Water

The Grand Junction staff threw lunch for me this being my last week. We ordered out Chinese food from Zen Garden "because they deliver." We got to chat about everyday, non-work things. It has been an early spring---over 70 degrees everyday these last two weeks in March.  Daffodils and forsythia bloomed 2 weeks ago. Now all kinds of trees are flowering… I can’t even see that leaves are on their way…. Just flowers and flowers….. they look like Dr. Seuss trees….

One day the wind was so bad, you couldn’t see the mountains outside my office because of the dust clouds… I ‘m told if the wind comes from the UTAH direction during the winter, it can make the snow covered mountains look pink when the dust mixes with the snow. And then some more robust winds blew the dust away until the mountains came out again.

The lunch conversation revolved around water. “It’s too early to start watering. Our ditch isn’t even full.”  “We’re going to be the first on our block with green grass, but we’ll also be the first with a big water bill.” These are foreign concepts to me. I politely finished my chicken curry as I could not join the conversation. Then, tonight, when I went out to take a picture of my last Coloradan sunset…. I found a full ditch! 

And my little brain light bulb went off.  There are ditches around the town. They’ve been empty all winter. I had taken a picture of one with a icy puddle the first week I was here. When enough snow in the mountains melts, the ditches acquire (sometimes fill up with) water. Homeowners can then utilize the water, for a price, i.e. for watering grass, etc. 

I did notice that last weekend when I took my Bindu friend up on The Monument mountains, that when we looked down on Grand Junction, there was a serpentine swath of water that hadn’t been there 2 months ago when I was up that high. Someone else at work told me today that he had already started his potatoes and had secretly rigged up a system so his washing machine grey water could irrigate his garden for a while until the ditches filled. Water is super precious here. And in Maine, we have so much water, we just let it roll down the hill into the pond.

In reading about water on the easy-to-access-but-not-well-referenced web, my day circled back to Chinese—2012 is Chinese Water Dragon Year! A coincidence? I think not.  

“THE WATER DRAGON 1952 AND 2012

Water has a calming effect on the Dragon's fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. However, their actions can go wrong if they do not research or if they do not finish one project before starting another.”  yes, from Wikipedia

I was not born in 1952 nor 2012.  And I didn’t take this last picture below. But I’d like to re-direct my enthusiasm and be more perceptive of others. And I’m going to be more careful with water.

fromthesehandsblog.blogspot.com 

What a send off.....

Update of the week: Grand Junction had a big open house to say good-bye to me: cards, cupcakes, a plaque of appreciation, emergency chocolate and a beautiful picture books on Cowboy Ethics. I'm headed back east Saturday--if ice is out early, will the black flies be out early?

 

And double prizes(!) the same weekend, my friend Bindu came to visit between her travels from Mumbai to San Francisco to Wisconsin to Spain. This  "retired" neurologist came bearing gifts (gorgeous hand embroidered pillow slips, an oil lamp, video, bookmarks and spicy, crunchy snacks. She knows more American and English history and literature than most Americans and Brits!  And then there's history from India too. We drove the Rim Road of National Monument; picnicked at the top; had tea at Augusta's and we chatted up a storm, although, truly, I cannot keep up with this amazing woman.

And then we regaled the Marriott Residence Inn-mates through the walls of my room, with our songs from India. She sang along to YouTube while I read the translations. Bindu shared two favorites. The first is accompanied by a poignant slide show of photos of Gandhi. The second has a message which particularly touched me at this time of personal transition. It was a very good weekend.

1) The slide show/song in tribute to Mahatma Gandhi:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5prJZctnon0  

Translation below, in Roman Hindi and with the Hindi because the font is so beautiful.

2)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmzvr3aZXQc

"Ekla Chalo Re, is a Bengalipatriotic song written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905.^[2]...The song exhorts the listener to continue his or her journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others. The song is often quoted in the context of political or social change movements. Mahatma Gandhi, who was deeply influenced by this song,^[4] cited it as one his favorite songs.^[5]

Here is the translation in prose of the Bengali original rendered by Rabindranath Tagore himself.^[6]"(says Wikipedia)

If they answer not to thy call, walk alone,

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one, open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one, trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one, with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart

and let it burn alone. 

