War. Freedom. Love.
Copyright 2013 Richard Jackson
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The engine roared as I exited a slow curve almost lifting the front wheel of my dual sports bike from the road. I changed the gears up to third and accelerated hard causing the bike to surge forward again, rounding a much faster outside curve from which a sheer rock cliff face fell away some fifty feet to a raging river below. The exhilaration was just as deafening as the bike’s engine and I lifted my helmet visor so I could feel the wind on my face. It was a slow part of the ride but also the most exciting and I breathed in the fresh air. Rocks were strewn across the road ahead but without hesitation I changed the gears up to fourth and moved into the oncoming lane to avoid them. A single incident could be fatal. Bike failure, a sudden slippery surface or an animal crossing the road in front of me, or oncoming traffic could all spell trouble. But the risk kept me focused on the road and if something did happen I was determined that it wouldn’t be due to human error. The fifth gear had hardly arrived and I was hard on the brakes and down changing the gears back to second. There was only one thing better than the feel of a bike surging forward and that was winding back to do it all over again. I couldn’t imagine myself ever taking it for granted.
* * *
It was a beautiful clear day perfect for a day trip out to the natural wilderness. I was headed into an area of Australian rainforest lush with ferns, tall canopy and bird life, a park I had visited on numerous occasions determined to catch a glimpse of the native Lyre Bird promoted as a rare highlight for bushwalkers and which had so far eluded me. Although I might have been making the task even more difficult for myself I also hoped that I would get the opportunity to snap a photograph of the Lyre Bird and maybe even its tail, which the male species are known for putting on full display like a fan when attracting a female. I didn’t know what the chances were but I’d never been one to shy away from them, no matter how long they were. It’s what got me to where I am today.
I always found it intriguing that I could leave society behind in less than an hour’s ride and a short stroll and return to it sometime later with an everlasting impression that there was more to life, so to speak. Sometimes the destination took longer but the experience was no less amazing. I would be mesmerized by the grandiosity and beauty of my surroundings described by some as, “The closest to God that you can get.” And I would breathe it in. It might be the magnificence of a mountain range stretching out before one’s eyes, standing atop a thundering waterfall that cascades over a hundred foot drop onto boulders below, or a simple walk through bushland listening to the rustling and chirps of birds in the trees; but it really makes you stop and think, and wonder.
It was mid-morning as I walked carefully through the rainforest undergrowth trying not to disturb the wildlife. The park was teaming with it and I stationed myself near some large ferns and listened to the full array of bird sounds stretching high into the canopy. Sure enough the chirps of robins and parrots would be broken by the occasional Kookaburra and successive intermittent shrill noises sounding in the distance. It was the total orchestral experience broken only by the rustling of branches and flapping of wings as birds fought for position and food in the trees. I had reached my destination.
Suddenly a pair of robins swooped down for a closer look at this curious intruder and I almost had to duck my head. They swerved at the last second though and landed on a large fern only a few feet away looking my way inquisitively. With the light seeping through in the background their small bodies outlined perfect silhouettes and I quickly managed to take the opportunity and snapped a few photos of the scene. I was fast but only had the one chance. The repetitive click of the camera startled the pair who with a hop decided I might be a threat after all and flew away as quick as they had come.
I left the undergrowth behind and walked the main track. It was a weekday so it was unlikely tourists or other bushwalkers would be out and about and that meant the area was undisturbed. I was sure there had to be a Lyre Bird or two foraging nearby without the need for me to go out of my way. I presumed it was quite simply a matter of enjoying the scenery and seeing what happened.
The park was no less wonderful having visited it on previous occasions before. There was always something interesting to be found and my mind would wonder freely, stretching to incomprehension in an attempt to impose boundaries on the universe. It can be a daunting task but they were perfect conditions for it and so much so that it would be more difficult not to think about it. I mean seriously, we are located on what is essentially a rock we call Earth revolving around a big ball of flames, our sun, and all within an expanding space that extends further than we can see.
A water spring gently flowed from a small opening in the mountain side downwards toward the walking track and under a walking bridge before continuing on into the valley below. I couldn’t help myself but stop to drink the fresh cold water. It was crystal clear and I smiled at the subtleties of flickering light in the water flow. Unexpectedly I became aware of myself looking at my own reflection in the water and then to the blue sky beyond, to the sun, the stars and the galaxies of the universe, and my mind considered the old adage, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” And I supposed; is all we know about the universe all we can see, or is the unknown a reflection of who we are at this point in time? Is it too farfetched to think that the only limits that exist are actually those we put on ourselves?
I felt at ease and relaxed as though I was one with the universe. It was the nearest to peace and tranquillity my mind has ever experienced knowing that things have a funny way of showing themselves. And that God, if he does exist, is not responsible for these things. We are not really a part of something special in that we are separated from it. We are that something ourselves, and we are responsible to ourselves and each other for that gift. When bad things happen, when we hurt each other, it’s because we allow it to happen! We are both the perpetrators and the victims of bad things by simple virtue of the fact that they happen. It’s like the world needs to find its harmony.
I heard some rustling in the forest undergrowth off somewhere behind me. I was only a few feet away from the path and I turned on my heals to investigate the source of the noise. At first I couldn’t see anything so I stood up trying to stretch my head around a fern trunk that was blocking my view. There was some more rustling as the culprit broke free of the undergrowth and ran fleet footed up the track. Would you believe it! There was a Lyre Bird! It was much smaller than I had expected but the long tail feathers that trailed along behind just couldn’t hide the fact. I went to lift my camera but realised that I wouldn’t be fast enough to snap a photo of this little guy and all I could do was watch. In the blink of an eye it continued up the track before once again disappearing into thick undergrowth of the rainforest.
I was dumbfounded but not at all disappointed, not even when the rest of the morning went incident free. After all, I was lucky enough to see a Lyre Bird. It was just that if I wanted to take a photo of one and in all its glory I would have to improve my chances. I would have to be smarter and change my approach, perhaps do some research and consider investing some serious time. In any case it surely couldn’t be beyond the realm of possibilities and it certainly was not the end of the world.