A SOVEREIGN MILESTONE
The day after I dropped my eldest child off at The University of Oregon, in Eugene, I began a long and non-linear solo trip home. On this journey, I spent much of my time alone, contemplating the thresholds I’ve been stepping through during this latest turning of the cycles… the change of the seasons, the progress through life phases, evolution of my professional purpose, and, most importantly, my ever-deepening relationship with myself.
It seemed portentous, to say the least, that the first place I found myself was Newberry Crater. Technically, it’s the rim of a volcanic crater in central Oregon, not far from Bend. This singletrack mountain bike trail traces the outline of the former (and future?) volcano. However, this seemingly simple trail held more meaning for me.
Newberry. New Berry. In what way? The depth of that answer doesn’t fit in a few short paragraphs, but the essence is in the word sovereign; in basing my decisions, my movements, and my priorities from a deep center (or crater??) within myself. In earlier phases of adulthood, I was sourcing my decisions internally, but things had changed. For decades I was sourcing meaning from outside my self, and I’m now finding my way back home, inside myself, all within a journey upon unfamiliar land. Today, the depth, commitment, and gravitas in the Berry Crater feels quite New. New Berry Crater.
The notion of Parallel Trail on the sign is equally provoking. Is there a parallel trail through life? Had I been on it over the past decades? Can it possibly end up at the same point? The question continue, but I’ll never know, I’m on the Newberry Crater trial, wherever that leads….