BALANCE

Yellowstone Falls

I am back! Don’t ever count me out! This is a blog that I wrote over a year ago but never posted. Thought I would post so we could reconnect. Hope you like it.

Centering myself after the past year has been a meaningful goal of mine. Nothing like the “Wild Wild West” to bring you back to center. Hope everyone can find their “grounding” place like I have in Yellowstone National Park. This was my first time to experience this majestic park teaming with life and geysers. How does one place contain so much variety? Geysers steaming with hot gases and overflowing with rich minerals while right next to glacier cold rushing streams and rivers. After observing the greater part of a week, the iconic “Old Faithful” , Prismatic Pools, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Indian Creek Campground, and the famed Lamar Valley, I am more in love with nature than ever before. With the almost complete absence of cell service, it was the total immersion into the natural world so needed after the past year. Lacking the subtle humor of nature, we detach from the nature of living in balance. I don’t see us as any different from the wildlife in Yellowstone. I am still thinking about the full impact this place has had on me. How do you come home unchanged? Coming home is pleasant but somewhat empty compared to the fullness of nature.

Watching the masculine bison walk along the road next to our truck and have one saunter next to me while sitting next to a stream after a hike was invigorating. Hearing the geysers bubble over, the wind sing a song of serenity thru the trees at the campground, seeing wildlife with no fences to separate us or to keep them imprisoned ,was refreshing to the soul. All I want is to capture the feeling of being in such a place of wild and free existence. I hope this place continues to remain this way, like it was meant to be. Each day with its series of eruptions and life cycles in the Lamar Valley, we must not disturb the balance of what is self sufficient.

I am sure there are many things that nurture the soul but nature has to be at the top.

Light with out pollution and noise with out alarms, is a glimpse of what life is supposed to look and feel like. Certainly a step back away from the barrage of media and propaganda that has so much influenced our thinking. The bears do not care if you are driving a Porshe or a Toyota. They may prefer a Tesla, considering its lack of carbon footprint and its lack of noise disturbance.

In the future, if you are looking for me, I just may be in the mountains. I am sure if we all immerse ourselves into nature a little we will all see our lives more balanced because of it. “Peace is the river of the soul”, and there is no lack of peace in nature.

Yellowstone I must see you again, my friend, only to look and admire you once again.

Your mate,

Isaac

Beartooth Pass

HOPELESSNESS

 

Hope is the foundation for endurance.  During trying times of Covid, we are challenged to keep our hope alive.  How does a person remain hopeful when the world appears to be hopeless?  Hope is based on faith, so strengthening our faith is essential.  When in crisis mode our faith can be challenged.

Faith that the world will be better is the only faith that will help right now.  Faith that the world will just get worse will only heighten our anxiety that we are currently plagued with.  Most of us believe in a higher power and it is essential that we put trust in that higher power right now.  Without this trust we are destined to have debilitating fear and morbid thoughts of our future.  To contrast this thinking with the Bible’s promise of a time when “no one will say, ‘I am sick’ “. (Isaiah 33:24), is mind shifting.  Let’s not allow ourselves to get out of love and gratitude during a time of crisis.  These two values will help us navigate the stormy conditions of this present world.  Going to sea without a good anchor is like navigating to utter shipwreck in a storm.  We can be tossed around and possibly destroyed.  Faith is like an anchor.  It grounds us to the safest place we can be in a storm. I am not an experienced mariner but I know that every boat or ship that goes out to sea has an anchor.  So why would we endeavor to navigate this pandemic without a secure anchor of faith?  It is vital.

But how do we build our faith?  We can talk about that next time.

 

Your friend,

Isaac

 

 

BEAUTY

 

Seeing the world’s beauty is somewhat of a challenge when told it is unsafe to go out of your home.  My challenge is seeing the good and not focusing on the restrictions.  All the things I love, going to the beach, swimming in the pool, making myself numb in the cold Pacific Ocean, are all things that are restricted right now in my area.   My mission is to try to focus on the good and the strengths that are manufactured in times of stress.