Translation of Sabarmati ke Sant

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

Aandhi mein bhi jalti rahi Gandhi Teri mashaal

Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

You gave us freedom without wielding a shield or sword.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Gandhi your torch burnt bright through every storm.

Chorus:

You gave us freedom without wielding a shield or a sword.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

dharti pe ladi tune ajab dhang ki ladaayi

daagi na kahin top na bandook chalaayi

dushman ke qile par bhi na ki tune chadhaayi

waah re faqeer khoob karamaat dikhaayi

chutki mein dushmano ko diya desh se nikaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

raghupati raghav raja ram

On this earth you fought an unusual fight

Neither cannon nor bullets were fired

Neither did you assault the fortress of the enemy

Oh Fakeer you showed great skill in your campaign

In no time at all you rid us of the enemy

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

shatranj bichha kar yahan baitha tha zamana

lagta tha mushkil hai firangi ko harana

takkar thi bade zor ki dushman bhi tha thana

par tu bhi tha bapu bada ustaad puraana

maara wo kas ke daanv ke ulti sabhi ki chaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

raghupati raghav raja ram

Time had rolled up the carpet and was sitting still

It seemed so difficult to defeat the enemy

To clash with an enemy so strong seemed impossible

But you Bapu were an ancient Master of tactics and vision

Your moves confused the enemy

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

jab jab tera bigul baja jawaan chal pade

mazdoor chal pade the aur kisaan chal pade

hindu aur musalmaan sikh pathaan chal pade

kadmon pe teri koti koti praan chal pade

phoolon ki sej chhod ke daude jawaahar laal

sabarmati ke sant tune

kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

raghupati raghav raja ram

Whenever your bugle sounded, the youth came marching.

Workers marched and peasants marched as well

Hindus and Mussalmans, Sikhs, Pathans came marching too.

A hundred million souls marched in step behind you,

Leaving his bed of roses Jawaharlal came running.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

Chorus: 

You gave us freedom without wielding a shield or a sword.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

man mein thi ahinsa ki lagan tan pe langoti

laakhon mein ghoomta tha liye satya ki sonti

waise to dekhne mein thi hasti teri chhoti

lekin tujhe jhukti thi himaalay ki bhi choti

duniya mein tu bejod tha insaan bemisaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

raghupati raghav raja ram 

With a mind full of non-violence, a body covered in loin cloth,

You moved among the masses wielding the baton of Truth.

To look at, you were but a little man.

But even the Himalayas bowed before you.

Bapu, you were a man without an equal in the world.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

Chorus:

You gave us freedom without wielding a shield or a sword.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

jag mein koi jiya hai to bapu tu hi jiya

tune watan ki raah mein sab kuchh luta diya

manga na koi takht na to taj bhi liya

amrit diya to theek magar khud zeher piya

jis din teri chita jali roya tha mahakaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

de di hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal

sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal

raghupati raghav raja ram

raghupati raghav raja ram

raghupati raghav raja ram

If anyone can be said to have lived in this world, then Bapu you were such a one,

In following the path of the nation, you gave everything you had,

You asked neither for power or position

You gave us nectar but you yourself drank poison

The day your funeral pyre was lit even the Lord of Time and Death wept,

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought!

Chorus:

You gave us freedom without wielding a shield or a sword.

O Saint of the Sabarmati, what a miracle you wrought

 Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram

song-from- the film : Jagriti

 साबरमती के संत

दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्‌ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

आंधी में भी जलती रही गांधी तेरी मशाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

धरती पे लड़ी तूने अजब ढब की लड़ाई
दागी न कहीं तोप न बंदूक चलाई
दुश्मन के किले पर भी न की तूने चढ़ाई
वाह रे फकीर खूब करामात दिखाई

चुटकी में दुश्मनों को दिया देश से निकाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

शतरंज बिछा कर यहां बैठा था ज़माना
लगता था कि मुश्किल है फिरंगी को हराना
टक्कर थी बड़े ज़ोर की दुश्मन भी था दाना
पर तू भी था बापू बड़ा उस्ताद पुराना

मारा वो कस के दांव कि उल्टी सभी की चाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

जब जब तेरा बिगुल बजा जवान चल पड़े
मजदूर चल पड़े थे और किसान चल पड़े
हिन्दू व मुसलमान सिख पठान चल पड़े
कदमों पे तेरे कोटि कोटि प्राण चल पड़े

