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The Journey and the Destination

Cognitive Dissonance's picture




 

The Journey and the Destination

By

Cognitive Dissonance

 

“Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump

 

Mrs. Cog and I live at the end of a dirt road off of a dirt road off of a back road up on the beautiful Blue Ridge Plateau of Southwestern Virginia. God’s country as I’m fond of saying to just about anyone who’s willing to listen. But we are (intentionally) a ways off the beaten path, which means we must travel more than a mile of dirt road before we hit first pavement of the day.

Once we arrive at that first intersection, where brown dirt greets blacktop, life for us is not much different than just about anyone else pulling out of their suburban driveway or parking lot for the first time that day. We seemingly face a choice; turn left or turn right. Oftentimes we believe our choices in life are dictated solely by our ultimate destination, and thus we feel there’s no real choice to be selected at all. I owe I owe, so off to work I go.

The paved side road we initially reach, which in my mind is a classic utilitarian Destination road, runs more or less parallel to The Blue Ridge Parkway, an equally classic Journey road and a Virginia scenic byway. There are several points on the Destination road in either direction where we can turn directly onto the Parkway. In fact if we were to travel the Parkway for a hundred miles in either direction we would find that for much of the way there are dozens of side roads that run parallel to, or intersect with, the Parkway.

These days when I hit tarmac for the first time I try to pause a moment and ask myself a simple question. What type of path would I like to travel to get to where I’m going? In most cases the Journey road is much longer and more time consuming, but relaxing and wonderfully scenic. On the other hand the Destination road is just the opposite, narrow and twisty and demanding of my attention, but often more direct and much faster.

If you think about it for a moment, while the first decision point crossed may dictate several other choices that follow, there are often many combinations of routes you can travel to arrive at your final destination. And this is why for Mrs. Cog and I it is often not an either/or, left/right, Journey/Destination choice. Rather there is really no need to make a definitive choice driven solely by the destination unless we wish to select a specific chocolate from the box. And where’s the fun in that?

Precisely because the Parkway crosses all manner of back roads, lately if time allows (and I do try to allow for plenty of time these days) I have been using the Journey road as a gateway to explore all kinds of side roads I might never have traveled otherwise. The same applies to several Destination roads around here. Many meander back and forth through the hills and valleys and several join back up with the Parkway at various points. Half the fun of getting lost is finding your ‘self’ again.

The Journey

For most of my life I have tended to travel unfamiliar roads just to see what’s down there. Once they are known to me I then attempt to work them into my travel routine as much as possible. Even if I have traveled a road dozens of times before there is always much more to see and learn along the way if only I would bother to really look rather than just to see.

One can find inspiration wherever one looks, a conscious choice we often ignore or don't even know exists. The truth of the matter is that I have always had endless possibilities to explore and I was just too blind or lazy (crazy?) to ever fully see them for what they are. One does not need to travel the plateau in order to experience the endless possibilities of each day. Life’s choices are only absolute ‘or’ rather than ‘and’ decision points commanded by circumstances or destination if I consciously decide to create them that way.

The truth is that whenever I wish to do so, I can close my eyes and reach into my box of chocolates to see what type of surprise or inspiration life has to offer. Ultimately it is not a choice of Journey or Destination, but rather Journey and Destination. We can have life's box of chocolates and eat it too because our conscious, aware and willing life choices either replenish or drain the box. Deliberately expand your field of choices, then act upon them and you will refill your box of chocolates.

If there is one theme that resonates with me, within Cognitive Dissonance, it is to question everything beginning with ourselves. Just because we have always turned left at the end of the driveway doesn’t mean we should do so today. Get up thirty minutes or an hour early and turn right instead. More than anything else you will do during your day, breaking from your routine in such a small but significant way will reinforce your continued awakening by changing your physical and mental perspective which in turn continues the freeing of the mind.

Next time you reach the first decision point in any aspect of your life (physical, spiritual, career, family, travel, hobby etc.) close your eyes and reach into life’s box of chocolates. You might be surprised what you pull out and where it will take you from there.