Some of us are in our heads thinking, we are the next victims.    This pandemic is a perfect opportunity to show the world what we are inside.  And if we do not like the way that looks, then we have the time to change it and to show the world what we want to be. Under stress, beautiful creations emerge as well as cracks can be revealed.   Rainwater running over rocks may form cracks or crevices over time.  Crevices can change into channels that disperse  rainwater into a magnificent waterfall.   What once might have been  considered a flaw or weakness in the rock is now morphed into a magnificent partnership by the shifting stance of the rock, and the bountiful flow of the rainwater.

My thoughts are that we can channel anything we are given into something beautiful.  Mountains are not made overnight but aren’t they amazing to look at today?  Not all good can be seen immediately.  We may only see the stress that is taking its toll on us now.  So be patient.  Remember that you are a work in progress.  We will be happy to see the better us when this is all over.  So let’s try to be a beacon for change no matter what the circumstance.  Some of us may feel cracked and ready to break.  But the truth is we are just experiencing adaptation to the ever changing environment around us.    Yes stress demands change, but that change can be a beautiful transformation.  So we move thru the next crisis with the intention of more change and more beauty as the result.  Don’t you see, “Life is like a box of chocolates” after all.  You never know what you are going to face.

Hope allows us to keep our spirits up.  Look for my next blog……”Hope When Feeling Hopeless”.

 

Your friend and writer,

 

Isaac

 

 

 

 

You Rock

I am writing again!  Will you be as excited as me to see another post? I hope so!  I have recently moved back into my house after an extensive remodel.  I have my own room now and I love it!  I have been strongly encouraged to type another blog, so here I am.  I can say that change isn’t a walk in the park, which I do love by the way.  It requires patience and trust and faith that all will work out.  I frequently rely on others, so to trust that things always work out the way I want, is a stretch to say the least.  I recently was at my therapist, Margaret’s office, and she had the most beautifully painted rock sitting on a table next to me.  I, of course, had to hold it.

Rocks are so fascinating to me, they are full of life yet don’t say a word.  Only time knows its story.  I would love to be able to hold a rock and visually see its life reeling before my eyes.  Not all of us speak our story.  We are like rocks in a sense.  You need to hold people close to you to feel who they are. I would love to be held the way I cherish a rock.  I prefer the smooth dark rocks as they feel warm and gentle.  Every rock is unique in its shape, color, composition, and nature.  Will we find that our preferences in rocks are reflective of the people we love or the people we are?  I think you may find you admire the beautiful diamonds and rubies for their reflective properties.  But for comfort,  you would choose the smooth honed stone that is shaped by nature.

In the Japanese culture,  they revere purposeful shapes of rocks from nature as fine works of art.  How interesting I would find this curation process, as I love rocks of nature’s artistry immensely.  I am curious, if we were rocks what would we look like?   I think rocks are gifts to remind us of who we are and where we come from.  We may find that pressure has made us diamonds and each one of our struggles have shaped us into a unique piece of art that is admired by others.  Each time we look in the mirror, let’s admire the edges and our shape and celebrate our beauty and uniqueness with a smile and not judgement.

Until next time, keep experiencing life as a rock would, with patience and the inspiration of the world around you.

Your friend and avid rock collector,

Isaac

FINDING JOSIE

      I hope everyone finds their Josie.  I am so grateful each week I get to see her and ride her.  She is so considerate, gentle, forgiving, and caring.  Some may think it impossible for a horse to be all these things, but she is.  She is beautiful in form and strength.  I am in love with this girl.  She is supportive and patient.  I am talking about my horse,  Josie.  She isn’t really mine but she makes me feel that way .  I am hoping she will always enjoy me as much as I do her.  Why do I love horses so much?  Horses are better than pills in a bottle to calm your heart and soul.   Trying to push myself to be more independent I am.  She motivates me because I see what my life might be like if I was able to care for a horse of my own.  Horses are  motivation in a world of false hope.   They never disappoint.  Prancing high above our fears and worries they carry us thru our pain to a place of being.  Happiness emerges when we feel safe and laughter and joy abound.

