Below the Surface

A large portion of an iceberg is below the surface (up to 90% according to the U.S. Geological Survey).  That statistic is one of those Jeopardy-esque bits of information that floats around my mind.  It became REAL to me, though, last month as our ship navigated cautiously around massive icebergs that sometimes dwarfed our ship.

Our onboard Ice Pilot explained to us Newbies that it is important to respect the icebergs: if you cannot pick them up, you stay away from them!

What do you respect?
(Photo: Antarctic Icebergs - Larry Gardepie, 2023)

Gazing out at these castoffs from the ice shelves and glaciers was other-worldly.  I had to remind myself that the Beauty Seen was only surface-level.  There was so much more to this object than what I could see:  there was a depth below the surface that could only be imagined.

At times we caught glimpses of what was below: the ocean waves brushing along the edges; the change in water color near the ice; the play of water, ice and light allowing us to see a few feet below.  How much more cannot be seen... unknown to us without assistance from navigation instruments that could read the depths?

Where do you find beauty?
(Photo: Antarctic Iceberg - several times larger
and longer than our ship - Larry Gardepie, 2023)

A few times our vessel crept close enough to see more:  the surface AND what was hidden.  This closeness sometimes seemed too dangerous, too intimate... especially with memories of the Titanic's fate on our minds!

At that instant I wondered about relationships and dialogue:

• How much of another person do we actually see and experience?
• What remains a mystery to us?
• When do we invite closeness and share vulnerability?
  
• When should we respect distance if a situation is too big to carry?
  

What is below your surface?
(Photo:  Antarctic Iceberg - Larry Gardepie, 2023)

As the icebergs drifted past and we moved on to other vistas, I reflected on the melting of these gigantics: how long would it take to become manageable?

I guess part of our inner work these days is to look at what we hide below our surface and how often we invite honest and vulnerable dialogue to melt the distance between us.

Just wondering:  how much is below your surface... 90%?... and how much do you reveal of yourself to others?
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Fragile Nature

An unusual winter and spring:  atmospheric rivers, arctic blasts and bomb cyclones, mega tornadoes... and now over 2 feet of rain in southern Florida in a 24-hour period!  These were on my mind as I walked around my neighborhood this past week -- wrapped up to stay warm against the colder-than-usual winds that have swept across southern California.

But then I came across plants blooming, inviting me to anticipate Spring and coaxing me out of my wintry thoughts.

Isn't it wonderful how nature can open us to beauty, simplicity, and wonder -- when we pay attention! 

Do you bloom where you are planted?
(Photo: Spring Freesia - Larry Gardepie)

There are so many troubles and divisions these days, storms that buffet us and rob us of societal securities.  Our fragile natures surface as we argue over ideologies and beliefs -- as we worry about the future.

Nature, though, has different lessons for us:

• Bloom where you are planted.
• Reveal the beauty of who you are.
• Stand tall and believe in your goodness.

I know life is more complicated than this... or is it?  Maybe I have made it more complex than it needs to be.

What beauty do you bring to this world?
(Photo:  Purple Iceplant - Larry Gardepie)

As I walk through my neighborhood bundled up against the winds that buffet me, my eyes see color and beauty that I might not feel; my ears hear bird songs that open me to listen; and the air is fresh after the last rainfall.

 

Our world is opening to new life... and so can I!

When do you stand above the worries
and troubles of today?
(Photo:  Tower of Jewels - Larry Gardepie)

Having difficult conversations may have caused us to hibernate against wintry relationships.  Our frailty may have caused us to protect and defend.  Our vulnerability may have betrayed what we think and feel.

 

But Nature -- like dialogue -- suggests something different: that our vulnerability is our strength; that life returns even after the worst storms; that beauty exists even in the worst situations.  Our invitation is to open up, discover, and value the beauty within the other person.  It is there -- if we pay attention!

May our fragile human nature open us to the possibility of beauty and wonder -- in ourselves and in others.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

 

This Too Shall Pass

Have you ever had a week where each day is moving toward an activity or event you are not cherishing?  A medical procedure or treatment.  A quiz or exam at school.  A report or presentation where you are nervous and uncertain of the outcome.  An uncomfortable conversation that needs to occur.

Time steadily marches forward as anxiety, fear or dread overshadows every moment.  The primary focus is on what will happen... what will go wrong.  Eventually, we may move towards acceptance... "This too shall pass."

It is as if our mind, body, heart, and soul are struggling for dominance... the human spirit trying to understand and Hope Beyond.