 

12-31-2013

Cognitive Dissonance

 

The Destination

 

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Wed, 01/01/2014 - 09:15 | 4290612 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Now THAT is a rock garden to ponder.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 13:46 | 4290991 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

ROCKS. I love when a word sounds like its meaning.  For our high school graduation, my best friend's father bought us a two week raft trip down the colorado river. I thought the best part would be the rapids, including the biggest in the world but I have to say, it was the ROCKS. Amazing structures. Beautiful forms. And the colors. But it was the time travel that captured me. The trip down the river was a geologic black hole and by the end, the river guides, who all had advanced degrees in one thing or another, were pointing out the Vishnu Schist, four billion years old. The more the years go by, the more I think about being 18. And then I remember the Schist.      

Beautiful piece CD

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 16:21 | 4291319 phaedrus1952
phaedrus1952's picture

ONOMATOPOEIA ... when words make the sound of their meaning/what they are.  Seems to be a bunch of sites on the web dedicated to that topic.

 If you want to take a big leap into woo-woo land, you may find Dr. Emoto's books "Hidden Messages in Water" fascinating as they are full of pictures of water chrystals that change shape when words/thoughts/actions are directed their way.

(This message is brought to you, DJ, from God)  ;)

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:52 | 4291122 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Thank you. Another one coming around 3 PM EST.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 10:09 | 4290634 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

It is a travesty that the people who can create something like this are at the mercy of the people who created something like Fukushima Daiichi.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 13:19 | 4290941 suteibu
suteibu's picture

The people who "created" this are long gone.  Its greatest function now seems to be to attract tourists. 

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:29 | 4291081 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

Yes, you are right about that. But let's have some respect for the guy with the rake.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 15:01 | 4291151 suteibu
suteibu's picture

Perhaps.  Raking is the true meditative process.  One can only hope that the current raker understands this and accepts the blessing of it and is not simply the maintenance person with the best raking skills.  Viewers, on the other hand, get little real value from it unless they are inspired to go create their own.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:45 | 4292312 Seer
Seer's picture

"Viewers, on the other hand, get little real value from it unless they are inspired to go create their own."

Inspiration doesn't necessarily have to materialize through a similar thing.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 10:36 | 4290653 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Next article coming later this afternoon. In it I will mention Intraspecific Kleptoparasites

Kleptoparasitism may be intraspecific (the parasite is the same species as the victim) or interspecific (the parasite is a different species). In the latter case, the parasites are commonly close relatives of the organisms they parasitize ("Emery's Rule").

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 12:18 | 4290811 old naughty
old naughty's picture

Reading Zh is a must these days...

But reading you folks exchanges make one wants more. Naturally.

Happy 2014 to y'all.

 

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 06:43 | 4290541 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

Hey! I had a half-hour conversation with an Elk one time up in the HIgh Country.
Don't knock it til you have tried it.

Happy New Year, Wm.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 10:01 | 4290632 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

Actually I speak fluent cat and dog.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 13:37 | 4290962 G.O.O.D
G.O.O.D's picture

Chatting with coyotes is a trip. Magpies are way vocal as is the crow. But I still think back to the days when I had "Thor". A border collie/ Jap ikeda cross, that I swear to God was smarter than I and definitely smarter than any far left or right leaning imbecile.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:48 | 4292324 Seer
Seer's picture

Also wanted to comment on crows...

I like them.  I DO talk to them.  And you know what?  They've never touched our gardens.  And they tend to chase away the bad birds, ones that are predators to our fowl.

