Drought as ‘deep as a dollar’?
Jul 28th, 2008 by spaceagesage
The photo on this post was taken in my backyard. Yes, the dollar bill really does go that far down into a crack formed by drought. I didn’t have a yardstick handy, but I think this shows the depth quite well.
Have you ever experienced that kind of drought in your life or heart? It seems nothing is growing or flourishing. If you blog, you know those times: the writing comes harder, the blog readership isn’t growing, the finances are tough, you’ve said the wrong things to a friend, and even movies or a good book don’t seem to pass the time well. The parched land seems to stretch out forever.
Downer enough for you? OK then, do you remember the scene in the 1981 movie Excalibur, when King Arthur and the land have wasted away to almost nothing? It seems all hope is lost, and the evil upon the land will win. But then the young and quest-weary knight Perceval finally brings the king the Grail:
Perceval: [holding the Grail to Arthur’s lips] You and the land are one. Drink.
Arthur: I am wasting away. I cannot die and I cannot live.
Perceval: Drink from the chalice. You will be reborn and the land with you.
Arthur: [drinks] Perceval… I didn’t know how empty was my soul… until it was filled.
Soon after this moment on screen, Arthur and the land quickly heal and blossom. Something in the Grail pushes away the darkness and brings new life to the world. It is a metaphor that still stirs me because I equate it to those rare epiphanic moments of clarity when things click in our minds and all the pieces fall together in a way that makes us and the world seem whole, meaningful, and at one. It is the opposite of the drought moments.
Today, it finally rained two-thirds of an inch. As it did, the land and I breathed in the smell of fresh raindrops, listened to the wild thunder, and felt filled again.
What helps you feel “filled again”?
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This was a very nice article. I don’t want to be spammy, but I recently wrote about a Michael J. Meade quote which is one of my favorite quotes:
I think that sometimes the realities of the day-to-day can dry up the water that is in us. I sincerely believe Love is the only thing in the world that can create something from nothing, so Love has to be our source for water again.
Al —
So true. Thanks for the awesome quote. I think fear, apathy, overwhelmed emotions, guilt, and self-doubt are the opposites of Love, and they too cause drought. May we all have a refreshing rain of Love come our way!
Lori
Hi Lori. I enjoyed this post. It was very insightful. Different things fill me up. In most cases it has something to do with nature.
“What helps you feel “filled again”?”
My family… I look at them and force myself to be thankful and count my blessings. Works every time.
@Davina — Well if nature helps fuel you up, may you have lots of time to enjoy it!
@Vered — Lovely — thanks for commenting! Family is strong medicine! We don’t have kids, but our nieces and nephews are amazing adults these days with kids of their own now. One my nieces is helping me edit my first e-book, and I used to teach her stuff as a kid!
“What helps you feel “filled again”?”
A sense of accomplishment at the end of the day… Spending time with my better half at the end of a long day… Getting complimented on a job well done (whether at work or through my blog)…
Ricardo — Feeling appreciated is always motivational for us human beings. I’ve known people who don’t understand the value of appreciation, and they say or think: “You should be doing things for God, not for pats on the head!” or “Don’t give out too much appreciation. People need to earn it.”
Ah well, it is from these folks that I learn how *not* to be appreciative!