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Dewitt Jones: “The Banquet Is Laid Though Nobody Comes.”

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Although, as a little boy, I attended Sunday school at the little white church in Oakville, Ca., my spiritual search was low-key at best until I was 31 and Lettie asked her fateful question:

“Is memorizing all the parts of a fetal pig really important?”

(Biodesign Out For A Walk, chap. 1. “Genesis: Lettie’s Question.”)

She launched me on a journey that I have been on for over 45 years. This journey has taken me to thousands of wondrous physical, mental and spiritual places and exposed me to some of the greatest naturalists the world has known. One of those people was John Muir, who not only led me to Yosemite, but, coincidentally to the dawning of my spiritual awareness.

However, as a traditional biology teacher, I was intrigued, even a bit conflicted to learn that he kept a copy of The New Testament (plus the Psalms) with him on all of his meanderings. Although I never became a Biblical scholar, there were some puzzling passages that I reencountered over the years. Retrospectively, however, this should not have been surprising. During his trial for suspected heresy, the great scientist Galileo informed his accusers that the Bible contained many metaphors and parables that were often difficult for people to comprehend.

For me, one of those passages was:

The banquet is laid though nobody comes.

Somehow, the seven words were seven fragments that held little meaning.

Evidently, not unlike Dianna (Biodesign Out For A Walk chap. 28, Amazing Faith) I lacked the spiritual awareness of what the phrase meant.

And then recently an amazing synchronicity occurred. A Fb friend was struggling with the woes of modern society and I wanted to cheer her up. She is a Nature lover and so I Googled: Photos: Celebrating the joys of Nature.

The attached YouTube video, by Dewitt Jones, popped up and not only explained the cryptic Bible passage to my often-balky left-brain, but presented another wonderful mystery.

I thought his name was familiar, but I could not recall why. Finally, it dawned on me that I had met him on Yosemite’s Ahwahnee Meadow, 39 years ago. Well, his body wasn’t there, but his spirit was in a book, John Muir’s America, which he coauthored with T.H. Watkins. Watkins did a superb job with the text and Jones added spectacular photos. The book became one of the cornerstones of the Biodesign Class.

However, the intriguing part is that I may not have ever discovered it were it not for the loving members of Biodesign ’79. They purchased the book and presented it to me on the meadow as a birthday/thank you gift. And now, 39 years later, through a miracle of “I-T,” Jones reentered my life and completed the magnificent circle that he helped initiate.

I used to suggest to students that Biodesign was like a wonderful smorgasbord of concepts and ideas. I also assured them that, although some of the ideas may involve human spirituality, I was a biology teacher and not a guru; ergo they were free to agree with or disagree with all physical, mental or spiritual topics. I did caution them that some of the ideas (even John Muir’s) could be challenging, even provocative.

Then along came Dewitt Jones, citing the Bible, suggesting that, for all those many years, we were actually at a spiritual BANQUET and not merely a smorgasbord. The suddenly illuminated passage became perfectly clear.

The countless visual images and emotion-filled moments offered at Yosemite, Grand Canyon and the Mendocino Coast, provided a spiritual banquet which offered food for our souls, far more nourishing than the finest caviar, escargot and champagne. With food like this, it is little wonder that Muir was content to throw a couple pounds of dried bread balls (and some tea bags) into a pillowcase, grab a single wool blanket and vanish into his beloved mountain-wilderness for a month.

I have remained in contact with a few members of Bio ’79. One of them is Lori Evensen, who could not have known that she would be partially responsible for this blog. 39 years ago, all of the students signed the Jones/Watkins book and she signed it:

“Mr. Young,

I hope your birthday will be as beautiful as Yosemite. (Be sure to read pg. 57, a great description of life). Thank you for being you.

Love, Lori.”

John Muir’s America: Page 57:

“No pain here, no dull empty hours, no fear of the past, no fear of the future. Drinking this champagne water is pure pleasure, so is breathing the living air…”

A virtual banquet indeed!

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Sisyphus-Half Dome-The Superior Female Brain

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“One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books.” – John Muir

“Red exhaustion rips at your throat
and salt sweat spills off your forehead and mats your eyelids and brows…
The long distant runner is paid by the snap of a white thread across his chest.
You are paid by the picture at your feet.”
– Terry Russell: “On The Loose.”