Josie wasn’t trained to help people like me but she chose to accept her role in being a gateway to independence.  Will she know how important she has been to me?  I’m sure she understands I love her, but how much, how could she?  It doesn’t effect a moment of her riding to wait for praise or credit.  It is just what she has chosen do.  That is true giving.  I hope we all find a Josie in our life, whether equine, feline, canine, or human.  Perhaps we can be a Josie to someone as well.

A horseman,

Isaac

 

*Special thanks to Sherry at Hoofprints in Orange Park Acres for her amazing equine program.

DAN THE SEA CAPTAIN

                                                      Dan The Sea Captain

Dan is the Captain of a band of boarder collie misfits who set sail just off the coast of California in search of the lost at sea Prince Iz-Man.
At sea the ship endured much turbulence. Each day at sea was valuable to the life of our dear prince. Iz-Man meant the world to Dan as he was once the prince’s dog of choice. Having a childhood fever the young prince made Dan his best friend and translator. The young prince had muted his voice out of sorrow for his life as it had been. Dan was his only joy in his present life. Just as they started to live happily came a jealous Sea Monster envious of their joy. Life shifted when the Sea Monster swept our dear young nobleman out to sea during his daily swim. Dan immediately mustered up a group of hunting dogs to motion a rescue of his loyal friend who had become his world.
Not under the turbulent sea would anyone dare sail but Dan. He searched night and day for his nobleman. Having sailed the sea he moved to the most dreaded South Pacific. Life would be sour as he would have to sneak out his nobleman from the hands of the Sea Monster. More than strength, love moved him to never give up. Rescue was the only mission with soul. So he turned on his team of trackers to test the Sea Monster.
Surprisingly, they found the Sea Monster hiding much like Sea Monsters do in a cove in the deep South Sea. Love was so strong that jealousy could not see the light of day.
The Sea Monster was sleeping so sound the boarder collies sneaked past him unnoticed. They quickly grabbed the young prince and hurried to their ship. One collie accidentally stepped on the toe of the Sea Monster and woke him up. The Sea Monster then noticed his prince was gone and started to chase the pack of dogs as they scurried onto their ship with the young prince by their side. Inches past the reach of the Sea Monster the ship caught a strong wind sweeping it out to sea.

Fearing the Sea Monster would follow, Captain Dan had ordered a barrier of sharks waiting that the Sea Monster not dare cross. Dan’s sweet special Prince was safe again.
Some say the Sea Monster still exists, but as long as Prince Iz-Man has Captain Dan at his side he no longer fears life or anything in it. Hope and happiness was then restored and healed the young prince.

THE END

Written by Isaac Dzama

May 2015

Every year in school we are required to write a short story.  Little did I know just three months after writing this I would receive my service dog, Barris.  We may not sail together but he is certainly my dog of choice.

Catalina

Santa Catalina Island is a unique island off the coast of southern California.  After seeing it from my neighborhood for eight years I finally got to travel by boat to see it.

      Catalina Island is known for its pristine harbor with boats of many shapes and sizes.  I found the harbor to be my favorite place on the island.

We went snorkeling at Lover’s Cove which was enjoyable except when the underwater submarine kept blowing its horn at me as if it owned the cove.

      We did take an open air jeep tour with the Catalina Island Conservancy, which I really enjoyed.

The encounter with the mighty buffalo was certainly  what we wanted to see high up on the mountainside, and the buffalo did not disappoint.  These creatures are quite interesting to see up close with their fuzzy ears and woolly maned heads.

So what do these mighty creatures tell us?   Eco systems are not meant to be disturbed,  as Catalina buffalo are proof of that. I was on the inner interior of the island and could see the struggle the integrated eco system has on native plants and animals.  The eco system is so delicate the slightest interference can completely change the appearance and  the island itself forever.

