the suburbs to see what life is really all about.  News flash:  It's not always about us.  I see this behavior most often when I'm traveling... when you're at a national park around some of the most amazing sights you'll ever see, and the people around me are more interested in the gift shop or finding food to stuff their faces or bitching because there isn't an elevator to take them to the top of a mountain... or why something is so expensive when you can get it at Walmart cheaper.  Guess what... things are expensive and come at a cost... even nature.  All important points to make, but that ends the negative portion of this post... I'm not here to bitch about those people but, rather, point out how amazing it is when you get glimpses of the opposite.

I've met some interesting people on this trip, and one was a forest ranger... something that I've always wanted to do.  It got me thinking about what it must be like to experience these tourists on a daily basis while trying to protect a fragile ecology such as a forest or national park.  Fortunately, I think that the visitors that are drawn to such areas are mostly already eco-friendly and have a respect for resources and nature and give a shit about the planet.  People you pass on trails are friendly and give you a look of understanding of your experience as they experience it as well... it's a comraderie of naturalists, not to be confused with naturists, who are nudists.  I suppose you can be both, but poison ivy may be an unpleasant result of the merging of the two.

Shelby's breed, the Cairn Terrier, was named after the Scottish cairn, meaning 'pile of rocks'.  These dogs were bred, with their wirey bodies, to go into these rock piles and get the rodents that would harm crops.  Piles of rocks are used throughout the world for several reasons, such as marking a grave, marking a landmark or showing the way to passersby.  While hiking in the desert or national parks, I've found these piles of balanced rocks that people make alongside the trails or in the strangest spots.  Perhaps as trail markers to give guidance... perhaps as a way to say that they were there (with passersby adding a rock as they go by (an art display in progress of sorts))... perhaps their way of adding to the beauty of the area... perhaps a way to mark achievement and leave something non-harming other than your footprints...perhaps as a language to other travelers or a way to say hello... or, in isolated areas, a way to give comfort and show civilization... all things that I take when I come upon one.  But perhaps most importantly, it's a reminder of the balance between humanity and nature... and how we should cherish what was provided for us and not take that for granted... and to treat it with care and respect.

I think as with the financial crisis of late and with global warming, we have seen how one situation triggers another in ways we never thought possible.  As is with the earth... and no where is it more pronounced than out in this area.  200 million years ago, things that happened produced other things that happened and it's preserved in the earth.  Down in a canyon, you can see cross-section evidence of layer upon layer of tiny pieces of dust compounding, covered by more and more... and over time, this has made up the earth.  It could have been one 'redneck' that, 150 million years ago (although unlikely, since there wasn't beer or NASCAR invented yet), trampled a delicate root system that was holding together a hillside that triggered a change in water flow and erosion that carved out the Grand Canyon.  Everything we do has an impact.  Using too many paper towels... wasting water... polluting... littering... all things that contribute to the demise of the earth, which would be the demise of us.  I don't think that people get that... or they're just too lazy... or think 'they're American', so they don't have to do something.  Beauty is delicate whether in the case of a fragile flower or a rock.  Fortunately, there are enough of the rest of us doing our part, and more and more wising up... cairn about something other than themselves.