One of the greatest spiritual gifts of the Biodesign Program was the most obvious, least understood and was often taken for granted. The gift is the biological process known as “gender diversification.”

Before each trip to Yosemite, I warned:

“If you want to find out what kind of friend you have, take him/her camping and see.” Perhaps, the same can be said about discovering differences due to gender diversity.

Ever since our first attempt (and failure) to climb Half Dome (1976), it became conspicuously obvious that gender differences transcended from the physical to mental and, perhaps most importantly, spiritual awareness. When discussing spiritual concepts proposed by Muir, Emerson and Thoreau et al, the girls were typically quicker to grasp them. However, for the first 10 years these discoveries remained mostly anecdotal and not well defined. Then, in August of 1983, Omni Magazine featured an article titled, “Superiority of the Female Brain.” The author, Carol Johmann, followed up on Dr. Roger Sperry’s discoveries of the split neocortex in humans. The title was probably a bit hyperbolic, however, Johann described the now widely accepted premise, that, because of increased inter-cerebral neural networks, females are typically more harmoniously balanced than males.

Interestingly, when I presented the new evidence to the Class of ’84, they were not particularly surprised or concerned. In fact, they seemed to be relieved that many of the behavioral differences between males and females, that they were already familiar with, actually had biological origins.

Although I lost my original copy of the Omni Magazine, in a recent, wonderful synchronicity, I was able to replace it. Johmann’s article prompted me to create a literary montage of observations from a few girls in the Biodesign Class.

CLIMBING HALF DOME was the hardest thing I have ever done. There were many times when my body was screaming for me to stop. I don’t normally sweat very much, but sweat matted my hair and streamed down my face. Part of me felt grimy and disgusting, but the amazing scenery, and especially my classmates, urged me to press on. Of course, I had seen photos of “The Cables,” but I was not prepared to climb the granite stairway that ascends the Sub-Dome. There were no railings and both sides of the steps seemed to drop off into oblivion. The weight of my backpack added to the trepidation of every step. Although the climb was physically demanding, the stunning views prompted me to think that I was ascending a stairway to heaven right here on earth. It was a relief to get to the base of the cables, that is until I stood at the bottom and looked up.

I REMEMBER Mr. Young mentioning that because girls typically have smaller bodies and weigh less than guys, that they should try to keep their backpacks as light as possible. I weigh 105 lbs. and am not particularly athletic. Suddenly, looking up at the top of Half Dome, my 35 lb. backpack felt like it was full of rocks. I began to cry as wave of fear swept through my body. I was absolutely certain that there was no way I would be able to reach the top.

IN AN ATTEMPT to keep our circles gender-blended, Mr. Young would frequently say, “form a circle; roses and thorns.” It was definitely not “p-c,” though he did not specify just who the roses or thorns were. However, the girls typically felt like they were the roses and the more “macho” guys took a little pride in being considered thorns. In this case, he informed us that we would ascend The Dome in a roses and thorns line. He added that this was not a time for pride, guilt or self-doubt and we should all help and encourage each other.

Amazingly, after we started up, it wasn’t as scary as it looked. My partner stayed close behind me and offered his support and the reassurance that he literally “had my back.” When we reached the top, my feelings about heaven-on-earth intensified. With tears and laughter, we joined in a massive group hug with a sense of joy and exuberance that I had never felt. I was totally exhausted, but I had never felt better in my life.

ON THE WAY HOME, I was floating on a cloud, filled with wonders, visions and marvels of Yosemite. I guess I thought the euphoric feeling would never end. What a mistake. Back at school some of my friends resented my exuberant behavior. I realized that I was one week behind on homework assignments and some teachers resented my joyful attitude. I panicked when I noted the looming deadline for college applications and my parents seemed to be making excessive demands on my time.

My emotional high crashed and I wondered if the trip were worth the anguish I was feeling. Then I remembered a poster we had on our biology lab wall.

“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”    Renee Daumal

And then a major epiphany! Half Dome was very real, but it was also symbolic and metaphorical. When I was on the top, I remember turning around and Cloud’s Rest loomed 1000 ft. above me. I realized that if I climbed that, there would be an endless number of Sierra peaks to climb, some nearly twice as high as Half Dome.