A friend of mine told me of a story in which someone he knew got tired of some crows hanging around in his backyard.  The guy killed one and staked it up thinking that it would ward off the other crows.  The remaining crows not only didn't go away but they started really messing things up.  Pretty sure that this guy isn't going to resort to this "solution" again.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:41 | 4292301 Seer
Seer's picture

We have this "mutt" that we picked up from an animal shelter (best $72 I've ever spent), it's believed she's a mastiff+lab mix, a runt as far as mastiffs go, but 85 lbs.  She's our farm dog, trained, by us, to run off aerial predators (neighbor's pure-bred Great Pyrenees won't even do that) and keeps all ground-based ones out of sight.  OK... here's the story:

One day I was out on the tractor doing, well, tractor things, and I look up to see my wife flagging me down.  I shut down the tractor, hop off, and ask her what was up.  She opens up her hands and there's a small kit (rabbit) in them.  Our dog had come up to her with it in her mouth, un-harmed.  She asks me what she should do with it.  "I don't know," I said.  And then, in jest, I said- "You're stuck with it now.  Put it back, have the dog show you where she got it?"  I get back to my tractoring, later learning that that damn dog DID take her to the very spot (because there was another kit there!).  This was probably about 60 yds or so away and back behind the house.  Never before has a situation like this come up, so it wasn't like this was some sort of trained behavior.  I still shake my head on this one...

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:51 | 4291120 Cognitive Dissonance
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Have you ever read Derrick Jensen's "A Language Older Than Words"?

An absolutely wonderful read.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:52 | 4292330 Seer
Seer's picture

I have found Derrick Jensen to be very inspiring.  He helped me give up "hope."  He also allowed me to accept that it's possible to hold two dissimilar emotions/thoughts in one's head at the same time: that we're all fucked, and that life is very good.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 10:29 | 4290646 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Banzai - maybe you could give Cog a few pointers. Our 20 lb coon cat has decided that his favorite place to sleep is sprawled across Cog's desk (only while Cog is also at his desk of course.) Try as he does, Cog can't seem to talk him down. The cat is  >this close<  to having him trained lol. 

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:30 | 4291088 williambanzai7
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Training their hosts is what cats do. And if they suddenly seem interested or amused by something you are doing to get their attention, they are playing you like a virtuoso.

Of course, they also find time to play with mice.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:45 | 4291102 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

I am finally settled with the fact that I am the cat's unpaid staff. Mostly. But considering he (Tramp) is a long haired Maine Coon cat who likes to shed all year I seem to suffer from as many fur balls as he does. At least I make it to the toilet when I barf them up.

Then again.....that's why Tramp has staff on the premises.

I'll never forget when Mrs. Cog, her daughter and Tramp first moved in. We never decided if the mice came with Mrs. Cog's piano or if I already had live in mice. But one morning we came downstairs to find blood and mice pieces all over the living room (white) carpet and Tramp sporting a shit eating grin.

That was when Mrs. Cog informed me of the wonderful blood dissolving properties of "Resolve" carpet cleaner. :)

<Clean up on aisle one the living room rug....again.>

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 00:27 | 4290335 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

To be perfectly honest both images came from my visit to George Washington's Birthplace in Virginia where I went to talk to the trees more than two years ago. Some of the images I came back with were stunning. The trees were eager to talk and I to listen. The old man near GW's home had so much to say that it was extremely tough to eventually break away.

The Old Man at GW's Birthplace

The trees in this stand were fascinating to talk to. So much to say and so few who visit are willing to actually listen.

The Old Stand

I talked with one of the park rangers for 20 minutes. He told me that they had just finished cleaning up from a summer storm and they had lost several old and majestic trees. He had tears in his eyes when he spoke of the lost souls. The trees certainly have loving caretakers.

Fri, 01/03/2014 - 00:20 | 4295560 Element
Element's picture

Cog, I woke up yesterday morning at 7AM to the sound of a chainsaw. A crew had arrived early to cut down a large tree in front of my home, one I'd enjoyed watching grow for about 20 years. It was just a tree but it was quite beautiful in shape and proportions, it looked the best out of all the trees in my street. My newer neighbors, who had been living beside me for less than 18 months started yelling loudly at the workers when they finally realized they were not just trimming it back. The guys in the cherry-picker were clearly expecting this, as they had been cutting and trimming more carefully, to make it look like they wouldn't go too far. Because people were watching them. And when they had done as much of that as they could, they then directed the guy with the chainsaw in the cherry-picker to finish it off, quick. So he did. Real sneaky bastards. Thing is there seems to be no reason at all to have done it. It was not a 'problem' tree for traffic or pedestrians, or blocking channeling, nor was it old unhealthy or decayed. It survived cat-4 cyclone Yasi two years ago, so was strong and flexible, with deep roots (I was very surprised it survived with so little damage in fact). It was not near any wires or close to the building, or near any signs or lights. There was no logic to it, all of my neighbors are likewise mystified as to why the tree was destroyed. They left the other two trees further down the street, which are the same species and planted in the same way, and in similar locations.

