The incredible Carlsbad Caverns. NM

Monday, September 27th, 2010

"Inspiration is a flash of fire in the human soul, there is a force within you that breathes divine fire and brings your work to life. Honor it at all costs." Phil Cousineau

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

If we could only get to know ourselves better, allow that entity we are made off to penetrate deep down and reach the “core” that triggers us. And yet, getting to know ourselves might not be enough to reflect who we really are as the human “facades” are too often displayed. If we allowed the changes, if we had the courage to let it all come to the surface and respect “all” each other regardless how much time it would take to accomplish this adventure of the mind, we would be in such a much better World. I have seen too many “facades” lately as I have surfaced so close to a reality so powerful I started wondering which one was real, mine or theirs.

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns Carlsbad Caverns

I have a Friend, I hope I can still call her a Friend after writing this, that writes two Journals. One is her Daily Life, and one is about what most maybe “think about” but cannot write or maybe even talk about it. It’s content is of outmost honesty, truth, reality of “that core”, opinions, not necessarily being judgmental, or critical. Her readers know who this second person is, even if myself at first was a bit confused. I have been thinking about the why’s of the concept. It probably does feel better to expel under another identity I imagine, as to the contrary of myself writing my Journal under one name exposing it all through these times, sometimes two however when you consider Spirit jumping at times on the keyboard when my back is turned.

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

Does it really matter to others what one writes? Of course It does. As if so, it is of a certain “kind” that appeals or does not. The flavors are of many. It then has it’s own reasons to be for those others. Such as staying in touch with Family and Friends, the mundane part of it all, ride reports, chapters of travels, which is what most “blogs” are about and yet never really knowing who truly the writer is. My Friend most likely writes her second entries for the same reasons I write mine. The field ahead is therapeutically fit, the words and paragraphs are the daily companions, they are the sine waves that should not be bottled up but only let go to bring on the next set of thoughts with their sometimes answers and growth. Hopefully. I often think for the readers how boring all this might be, can be often. Some even have the truth of their own thoughts send out, meaning they like my Journal even if they don’t understand it. I am thankful to them. Thankful for their honesty and “truth” of the matter. I am not often entertaining and sometimes it even happens to receive “hate mail” as one not too long ago asking me to “stop this charade” and another one to “get over it”, when it comes to the passing away of my Son.

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

I often say “I don’t do drugs, I do not drink… I write”. I am however also on other paths. Riding, Spirit, Photography, Mother Nature, Reading, Cooking, Traveling to discover, Camping, Friends… suddenly it seems as a lot! But to come back to writing under an assumed name I started wondering if it was a matter of courage, a matter of maybe hiding behind a title that has been self given to obtain one’s present ability to write what really comes from that “core”. And if so, why? Maybe because of caring what others might think? Think less? Be embarrassed? Wouldn’t there be an identity crisis as they call it when knowing there is some hiding going on? We all have been wounded at one time or another. It is always a matter of finding the dressing that will keep it all in place. Could that be the answer?

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

My own dressing I know often comes apart, my wound will really never heal, it is something I understood only lately. I can only keep it under control but not under an assumed name, but my own. If this all sounds as I am criticizing or being judgmental, I am not. Far from it as I also feel the pain this Friend has gone through even if of a different kind as many there are. I do feel however that pain in whichever form it comes creates a bond that puts us closer with ourselves, makes us think deeper, with more truth than ever and should give us the courage to grab the bull by the horns and plow that path even so if others know who we are. Let it all out. Not everyone will ever agree, or sympathize, that should never be the point as such words in a Journal should only be directed “back” to the writer unless posted under the banner of “Entertainment”. None of this probably makes any sense. Even the fact that “why am I writing this…”. Maybe to give this person the “courage” to go forward on the path of her enlightenment under her own name and be one with herself as hard as it might be at times to expose our own fundamental and essential roots.  

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

And yes, again a hike through the Carlsbad Caverns left me speechless. The link is by the way a great synopsis of how it all came about. This time I can almost say that the photos convey the extraordinaire structure of the space taken millions of years by Mother Nature to create. I used a tripod for each photo, manual settings on f2.8, ISO of 100, no flash and a remote. Sometimes up to 10 seconds of exposure, manual focus which I missed half of the time because I really could not see well enough to of course focus. There are 1200 lights throughout the Caverns and I tried to use them all! My shoulder feels it and my “downhill” legs and back muscles also do. I could do it again tomorrow as my own senses could not get enough of it all. It is without a doubt a must to see and experience as I know again we will go back. The ride up in the elevator, equivalent of 75 floors, was not as bad this time around. It takes one minute. I had warned the ranger about my last defeat going up, I had him say a few jokes which we actually all enjoyed and arrived up before we even knew it. 

Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  

Question… As today, my writing having nothing to do with the photos, I have been thinking in such instances to have text only followed by photos only in a like Album format.?

You be well… always.

Ara & Spirit

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Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
Carlsbad Caverns  
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4 Responses to “The incredible Carlsbad Caverns. NM”

  1. Lyle Says:

    I like this format for entries when the text does not follow in lockstep the photos. It is like discussing philosophical things while looking through photographs, or watching out a train window, or walking along a path through a beautiful park. Keep it up!

  2. Denny Gibson Says:

    Those are some very nice pictures of the caverns and I appreciate you sharing some of the technical details of taking them. I know I should use a tripod more often but I always think it’s going to be a hassle. My only visit to Carlsbad was last December on the way to El Paso. You may remember that I contacted you about possibly visiting the Oasis on my way home but your amusement at the thought of someone driving a Corvette there along with the snow that greeted me in Van Horn convinced me that would not be prudent.

    I imagine you are familiar with Ernie Pyle the war correspondent. You may not be familiar with Ernie Pyle the travel writer. I certainly wasn’t until a few years ago. The columns that Ernie wrote from the road brought him fame long before the war. A couple of his 1938 reports came from Carlsbad Caverns. At that time, Jim White, the cavern’s “discoverer” was selling pamphlets inside the caverns. That pamphlet is still available but the price is now $6.95 rather than the 75 cents Jim charged.

  3. texascindy Says:

    I’ve been following you a long time now and, even though it doesn’t seem like it, I can see where your photos most often do follow your train of thought. I prefer things to stay the way you’ve been doing them. But however you choose to do it I’ll be here following you!

  4. Janet Says:

    I also like the format, for the reasons stated by Lyle.
    I appreciate the glimpse inside of your deep thoughts. The breathtaking photos go very well with the dialog.

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