So this is what I have learned. Life involves climbing an endless series of Half Domes. I am sure that college will be a gigantic H-D experience. If I decide to marry and have kids, my future husband and children will surely provide many H-D challenges. However, I have discovered a source of untapped power that will enable me to accomplish anything I set my mind on. Some of my challenges will likely be extremely difficult, and require an investment of blood, sweat and tears, however, each new mountaintop experience will provide vistas, joys and sorrows that I could not experience without them.”

Note: One of the greatest blessings that I received as a teacher was to watch young adults express words of wisdom that many adults will never fully comprehend. The last, very perceptive young woman could have likened her mountaintop revelation to the doomed Sisyphus, but she accepted the stress and pain as the price for becoming spiritually alive. She was wise beyond her years and no doubt attended a college or university where many of her PhD holding professors had little (if any) knowledge of what she had discovered.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Easter Poems, Prayers and Promises

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“As a modern man, I have sat in concert halls and watched huge audiences floating dazed on the voice of a great singer. Alone in a dark box I have heard far off as if ascending out of some dark stairwell the guttural whisperings and bestial coughings out of which that voice arose. Again, I have sat under the slit dome of a mountain observatory and marveled, as the great wheel of the galaxy turned in all its midnight splendor, that the mind in the course of three centuries has been capable of drawing into its strange, non-spatial interior that world of infinite distance and multitudinous dimensions.” Loren Eiseley: The Immense Journey

As a soloist, Andrea Bocelli has the ability to move audiences to unspeakably beautiful levels of human harmony. However, performing in a duet, he can also masterfully complement his partner. In “The Prayer,” with Tori Kelly, even when they are singing in unison, the gender divide clearly celebrates two voices. However, when they effortlessly glide into two-part-harmony, they raise the level of spiritual intensity to new heights.

I join Loren Eiseley and celebrate the gift of music and the ability to; …float dazed on the voices of Andrea Bocelli and Tori Kelly.

Happy Easter.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Silver Bridge-Mules and God in Grand Canyon

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“This follows from the extreme difficulty or rather impossibility of conceiving this wonderful universe, including man with his capacity of looking far backwards and far into futurity, as the result of blind chance or necessity. When thus reflecting I feel compelled to look to a First Cause having an intelligent mind in some degree analogous to that of man; and I deserve to be called a Theist.” Charles Darwin

Fifteen Biodesign Classes were blessed with the privilege of walking across the “Silver Bridge,” which connects Grand Canyon’s South Rim to Phantom Ranch. They enjoyed watching the Colorado River flow beneath the grated deck they were walking on. The same cannot be said about mules. Mules refuse to cross the bridge because the flowing river below spooks them. People may scoff at their behavior until they realize that they are just as prone to be spooked by spiritual wisdom or events that eclipse their limited mental capacity.

“They distrust, it would seem, all shapes and thoughts but their own.” Loren Eiseley.

Grand Canyon is a wonderfully real and symbolic enigma for man. In addition to its mind-boggling immensity, breathtaking beauty and infinite array of kaleidoscopic colors, it is the greatest page of biological history on planet Earth. There is nothing on Earth that it can be compared to. Simply put, it is too big for people to wrap their minds around.

While watching the water flow beneath their feet, students often struggled in vain to comprehend the fact that the water has been flowing for 1.8 bil’li-yon years (Carl Sagan intonation). Walking along the bottom of Grand Canyon was typically an intensely humbling experience, which often left students with a wonderful hodgepodge of feelings of awe, trepidation and delight. But mostly they expressed an overarching feeling of gratitude for the privilege of being alive at that moment in time. Loren Eiseley expressed a similar emotional awakening on one of his trips into canyon country: “It was a great day to be alive!”

They looked and pondered, looked some more and pondered, but there was no resolution. Little wonder Carl Sandberg wrote; “There goes God with an army of banners” and follows with “who is God and why? Who am I and why?”

As for the mules; their behavior is heavily influenced by instinct, which does not allow for coping with moving water 50 feet below their hooves. Humans however, have been endowed with the gift of “free will,” which includes freedom of thought. However, this freedom also allows for egoism, arrogance and the foolish misassumption that man is smarter that the Creator that fashioned him.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Ansel Adams-Horsetail Fall-Lori Evensen-Biodesign ‘79

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Although I have never met Dr. Michael Adams, son of Ansel Adams, our spirits were recently engaged in a splendid synchronicity that began nearly 40 years ago. It involves a revolutionary advanced biology class that I was privileged to participate in at St. Helena High School in the Napa Valley. It was revolutionary because the students elected to eschew the traditional practice of memorizing all the parts of a fetal pig in exchange for exploring the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of Yosemite, Grand Canyon and the Mendocino Coastal area.