What do you see coming at you?
(Photo: Caldor Fire, California)

Last month my brother and his family had to evacuate their home for several weeks because of the Caldor Fire.  Friends and loved ones took them in, giving shelter and comfort during an unsettling time.  For days, the only connection to the "physical home" were the security cameras that tracked the fire's progress and the efforts of first responders and neighbors who protected the neighborhood.  Home truly did become "where the Heart is" as security and support surrounded them.

Several years ago I was on a tour of Iceland.  Our group walked through the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  It was humbling to walk between two walls of the Earth's crust that had been thrust upward from the destructive energy of clashing plates.  There was comfort in walking through this divide... as a group. 

Who walks with you through the rifts in your life?
(Photo:  Thingvellir National Park, Iceland)

The ability to walk together through dreaded life events may be the important lesson of this time period.  We don't have to journey alone.  Sharing our fears, listening to and comforting others, becoming Vulnerably Human... these may be the dialogue skills that allow our mind, body, heart, and soul to heal.

I relearned this lesson first-hand these past several weeks as I decided to retire and was dreading an upcoming event.  Uncertainty, fear, projected outcomes, and anxiety keep me awake at night and preoccupied my days.  Talking to a friend... and allowing that friend to reach out and walk these journeys refocused what was important.

How can you see beyond?
(Photo: Ocean Scene, Inside Passage, Alaska)

To be honest, it is sometimes difficult to be honest... with myself!  Why do I dread confrontation?  Why do I become nervous with the unknown?  Why do I put off the inevitable?

Reflecting on past events that seemed so negative and dominated me for days and weeks, each turned out better than I expected!  When will I learn that these moments bring growth and a wider perspective?  When will I learn that "This too shall pass" -- and enjoy the journey and surprise at the end?

The rift between mind, body, heart, and soul oftentimes requires the energy of togetherness to realign us:  the ability to see beyond the current moment, seeking comfort and security together, and moving toward the Inevitable Goodness that pervades life!

 
May the challenges of this week lessen as you share your concerns with others.
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

The Distance between Knowledge and Ignorance

I remember the wonder of discovery as I was growing up: watching insects inch along the sidewalk; clouds floating across the sky; raindrops ripple the surface of a puddle.  Each encounter with the world expanded my knowledge and understanding of my surroundings.

Growing up in a family with six children provided other opportunities to learn: how to interact; how to give and take; how to share and hold onto.  Formal education expanded the dimensions of what could be learned: reading, writing, math, sciences, health and safety, history and geography, and civics.  Attendance, participation, and conduct seemed as important as the academic subjects. 

Grades measured our progress with the goal of advancing to the next class level.  Our accomplishments followed us:  shaping how others thoughts of us... or how we saw ourselves.

What do you see in retrospect?
(Seattle skyline)

Throughout these stages of self-discovery and with the understanding of the world I played and worked in, I have been nagged by what I know... and don't know.  Early on, as information was being poured into my brain, I sensed that there was so much more to learn.  As I moved from elementary school to high school and then on to college, my confidence grew about how much I knew!

The shift from the earlier excitement of exploration to attaining knowledge was subtle: the thirst to learn was ever-present but head knowledge often overshadowed the wonder of heart and soul.  Grades became the measurement; self-image became the container, shelves stacked with self-importance because of what I knew.

What do you know for certain?
(Miniature library, artwork on Nieuw Amsterdam)

Albert Einstein once said: "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know."  What an interesting -- and humbling -- reflection from a person regarded as exceptionally smart!

The study and practice of dialogue challenges me reclaim our childhood curiosity:

• To look and learn
  
• To wonder and connect
• To stand in awe at beauty and mystery

 

When do you see clearly?
(Stephens Passage, Juneau, Alaska)

Maybe the knowledge we have gained from family, friends, and education is not the endpoint.  Rather, they are stepping stones between ignorance and knowledge and back to ignorance.  The movement and rhythm of Humble Inquiry into the unknown.

Our world is vast.  Peoples and cultures are complex.  Our insights and understandings are limitless.  I wonder if we are called not towards certainty but towards Unfolding Truth who invites us into continual discovery?  I wonder if attendance, participation, and how we conduct ourselves are actually more important than the knowledge gained?

May we look beyond the portals of our understanding and seek what we don't understand.  May we look beyond our head knowledge and become more open to heart knowledge and compassion.  May we embrace the Ignorance of Not Knowing and invite curiosity back into our lives.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)