“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
– Frodo Baggins (Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
I do a lot of hiking these days. And sometimes I find myself walking further than I ever dreamed possible. Here in Boulder the Mesa Trail runs along the base of the Flatirons. From the South Mesa Trailhead to Chautauqua is about 6 1/2 miles. A couple of weeks ago I hiked that amazing trail from one end to the other, and back again. And somewhere along the way Frodo’s quote popped into my head. I regularly feel like I’m being “swept off” on some grand adventure.
Today I took a quick walk on the trail near our house, and discovered the early signs that spring is finally arriving. Splashes of color are beginning to appear. And that’s where today’s adventure began. It was a journey into the land of creativity. The formula for such a journey goes something like this:
Show Up – Pay Attention – Be Playful – Go Where The Spirit (Muse, Creativity, Great Mystery) Leads You.
First came the photograph –
Then came the playing with the photograph (using the Tangled app) –
Then came the playing with the results of the Tangled playfulness –
When I snapped the original photo I could not have known where it would lead me. The only way to gain such knowledge is to allow the adventure to unfold and sweep me off to wherever it might take me. I don’t always remember to stay open to such a process, but when I do the results are never disappointing. I have an amazing life and I am grateful for the gift. I invite you to allow yourself to be swept off on some grand adventure. As Bilbo reminds us, there’s no knowing where you might end up, but I’m quite certain you won’t be disappointed.
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