The class was dedicated to, “the illimitable freedom of the human mind.” Instead of pigs, we considered the great biological scholars, sages, poets, philosophers and artists, including world-famous photographer Ansel Adams. We kept two different coffee-table-format books of his photography in the biology classroom. The evolution of the class was the result of teacher-student collaboration as evinced by this blog.

The great biologist, Louis Pasteur, opined, “chance favors the prepared mind” and we spent much pre-trip time and effort preparing our minds. E. g, before the Yosemite trip, the students were expected to read, “The Wilderness World Of John Muir,” edited by Edwin Teale. Along with wonderful stories and ecological wisdom, the book includes an illuminating chapter on John Muir’s philosophy. Students were also required to select an appropriate topic for an expository essay.

The Class of 1979 included Lori Evensen, a very bright, very curious, highly talented artist. Not surprisingly, she chose Ansel Adams as the subject of her essay. At the end she credited Adams for inspiring her to continue her artwork. She also mentioned that it was now a dream of hers to meet him and perhaps attend one of his Yosemite photography workshops.

Her essay was so spirit-filled that I shared it with Mike Snowden, colleague, fellow-hiker and backpacker. As he read, he laughed out loud and exclaimed, “I know Ansel Adams! In fact, I have spent several weekends in his home and even helped him in his darkroom. My aunt Gerry (Sharpe) was his “Girl Friday” and served as his assistant for many years.”

He went on to say that his aunt and Mom (Jane Snowden) have several of Adams’ original prints, which are quite valuable. He also mentioned that Adams was very gregarious and would probably welcome a visit from an aspiring young photographer. I was astounded by the conversation, but doubted that it would yield any results. However, Mike called either his aunt or Adams and arranged a suitable time for a visit. Apparently, along with his willingness to share his artistic philosophy, he was planning to demonstrate some of his darkroom skills. A mutual friend of ours owned a small airplane and volunteered to fly Lori down to Carmel, Ca. for the day. All was in order. Sadly, however, a few weeks before the scheduled visit, Adams suffered a heart attack and all scheduled meetings had to be canceled.

Lori graduated and I taught for 20 more years until I retired. After several years of reflecting on the mystery, wonder (even small miracles) experienced during 63 trips into the wilderness, I decided to attempt to write a book and share a sample of the student discoveries.

Shortly after “Biodesign Out For A Walk” was released, we created a website to expand our reader base. A couple of years ago, I started writing blogs for the site. After a friend shared a photo of this year’s luminous reappearance of Yosemite’s mystical “Horsetail Fall,” I decided to write a blog about it. Of course, I had no foreknowledge that, while viewing a Youtube video on the extraordinary fall, Michael Adams would appear and complete this fantastic synchronicity.

I sent Lori a copy of that letter and assumed that the multifaceted synchronicity was complete. It was not! Recently, without knowing what I was thinking, she began sorting through a collection of her high school memorabilia. Much to her delight and surprise, she discovered a letter from Ansel Adams that she had totally forgotten. She was not alone. Even though the letter was addressed to me, I also had no memory of it.

Although the letter is intriguing, perhaps more importantly, it reveals the quintessence of Adams. He was facing a potentially life-threatening open-heart surgery, yet cared enough about a total stranger (high school student) to express his regrets and offer her hope for a possible post-surgery meeting. The meeting never happened, however, his spirit has become immortalized in both Lori and my hearts.

I sent a modified version of this story to Dr. Adams, expressing my deep appreciation and gratitude for the inspiration his father provided for our students and me.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Yosemite Horsetail Fall-Quintessence-Aristotle

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“So you went to the Louvre:

What did you see?

After the first Artist

Only the copyist.” – Renny Russel: “On The Loose.”

 

It is intriguing to wonder what the Ahwahnechee Indians must have thought when they observed Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall. It is quite likely that, because of when, where and how they lived, they understood the mysterious event better that the Greeks and modern scientists. Perhaps they thought “The Great Spirit” was offering them a gift of water that could morph into liquid gold, then into liquid fire and return to water.