Catalina Bison

Morning Marine Layer

Bison with protected tree screens.

What are we doing to preserve places that are unique and interesting like Catalina?  I wonder what Laguna Beach water would have looked like and how many different kinds of fish and kelp were there 60 years ago?  Much of what we do to the environment resembles a waterfall.   What we see on the surface is often all that is recognized or valued.  Underneath is an entire world of dependent eco systems.  If we redirected the waterfall it may make new eco systems but leave the old one vanished for good. Can we take that chance with certain habitats?

Humans are similar to eco systems.  Understanding we are delicate creatures of habitats ourselves, we must respect how much we alter ourselves with medications and surgeries. The result of abrupt change, without supporting the other areas of codependency we have neglected to consider, could result in us forever being unbalanced or unsupported.  I know my own self and sometimes I am left under-supported neurologically when my routine or lifestyle is suddenly drastically altered.  Sometimes the changes are not controllable, like the buffalo who refused to be relocated off the island of Catalina after a movie shoot.  What then?   Each scene is one that must be given serious thought as to the interruption of normalcy.  We see the work of the conservancy and are grateful for their work of preserving such a landmark as Catalina.  What conservancy do we attempt for ourselves?  

Seeing us as buffalo roaming a strange place isn’t that far off from how I picture myself.  I can’t expect the whole world to adapt into a new world just for me, but small changes and appreciation for who we are will sweeten the environment for changes that benefit all.   Some of us will remain and some of us will fade away as if their waterfall was redirected and they anticipated no change .  Time has no mercy for those who expect no change. So are you a Catalina bison or sea kelp?  Each is beautiful to look at, but one has been there as long as we know and the other claimed its mark in recent history. Both contribute to the attraction and beauty of Catalina.  Don’t we want to see them both?  Remember with change we grow.

Sincerely,

Isaac

 

Connected

Soaking up the stillness of peaceful Alaska at Columbia Glacier on the Lulu Belle

How do you describe a place that makes you feel so connected to yourself and the world surrounding you?  Paradise!   Even in this world full of distractions, our minds can connect to raw nature in Alaska.  Under such peace and freedom from the negative hum of media, we can actually connect at a time when everyone is yearning to disconnect from their devices.  I love technology, as it makes it possible for me to type this blog.  We live at a time and in an environment dictated by social media. I have been spending years to improve my social skills and yet society is moving in the opposite direction.   Social media trains people to rely on typed words to communicate without actual personal interaction.  I can speak from experience that an emptiness is left in or souls when this is left to stand alone in our relationships.  In some ways you would think this would make it easier for me, yet I wonder is this the direction of elevated humanity?

I am almost sure we are stifling the natural bond the world has known until now. How do we embrace this change in technology and still stay connected as humans?  We must think of solutions before it is a lost art of  personal emotional interaction.  Ways to stay connected are families who play, eat, and pray together.  I love cards, games, and love to eat.  All is well when everyone feels loved and accepted and this is not always conveyed thru typed words. So let’s take some time everyday and talk personally to the ones we love.  We can still stay connected. I am not sure we can continue to stay connected as we were created to be if we don’t.

 

Sincerely,

Isaac

She keeps me connected!

Hiking the Exit Glacier in Alaska

The Crew on our trip of a lifetime!

ALASKA

Humpback Whale Prince William Sound

I am back!  I am excited to share the most amazing vacation I have ever experienced,  Alaska, the last frontier.  It is true beauty preserved and intrepid.  Even the air seems so dear you think it would cost you to breathe it.  Predators are given freedom and the eco- system takes care of itself with its unique balance that humbles even the jealous souls to think nature is better when left alone.  My favorite part of the trip was the wild life cruise we took out of the small fishing port in Valdez.  Our boat was tagged as the “Lulu Belle”.

