Originally published on Notes From the Fields We Know, May 13th, 2014 5:34pm.
Someone once said that no man is an island. That’s not true. Everyone is an island. Each of us lives on an inner island built thought by thought, action by action and experience by experience. We look toward the ocean and wonder then venture out across the human archipelago seeking other islands. And so we travel from island to island, staying a little here and longer there, always looking for something we can only dimly perceive. If we’re lucky, we find an island that seems right and build a bridge and start to explore and trade and share. We continue to seek and find and build as long as our vessel is seaworthy. And when we’ve beached for the last time, we will be part of a thriving community of connected islands each enriching the others. It’s glorious but sad as well. Our vessel is small, our island large. Only a little of who we are moves among the islands and when our island inevitably sinks back into the sea, the unshared goods of our lives will disappear from view. Life is the green flash of a tropical sunset. Always live well, trade best for best and fully share your life. Ultimately, that’s all you can really do in this world.