Before the periodic chart was developed, Empedocles proposed that the known universe was made out of four “elements;” earth, water, air and fire. Aristotle added a fifth element, aether; it has been called akasha in India and quintessence in Europe. Quintessence emerged with a plethora of supporting synonyms, which include, heaven, spirit and soul. Perhaps not surprisingly, the concept of the five elements formed a basis of analysis in both Hinduism and Buddhism .

With that as background, it is not surprising that thousands of Nature lovers flock to Yosemite Valley each February, in hopes of being lucky enough to see the illuminated Horsetail Fall. Aristotle would have rejoiced and properly pointed out that the stunning spectacle was caused by the “5 elements,” earth (rock), water, air, fire and aether.

The potential of being thrilled by the beauty of the event is enhanced by the fact that it is a complex, illusive synchronicity. All five elements have to converge at a precise time and place in Yosemite Valley. The sky must be clear, atmospheric conditions must be ideal; the necessary amount of water present and the setting sun must be at the perfect angle of inclination. Typically, this can only happen during a few days each February when the illuminated water can cascade down nearly 2,000 feet to Yosemite Valley.

Early concessioners at Yosemite must have seen the February spectacle and lamented that it did not occur more regularly and thus attract more tourists. By 1872 a road had been built to Glacier Point and soon after, concessioners began building a huge bonfire each afternoon. They piled on large chunks of red fir bark, which is a natural insulator and somewhat fire resistant. By 9:00 PM each evening, the fiery embers were shoved over Glacier Point in what was called “The Fire Falls.”

This practice continued nearly 100 years, but was terminated in 1968. Although the show was impressive to many, to seasoned Nature lovers, there was an unsettling sense of ersatz about it. Simply put, it was impossible for a fire to spontaneously combust in the afternoon and then fling itself over a cliff after nightfall; not to mention the huge waste of logs and fir bark.

As camping, hiking, backpacking and ecotourism became more popular, YNP properly concluded that the Fire Fall had an unnatural, Disney Land, feel about it.

Perhaps, on a deeper level, they realized that it was impossible for man to “improve” Yosemite’s “quintessence.”

The people who flock to Horsetail Fall each February may or may not be overtly spiritual people. However, the mere fact that they are responding to one of Mother Nature’s more extraordinary displays suggests an inner sense of awe, wonder and spiritual curiosity.

I don’t recall John Muir mentioning the fiery version of Horsetail Fall. However, if he did see it, I can imagine him raising his arms to heaven, like a Baptist Preacher, and exulting, “Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever and ever, amen!”

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Half Dome: Half Way To Heaven?

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“What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above.” – Renee Daumal

EVERY HUMAN BEING should be fortunate enough to sleep at least one night on top of a mountain, under a starry blanket. John Muir exhorted his followers, “go to the mountains and get their good tidings.” He minced no words describing the potential power of mountaintop experiences to be transcendental, perhaps connecting hikers with heaven. Loren Eiseley noted that, although adventures like these may or may not connect hikers to God, they often result in hikers having a vision or seeing a marvel. Although results cannot be predicted, the limitless possibilities range from subtle to profound to sublime.

There are 1000s of mountaintops, tors, buttes and mesas in the US where a high school biology class could camp out for a night. However, few (if any) can compare with Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome. Twenty-four Biodesign Classes eagerly accepted John Muir’s challenge to climb Half Dome, perhaps in search of a “born again” experience.

In the 1970s, our idea of challenging students to stretch their physical, mental and spiritual wings closely paralleled the goals of the highly successful wilderness program called, “Outward Bound.”

Although each new class had seen countless images and heard numerous stories about the world-famous Half Dome, nothing could prepare them for the view they saw when they arrived at Glacier Point. The view was so extraordinary that it often rendered students speechless. On one trip, while looking up at Half Dome, a male student exclaimed to a classmate, “He’s freakin’ nuts if he thinks I am going to sleep up there!”

Although 20 Biodesign classes made it to the top of Half Dome, only 16 were fortunate enough to sleep overnight (before the practice was banned by YNPS).

I have to admit that, before each of those 16 trips, I questioned my own mental stability.

Those fortunate enough to succeed were offered an extraordinary spectacle that most will never see again. Typically, the Big Dipper loomed above to the north with Merak and Dubhe lined up pointing to Polaris (the north star). Those having trouble sleeping could watch the handle of the giant dipper slowly tick off the changing hours of the night.