When done killing our tree and destroying the character of the area they immediately left, to go destroy something else. Everyone was pissed off at them. Such is the nature of people who have chainsaws and a 'job' that demands its daily use. I'd look on the bright-side but there isn't one, some local council supervisor made a needless brainless decision and sent out people to destroy it, while we still slept. The workers collect their pays from council that's financed by property taxes. And they felt it was quite OK to just destroy a beautiful tree used by a wide range of wildlife, which everyone in the area wanted to remain. But if we'd done anything about it, and actually taken collected action to prevent its destruction, guess who would have ended up in the prison cell?

Not the bastard who disturbed the peace via ordering the tree be destroyed, for no reason at all, or the work crew who did it.

 

Happy new year anyway.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 12:20 | 4290810 Anusocracy
Anusocracy's picture

I think you should question your behavior of talking to trees.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:03 | 4292219 Seer
Seer's picture

Another fucking city boy...

I both save and kill trees.  The trees I "save" are young saplings heavily trapped by underbrush; I "free" them from their bondage.  The trees I "kill" are mostly old and dying ones; they are appreciated through their keeping me warm (firewood).

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 22:27 | 4292265 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Same here. I get a thrill when I free a sapling that is bent over because a tree limb has fallen on it or it is overgrown from brush or Kudzu.

Speaking of Kudzu I am in the process of cutting back kudzu from well over 15-20 acres of woods including my neighbors property. The average vine is 2-3 inches in diameter with several growing to 4 inches and one monster over 5. These vines are killing the trees they're hanging on and the trees sing for joy as I free them from their bonds.

I fully understand that you can't kill Kudzu, only slow it down temporarily. But it is amazing the damage it does and the trees all around my property are suffering terribly. So each day I go out for an hour or two and cut Kudzu vines. I can't wait to see what these woods look like come spring when the trees finally have some real light both above and below.

Since I am walking every square foot of all the property around me I am becoming very familiar with the terrain as well as where all the standing dead is. Lots of good firewood for the taking as per my agreements with my neighbors. And the exercise is wonderful.

Plus the experience is producing several articles for me to share with everyone.

Thu, 01/02/2014 - 02:29 | 4292632 Seer
Seer's picture

Ah, Kudzu, makes me want to travel there with a bunch of goats :-)  I've been down in the land of Kudzu: Carolinas and Tennessee (I'd looked at property there).  I loved seeing the wisteria: it's also a tough vine to get rid of, but beautiful.

I've got English Ivy swamping out a huge maple.  Oddly, it's the ONLY tree that is afflicted.  It was a good year and a half ago that I'd hacked the vines all around the base of the trunk, but I don't think that killed it, as I'm not seeing the ivy's leaves turning brown :-(  It's on my list to revisit this.  I have lots of nice big maples, but I don't want to lose one this way.

"I fully understand that you can't kill Kudzu, only slow it down temporarily."

I have goats and pigs in my vocabulary, which means that there's no such thing as something that cannot be killed :-)  Of course, these critters can also be hell on the trees themselves.

In my neck of the woods the invasive master is Himalayan Blackberries.  Even dead this crap lashes out at you!  I've got a Catch-22 in that I have to doing some clearing in order to get fencing to contain goats for clearing the blackberries!  So... slinging a 5' field mower off the back end of the tractor is my primary method of dealing with the blackberries: mow them a couple times a year for a few years and they give up.  I'll never manage to do them all in- there are places on the property that I have yet to visit, and most likely can't get the tractor in (and probably not fencing and goats).  When the berries are ripe it's like working in a "fountain/soda shop"- great smell! (can't eat all of them)

I recall some sage words about not engaging in any significant work on any land until one has lived through at least one full set of seasons on/with it.  Plans that I'd had in my head have steadily changed.  Had I been hasty I'd have likely blundered pretty severely.  Heavy machinery really isn't possible, so, really, it was never really possible to engage in any quick and widespread alterations: I'd had ruts from a log skidder that were a good 15" to 16" deep- been slowly grading these away.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:00 | 4291018 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Sad to see you never considered the possibility that you can.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 08:11 | 4290573 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Did I just see one of those trees walk away with your money?

