Day 117i: A huge humpling of Faith … (August 24, 2019)
I left April and her tavern behind and soon thereafter made it to the Conowingo Dam, what Google maps had said was the only fluid way to traverse the Susquehanna River for many miles in either direction. Well as it turned out, there was no pedestrian path across this very tight and very congested bridge either, and the latter portion of it was under construction as well! And yet there was no turning back on this Great Journey (yet another walking guideline to which I devoutly adhered from Say One to Day Last), so onward I limped across its expanse – moving forward as swiftly as I could when there were no cars approaching, and leaning out over the edge away from them when they end up zooming past. And even this rail-thin shoulder disappeared completely about 200+ feet from the far side of the dam, and I was at that point forced to “frogger” my way across both lanes of speeding traffic and quickly hop over the 4+ foot concrete barrier on the other side, landing less-than-gracefully on the construction platform that had been erected there. The workers I encountered thereafter were less than thrilled to see me, but encouraged me onward nonetheless*, and so cross the Conowingo Dam on foot I did indeed …
*“How the hell did you get here?” ~ worker
“I don’t know. Google Maps brought me here.” ~ Me
“Oh well. You’ve come this far; might as well finish it off.” ~ worker
“Grapes must be crushed to make wine. Diamonds form only under immense pressure. Olives are pressed to release their oil. Seeds begin to grow in darkness. So whenever you feel crushed, my friends, whenever you feel under pressure or pressed or in darkness, remember you are in a powerful place of transformation & a potent time of transmutation. Remember this, and leap accordingly anyway. … The wise ever remember that the Right Path is often characterized by a rougher road … And in truth, as I look back upon my travels, I realize that if my journey had been significantly easier, I would have missed out on its far more invaluable lessons. Indeed, it has been from misery on my path that I learned to comfort those in tears, it was from lack that I learned to give to the needy; it was from uncertainty that I learned to see things from others’ points of view, and it was from my silence that I learned to listen to the voiceless and love them as they needed.” ~ inspired by Lalah Delia, Lailah Akita & Gift G. Mona
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