Of course, each trip was unique and depended on countless variables. However, when the stars aligned favorably we were able to sit in a circle, read some passages from Muir and share what we were seeing, thinking and feeling. During these events, my role as leader shifted to the role as observer. I often marveled at the innate wisdom that the students exhibited.

On one particular occasion, the level of communication and spiritual camaraderie rose to such a height that it felt surreal. We were snuggled in a tightly bonded circle. The autumn air was chilly and the stars were so brilliant they appeared to be close enough for us to reach out and pick a basket of them.

And then suddenly “it” happened. As students shared their deepest reflections, without warning, they were presented with the dilemma of wondering whether the whole class mysteriously levitated upward toward heaven or if heaven mysteriously descended down to engulf them. The Eastern Orthodox Church uses the term, “mandorla,” (almond shaped design) to depict sacred moments which transcend time and space, including the overlap between heaven and Earth. I am not a religious scholar, but this experience seemed to match the Greek concept.

The next morning during breakfast, it was clear to me that the students had changed. The countenance of many of the girls was subtly radiant, not unlike da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The mood of the guys was unusually quiet, more contemplative; some looked a little spooked. I didn’t comment, but imagined some of their private conversations included questions like: “What the heck happened during our circle last night?”

They were in good company. Muir cautioned us that there were no Earthly words that could adequately describe spiritual events.

The students were not the only ones with a beguiling mystery. I too pondered over the event. It was only after returning home that it occurred to me that, aside from my wedding day and assisting with our youngest child’s birth, my star-struck experience on Half Dome was the most intense spiritual awakening in my life.

So, Muir came down from Yosemite’s mountains with, “Thoughts and deeds that moved the world.” Each year, our students came down from Half Dome having seen wonders, marvels, even little miracles or perhaps being gifted with a glimpse into heaven.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Happy Valentine’s Day from John Denver

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old_country_roadLori Evans Pugh (Biodesign ’79) shared this rare video of a John Denver song that I had never seen before. Not surprisingly, it conjured up a cornucopia of latent images and memories.

The Gift You Are – John Denver 1991

It is not an over-reach to describe Denver as a modern-day, wandering minstrel who was an incarnation of the spirit of John Muir. Muir came down from the mountains like a bearded prophet, preaching about the healing, inspiring, and transforming powers of God’s creation.

Denver came down from the mountains, like a whirling dervish, and wrote over 300 songs celebrating his love of Nature. His overflowing exuberance for life was contagious, on TV, but especially during his hundreds of live performances. Not shy about sharing his beliefs and feelings, his songs included many poignant thoughts and precious “poems, prayers and promises.”

In a wonderful, double synchronicity; John Muir and John Denver became huge influences in the emergence and evolution of The Biodesign Class. Muir became our guide into the wilderness (and converse inner journey) and Denver encouraged us to celebrate the music of life.

Denver’s songs have “gone viral” throughout the world; crossing seven seas and reaching all seven continents. His music has been translated into over 200 languages and been shared in some of the world’s most remote areas and beyond.

Some of his songs have been played on various space stations, scientific research centers on Antarctica, Inuit villages, Mongolia, Australia’s “Out Back,” across Africa and the vast Patagonian wilderness.

Some musicologists have suggested that the song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, which he tri-authored with Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert may have exceeded the status of the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” as the song that the most people in the world have  listened to. For a multitude of stunningly mysterious reasons, the melody and lyrics have combined to transcend race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, economic and political barriers.

Denver did not align himself with a formalized religion, however, his songs often evoked a universal appeal of faith hope and love of man and Nature. Like Muir, he saw the mountains as metaphors for reaching higher and striving to lead purer, simpler lives. It seems to me that, whether he knew it or not, by reflecting his musical interpretation of Nature, he was encouraging people to approach the possibility that they were created by an amazingly mysterious power, even if they were unable to describe it. This would surely qualify people as extraordinary gifts to those around them.

Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers to proclaim their love for those whom they love. I think Denver’s song, “The Gift You Are”, is a perfect Valentine gift and I encourage you to share with your family and friends.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Michelangelo-Gary Larson-Thomas Hardy-Grand Canyon-God

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GODEven though I am not a Biblical scholar, I don’t think it is possible to find single Old Testament reference to God as having a sense of humor. Michelangelo’s dour image of God, painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, reflects the pre-renaissance pessimism common at that time, however, I fear that countless millions of people still consider his image as  “spiritually correct.” Is it possible that they fail to appreciate that his image was merely designed to accommodate the mental capacity of the unlearned? As a deeply spiritual man, Michelangelo knew that it was humanly impossible to “paint the face of God.” And this is what he may have in common with cartoonist Gary Larson.