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 08:23 | 4290580 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Not to worry. The other trees are growing more to replace the stolen fiat.

<"I have it on good authority that money grows on trees. So a little printing by me is just a breeze in a fiat forest." - Ben Bernanke>

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 09:07 | 4290609 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Sweet, Christmas tree buds, the best kind.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 06:49 | 4290544 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

Great Photos.

That brought back some memories. I was last there about 1970.

Mt Vernon was where I learned Jefferson and Adams died on July 4th, 50 years after 1776.

Monticello is also a great place to visit.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 11:01 | 4290671 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

In preparation for our move, while traveling back and forth from our old home on Northern Virginia to our new homestead in Southwestern Virginia, we/I passed the turn off for Monticello over a dozen times. And I always told myself "Next time I will stop". Of course I never did.

Almost time for a spring road trip.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 13:37 | 4290963 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

Ah Jefferson. Quite the writer. Quite the gardener too. Two things to aspire to 

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 05:25 | 4290504 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

So GW took my bench. I thought it was Reggie.

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 22:40 | 4290169 knukles
knukles's picture

T'would be most wonderful of the chocolate selected by more these days was of the spiritual variety.
Serenity and Blessings in your New Year's Journeys.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 10:45 | 4290658 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

"T'would be most wonderful of the chocolate selected by more these days was of the spiritual variety."

Fool that I am, I rejected the concept for decades as illogical and 'weak'. Better late than never I guess.

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 22:26 | 4290147 George Washington
George Washington's picture

Good to hear from you, Cog! Sounds downright beautiful!

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 22:36 | 4290158 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Mrs. Cog is absolutely stunning. And the Blue Ridge Mountains are pretty nice as well. :)

<Help....I'm being held hostage by Mrs. Cog on top of a mountain and the last thing I want to do is escape.>

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 21:57 | 4292203 Seer
Seer's picture

Ah... I'd like to think that I could better you, but as long as we're good with what we have then what's the point of measuring? :-)

Reminds me of one of the greatest book titles I'd ever run across (it's a [simple] book which I have): Want What You Have

Be careful of what you wish for because you may get it.  I most certainly did with Mrs. Seer and our new life together; and after all the years the only word I can think of that describes it all is: "smile."

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 21:56 | 4290099 Dagny Taggart
Dagny Taggart's picture

New Years always seems like the time when people give a modicum of thought to where they have been, how they got there and where they'd like to go. Nice choice of topic. Glad to see you posting again Cog.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 15:09 | 4291176 ebear
ebear's picture

Speaking of where we came from and where we're headed....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 08:09 | 4290570 negative rates
negative rates's picture

In grade school we would play a joke on the others drinking soda from a tin can. You would ask them to say "tin can" ten times, and after they did you ask um what that tin can you are drinkling soda from made of? They would answer the same thing, tin. That's when you correcred them and told them no, it's made of aluminum. 

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:03 | 4291030 TheMerryPrankster
TheMerryPrankster's picture

it always nice to have a point in mind when you tell a story. It makes it so much better for the reader.

when I was a wee lad, we drank pop from bottles and it cost 8 cents for a bottle, with a 2 cent deposit if we took it with us from the store, so 10 cents for a bottle of pop to go.

i gave up soda pop when i discovered beer, cigarettes and women. i'm certain however that a dime no longer purchases a good time.

They can debase our currency, but not our memories.

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 15:14 | 4291181 Obadiah
Obadiah's picture

That settles it... Im going on an adventure...to south america for good.

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