River Dreams

from the Ever Wonder collection (1996-2001)

Have you played the ‘Life is like a...’ game lately? We’ve all heard many of these comparisons. Life is like a bowl of cherries. Life is like a box of chocolates. Life is like gravity. Life is an incurable disease. At different stages in our lives someone comes up with the perfect description of existence and we chuckle or nod our heads knowingly while mumbling,”Ya that’s the way it is fur shur.”

I remember playing this game in high school and my entry into the discussion was, “Life is like a locker.” At the time it seemed an appropriate comparison. As a teenager I had many secrets to be unlocked. At times my life seemed as confining as the narrow space into which I crammed my belongings each morning. I was just one of many in a row with not much distinguishing me from others. Sometimes someone would peer into me and find something I hadn’t noticed before (perhaps some forgotten peanut butter sandwich!). Sometimes I would stink and other times I would appear to be well organized. It was a valid description for me, tidy or not.

Presently I sort of like the ‘Life is like a river’ analogy for human existence. Like a baby, a river starts out pure and clean, babbling with naive enthusiasm. It’s body clear, fresh and transparent. It picks up minerals from its moldering banks as it begins its meandering journey, thereby providing defining character and richness of texture. Sometimes the banks are narrow and restrictive, producing a stronger, more rebellious current. Sometimes the banks open wide to enable the river to reach new depths of understanding. Rocks can be seen as challenges, to steer around, froth over, or undermine for the push ahead. Sometimes a river will enter a marsh and lie still for years not knowing its value. When a river picks up speed and rushes impetuously along its course, we are reminded of the risks we sometimes take to get to where we are going. Rivers often diverge, splitting into many fingers representing the separateness that comes with refusing to go along. Rivers can also be met by other streams on their journey; joining in a turbulent mixing of contrasting elements to flow forth with a stronger and more varied texture. Most rivers have a waterfall at some point in their run to the sea. For some it may come early, a childhood dance with glorious sparkles and mist that make others watching exclaim in awe. Other rivers have their climactic waterfalls only after miles of plodding, patient flowing.

Moments before the river meets the sea there is a gradual reduction in pace and energy. Sediments are deposited to be built on by future generations of river outpourings. Finally, a spreading out of all remaining mingling particles embracing the oceans, floating free and buoyed up by a distinctive blend of energy, matter, and experience.

Have a go at the ‘Life is like a...’ game. It may help you to understand where you are in the journey.