First off, for Paddy and all those accompanying him North; I have had the pleasure of experiencing such a trip and had the chance to revel in the moments that only exist in those surroundings. I have been catching up with some Jack London lately and I wanted to share something of his:
'Nature has many tricks wherewith she convinces man of his finity, - the ceaseless flow of the tides, the fury of the storm, the shock of the earthquake, the long roll of heaven's artillery, - but the most tremendous, the most stupefying of all, is the passive phase of the White Silence. All movement ceases, the sky clears, the heavens are as brass; the slightest whisper seems sacrilege, and man becomes timid, affrighted at the sound of his own voice. Sole speck of life journeying across the ghostly wastes of a dead world, he trembles at his audacity, realizes that his is a maggot's life, nothing more. Strange thoughts arise unsummoned, and the mystery of all things strives for utterance. And the fear of death, of God, of the universe, comes over him, - the hope of the Ressurection and the Life, the yearning for immortality, the vain striving of the imprisoned essence, - it is then, if ever, man walks alone with God.'
Moments like that are possible in the snow; moments where we come close to understanding the essence of simply living. Moments don't last forever, but if we can loose oursleves in moments like that then we can find that the memory of it lasts longer than we will.
I hope all those venturing out have a good time and I hope that everyone involved with PaddyWop will be able to loose themselves in moments of joy this Christmas and get to share that joy with those they love.
Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit!!
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