However, if God lacks a sense of humor, this begs the question as to where humor came from.

Darwin’s theory of an ever-evolving, “dog-eat-dog world,” dripping in blood, offers few clues. While there are numerous examples of young mammals that seem to enjoy playful, even comical behavior, most zoologists claim that pre-human mammals (and all birds) lack the cerebral cortex tissue necessary to experience humor.

Fast forward to human evolution: there are many legends and stories that indicate that many Native Americans appreciated the importance of humor. Along with healers and medicine men, many tribes appointed “delight makers” who displayed all the talents of medieval court jesters.

The Greeks formalized the role of humor by illuminating the yin-yang relationship of tragedy and comedy (which often included humor).

Circus clown, Emmett Kelly, elevated the art of clowning to unprecedented heights with his creation of “Weary Willie.” And western rodeo shows demonstrated that “rodeo clowns” could employ their skills by distracting angry bulls from attacking fallen riders.

In 1973, Stephen Sondheim wrote the score, “Send In The Clowns,” which was featured in the musical, A Little Night Music.

About the same time, Gary Larson began entertaining the world with his brilliant cartoon strip titled, “The Far Side.”

Screen shot 2017-01-30 at 2.17.52 PM

So how could this possibly have any relevance to Grand Canyon?  Of course I am biased, but I think that Larson’s cartoon featuring a panoramic view of Grand Canyon, just may be one of its most profound (albeit silent) descriptions. The single frame shows a wide-angle view from the rim of The Canyon. A couple is sitting in small car, presumably enjoying the view. There is nothing humorous about the frame until you look at the lower right corner. The scene is being lifted up into folds of canvas curtain, revealing a broom, sweeping out dust from behind.

In a single, extraordinarily clever frame, Larson identified an almost universal response to visitors who reach the rim of the Grand Canyon. It is so vast that there are no experiential reference frames to compare it with. The simple truth is that it is a miracle that defies human comprehension: thus the segue to Michelangelo’s “Face of God.”

If ever there was the perfect place to apply Zora Hurston’s adage  “You got to go there to know there,” (Their Eyes Were Watching God) Grand Canyon is that place. Hopefully, avoiding the elitist label, the immensity and magnitude of Grand Canyon cannot be fully appreciated from the rim. One has to “hike there to know there!” Of course, the longer the hike the better, however a walk down to the Colorado River, and at least one night at Phantom Ranch and hike back up will be likely an adventure that most will consider as the greatest hike in their life.

Photo credit: www.mousetravel.net
Photo credit: mousetravel.net

Larson is a genius who combines all the attributes of a Native American “delight maker,” Greek humorist, medieval court jester, contemporary satirist and clown extraordinaire. His Grand Canyon cartoon reveals the futility of trying to describe one of the world’s greatest natural mysteries.

Photo credit: www.unmissable.com
Photo credit: unmissable.com

Scientists, sages and naturalists have written endless accounts of Grand Canyon, but I find it pleasing to combine Larson’s image of Grand Canyon and poet Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Last Chrysanthemum:”

I talk as if the thing were born
With sense to work its mind;
Yet it is but one mask of many worn
By the Great Face behind.

Lowell H. Young
Author: Biodesign Out For A Walk

young.lowell@gmail.com

Happy 2017 with Michelangelo and John Muir

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michelangoMichelangelo is widely regarded as the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance. If his goals in life had been lower, the world would never have known his “David” and “Pieta” statues and the Sistine Chapel frescoes. He was a painter, architect and sculptor and dedicated his life to getting as close to the creative power of God as he could. The fact that his works have been enjoyed and celebrated by countless millions of people, for over 500 years, indicates that he may have come pretty close. His lifelong philosophy paralleled that of John Muir, who also set some very lofty goals. After he nearly blinded himself in a factory accident, he vowed to forgo studying the works of man and dedicate his life “studying the works of God.”

We hope 2017 is filled with many physical, mental and spiritual hikes and ends with you standing on higher ground than you are standing on today.

Lowell & Christie