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Online LibraryRelativity
Originally Published in the Connective Issue, Issue 28 Truth is a relative thing. Always has been, except for a few universal truths, which I have no intention of naming here. Recently I had an experience where the very qualities that I often strive to let go of actually saved my life. On my last trip to Hawaii I had been standing on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The visual expanse coupled with the phenomena of being on an island thousands of miles from any continent was awesome. A moment after I turned and started walking away, a rogue wave smashed me from behind, washing me over cliff’s edge. I was swirled around and around and then I felt rock. I grabbed hold and clung like a little lichen. More water poured over me. I tucked my head and held on. I kept clinging and resisted letting go. Finally I was able to pull myself back up. I knew I was okay and I knew I was hurt. With the help of friends I made it back to my car parked at a trailhead. Someone had a bag of ice and we tore a towel into strips wrapping my ankle, knee, hand and elbow with ice packs. The rest is a great story of healing using hydrotherapy (ice packs and contrast treatments), healing ointments and salves (comfrey, arnica and neosporin) plus a good experience in the emergency room where they cleansed my abrasions and stitched me up. I have reflected upon this experience many times and acknowledge how in this situation my life was saved by the natural tenacity to cling, hold on and resist. I am really appreciating these instincts for without them our survival as a species and mine as an individual would not have been able to continue. On the spiritual path we are so often advised to let go, not hold on, let go of resistance and not to cling. Yet I am able to be here now, writing this article because I did cling, I did resist, I did hold on. Life is about opposites and truth can be found smack dab in the middle of it all. So next time you find yourself hanging off of a cliff (so to speak), maybe its time for you to let go, but then again maybe you should be holding on even tighter. Oh truth, you feel just like a relative.
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