फूलों की सेज छोड़ के दौड़े जवाहरलाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

मन में थी अहिंसा की लगन तन पे लंगोटी
लाखों में घूमता था लिये सत्य की सोंटी
वैसे तो देखने में थी हस्ती तेरी छोटी
लेकिन तुझे झुकती थी हिमालय की भी चोटी

दुनियां में तू बेजोड़ था इंसान बेमिसाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

जग में कोई जिया है तो बापू तू ही जिया
तूने वतन की राह में सबकुछ लुटा दिया
मांगा न कोई तख्त न तो ताज ही लिया
अमृत दिया सभी को मगर खुद ज़हर पिया

जिस दिन तेरी चिता जली रोया था महाकाल
साबरमती के संत तूने कर दिया कमाल

Empty Drawer

It’s not quite an empty nest… It’s an empty drawer.

There are three drawers in the bottom of the sound system cabinet. When the drawers came into existence, Judd and I tacitly labeled the drawers Malindi, Kelcy and Ryley, in that birth order.  They ended up being cubbies are where each child could stash things they didn’t want to carry up to their room or they wanted to save.  I would throw in any kid-specific-stuff I didn’t know where to “file:” a stray Pokemon card; a ribbon for participating in The China Fun Run; disembodied Lego characters, a program from Malindi’s Ice Show; the felt turtle wallet Becky made for Ryley; recruitment letters from various colleges for Kelcy; mail for a kid when they’re away at college; unwanted Halloween candy until it disintegrates. The drawers’ memorabilia stacked up sometimes until the drawer wouldn’t close and I would ask the child to purge or sort some things. 

This week all that changed. One of the drawers, the Malindi drawer, is stark naked empty—not slightly-empty-til-spring-break empty—I mean nothing-but-dust-and-a-paper-clip empty. I got to spend several quality days with Malindi before she left for Peace Corps this week and one of her missions was to clean out her stuff from the South China house. Her bedroom upstairs is vacant except for old furniture. Her favorite pictures and posters are off the wall. Her drawer is empty.  (There are some remnants in the cellar in carefully organized boxes.) But it’s a big transition time for the Thompsons.

I realize others have survived this before and it’s our turn.  First child has left home. Gone far away. We kissed Malindi good-bye at the airport security gate, with no forwarding address except a generic Peace Corps office suite in D.C. She has a phone and a laptop but we have no assurances when or if any of them will work in Albania. If I think about it too long, it’s scary.  Then I get over it.

The little Malindi-drawer in my heart is still full of Malindi treasures (happy smile, easy laugh, forgiveness, creativity, pretty things…) even though her cubbie is empty. And heck, over the next 2 years I might find some stray mail or unmatched sock and I’ll start filling that drawer back up.

Balance

Mountain goats in Ouray, CO

bal·ance

  

noun

1.

a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

2.

something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

3.

mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

4.

a state of bodily equilibrium

(from dictionary.com)

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, UTAH

Is that a multiple choice question?  I'd like to pick the third choice... I've been more the opposite, feeling phrenetic and frazzled, despite the weekend-ly yoga and 10 minutes post-yoga pseudo-meditation where I can't really turn off the racing to-do list in my head.

I'm getting worn down by the 5 months of  applying for jobs, interviewing for jobs, second interviewing, SKYPE interviewing, phone interviewing, writing  resumes, re-revising resumes, thank-you letter-writing post interviews, negotiating jobs, declining jobs, trial-ing jobs, learning new jobs, pretending "I really, really want your job," eating alone in a hotel,  living out of a suitcase (okay 3 suitcases, but still.)

Landscape Arch, UTAH

No one should feel sorry for me.  I haven't had to do my own sheets and towels or vacuuming for 2 months. I have a laptop filled with family/friend photos that shuffle and slide- show for me even when I'm stuck 6 hours in an airport trying to get home for a visit. I haven't had over 1.6 inches of snow at a time. (The Grand Junction News station actually reports snow here in .6 of an inch.) Two fourths of my family got out to visit me. I talk to Judd almost every night. He still loves me despite my indecision. I HAVE a job. I have options. I have supportive family and friends. Something will change soon. I'll find balance.