(41) Beyond the Pale

"Leisure introduces into every activity an element of play, an
element of doing whatever it be also for its own sake...Thus leisure
provides the climate in which one can be open for meaning."
[David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B., A LISTENING HEART: THE ART OF
CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING," Crossroad, 1984, p. 26.]

Comment: Interesting, but I found this little gem about leisure
and play providing some small insight into a trip I soon will take.

Quite awhile ago I decided that I would no longer take any long
treks, far away, mainly because I felt that I had reached the point
where I might not be able to travel afar comfortably. Getting older,
so I was quite surprised when I decided to take this trip into a
remote canyon in Arizona. There's the natural beauty, of course,
but I was drawn to see yet another Sinaqua "ruin." Not a positive
known, but the Sinaqua are sometimes called the Western
Anasazi. They occasionally did occupy the same places as
the Anasazi.

Anyway, I had to wonder why I had decided to take yet another
"Anasazi" trip, if you will. Over the years I had visited sites of
these Ancient One's in Utah, New Mexico, and other places in
Arizona. Years back, when in the Santa Fe area I had special
dreams of these ancient Indians-the Early Pueblans--dancing
within my mind. Not visions, but rather persistent dreams!

In the midst of these encounters, I had special experiences as
well. So I have studied these mysterious Anasazi people--and
occasionally wondered why they were such a draw to me. I still
do not quite understand, but I am letting my "leisure" draw me
forth into this remote canyon.

And one morning recently I woke early, and suddenly all sorts
of ideas stormed into my mind. I'm a story-teller, focusing on
different spiritual, philosophical, and scientific perspectives.
And somehow I manage to blend all these perspectives into my
own God quest. Fascinating--but these ideas, that morning, nearly
composed a complete story that circled first around the Anasazi
unto the modern period, featuring a monk-psycholgist focusing
on the Psi Sciences.

These ideas storming into my mind leaped out-of-the-blue.
Mysterious, but fascinating! Strangely I felt strongly that this
forthcoming trip into that remote canyon, into yet another
stronghold of these ancient People, is somehow spiritually
significant for me.

My particular "leisure" in this case is about both spiritual
Mystery and Adventure. And believe it or not, that's what
Benedictines do! Seeking God involves wondrous paths that
oft can take us Beyond the Pale.