Captain Fred was as entertaining as informative and in my opinion a master at what he does.

Captain Fred

Yes he let me drive!!!

I am in awe of such amazing beauty that it is hard for me to choose my favorite experiences but this was definitely the best day of the vacation.  We saw humpback whale, dall porpoise, otter, sea lions, moving icebergs, Columbia Glacier, and the most inspiring mountainous backdrop to observe it all.

Happy 50th Anniversary!

What a great day!!!

Now I know the color ice blue.

Marked sea lions.

We loved the observation deck!

 

Stay tuned for more from Alaska…….

Extremely grateful,

Isaac

 

 

 

 

ONE STEP AT A TIME

 

ON THE TRAIL

I recently moved into a new house and I really love it, yet I struggle with getting out of the way of my own success.  Much of my day is spent eagerly looking forward to typing.  I mostly enjoy the process of thoughts flowing smoothly into words that resonate with people.  Only people have the ability to respond to readings such as a blog.  I wish I could blog Barris’ thoughts.  Oh wouldn’t that be touching and humorous at the same time?  What makes us innately so different than animals?  I have wondered this not from an evolutionary standpoint but more from a thinking analytic standpoint.  I openly express my belief in God and a Creator, yet I still ponder these questions.  I am perplexed at this question, mostly because so many of us never take the time to ponder answers to the questions we do not already know the answers to.  I suggest we let nature answer us with its high hum of wisdom.  Open your eyes and ears to what the birds tell you.  I am still in awe of the melody they sing everyday.  Pondering over their purpose of such joy in song, I wonder, am I living as I am supposed to?  I might know how I am living, but how I was meant to live may surprise me.

I would love to travel in space.  I would love to design my own intergalactic transport.  It is possible if our minds can dream it.  Our minds are windows into the future.  What is your future?  I wonder about mine a lot.  I just keep praying for answers and taking one positive step everyday trying to see the future as a safe and purposeful one.  I am confident I get answers to my prayers not just in life but also in my thoughts about my future.  This requires dismissing negative thoughts that seem to be told as reality, yet are only lies and deception.  In my case, it is “you are not smart” or “you don’t get it do you?”.  For others it may be “you are not worthy” or “you are not loved”.  But those are all lies.  We are as successful as we believe we are.  If we believe we are valuable, then we live a life of value.  If we are purposeful, we live a life with purpose?  Reflect on your life now and if you are not satisfied ask yourself , “What do I need to change?”.  It may just be our attitude.  Growing up in a world full of bullies and criticism isn’t always a day at the beach.  Yet, we can just put our minds at the beach when those thoughts or people try to bring our thoughts down.  Understanding our future really helps us stay positive.

I am personally finding great joy and satisfaction from writing about things I am passionate about.  What are your passions?  I enter a new field when I hear beautful music by Mozart or great composers like him.  Sweet streams of water also make my mind stream away from painful sounds.  I hear birds chirping right now and I am sure they are telling me to join them outside on this beautiful day.

In this day and time we all must see ourselves living not like we have in the past but one step in the right direction towards the life of our dreams.

Everyday ,or on every reality of a day ,we need to live with purpose.  I am still finding my full potential as I am confident I have not fulfilled my full purpose yet.  I have a 92 year old Grandma and she still lives with purpose and that is wonderful!

Everyone needs great moments to look forward to.  I need it just like you.  What will we do to make greatness happen?  I wonder if I were the way I was meant to be, would I be that much different or better?  Better as far as communicating with my mouth not my laptop, maybe.  But somehow I think I am better as a result of my extra mile or two added to my marathon of life.  It is only a race to finish, not against the world.  I am confident each of us can finish our race of living with purpose if we just never give up!

I hiked on the trail in our neighborhood today and saw whales migrating from where I was standing.  I can only say we are blessed to even observe such living creatures.  May all of us reach our full potential one step at a time.

Your friend,

Isaac

My buddy, Barris