"One Wild and Precious Life"

The poet Mary Oliver asks, "...what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Between two 'playas'... (taken from our balcony)

I am on the balcony of our villa overlooking two ‘playas’ – Playa Prieta and Playa Penca. Between the two cove-like inlet beaches is a mound, neither hill nor mountain, like a mythical Avatar, covered with tall trees whose tops appear wispy yet the whole densely matted like your grandmothers "Mouton" fur coat. First thing when I awaken, I go upstairs to our veranda, sit underneath the slowly rotating rattan fans, and simply mind-meld with the environmental consciousness: my breathing bathes into unison with the lapping waves; my thoughts weightlessly waft with wandering clouds; and, I share the early elation as morning birds' songs signal daybreak.

Alongside the veranda is a gorgeous happenstance. One tree stands precariously rooted on the hillside bearing bright yellow flowers, while another tree invades from below with reddish-purple flowers. And, because ours is the highest villa in this community, to the side of our unit is a hedge lining the end of a driveway.  While reading this morning I heard a repetitive clicking sound. Lifting my head and contorting my body to discover the source, I saw a man ‘clipping’ that hedge. One leaf at a time. Clip, clip, clip. With his protective sun cap, sawed-off tee, bronzed and quite sturdy arms, he lifts and clips, lifts and clips. Leaf by leaf. Nothing mechanical. No electric trimmer. Simply the man, the hedge and his hand clippers. I watched him with fascination for some minutes and wondered, "what is expected of us as humans?" Is this worker somehow deprived of greater opportunities? Is there more for him to know or experience? Is he self-satisfied, at peace with himself or simply dull and inured to the boredom? Is he, indeed, bored? Are we (you know who ‘we’ are) driven to a kind of madness by notions of ‘success’? And, from whence do our ideas of life achievement derive - advertising, our competitive educational system, movies and TV, marketing? Who is living the life of greater resignation? Are we missing the simple beauty of the hedge? Finally, what might we lose or fail to notice as we aspire for the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy? And, what the f---k does it mean to ‘self-actualize’ anyway? I came away feeling anger and pity in equal measure...like “whose kidding who”?

The hedge and blended trees by the side of our balcony. 

I will leave this discussion here at this point...and ask for your comments. I look forward to a continuing dialog.

In the meantime, I would like to introduce you to our morning visitors...

Two "White-Breasted Magpie Jays" 

Is breakfast served?