Worth A Thousand Words

…and my ties are severed clean,
the less I have the more I gain.
Off the beaten path I reign,
rover, wanderer,
nomad, vagabond,
call me what you will.

Metallica~ Wherever I May Roam

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, the image is priceless; producing a wealth of emotion; a single vista upon which is etched such a depth of feeling that a thousand words would fall far short of an explanation.

I saw that, late last night.

It’s actually not even a picture- but a few simple frames of video.

I have always been a person who, if I had it all to do over again, could be counted on to make many of the same choices. I adore my children, and I wouldn’t change the experience of being their mother and friend, but every once in a great while, something prods me to ponder a "what if"… and to consider for just a moment how my life could have been had I not chosen the path I did. While yes, I am their mother, it does not define all I am. There are many rooms within the house of my spirit where a longing for adventure and travel reside quietly, waiting. Distant lands and cultures, stories of campfires, memories of mountains and star filled night skies, the seas and rocky places beckon to my Inner Gypsy, reminding her that the world did not slow down while she was changing diapers. She’s the one that lives in my heart; the one who wants to experience life unfettered and free from the yoke of material possessions; the one who wants to climb on the Harley with J.C. and never EVER come back; the one who wants to sell everything we own and live on a forty foot sailboat, the one who daydreams of being born in another generation, in a future time, and the one who is now absolutely fascinated with the concepts of Parkour, and of Parkour with dogs.

…and because Inner Gypsy is also known as She Who Rules the Pack, this is heavy stuff.

I realize, painfully at times, that I am not a carefree (not to mention LIMBER) 20 years old anymore, but my "pack" is growing and as their leader, I have a responsibility to promote strength of body and soundness of limb. To seek that growth in theories, disciplines, and practices that strengthen our minds as well as our spirits is a large part of that responsibility. Parkour would push us all well beyond the limits of not only our current physical abilities, but our level of communication with and understanding of one another. It would be a level of bonding that few "packs" or "tribes" are able to achieve in the notably tame existence most of us are lost in these days. We need so much more. I need more. They need more. Civilized life is at best, a cage. I cannot believe what we have become. We are dumbed down and shut up. We get into the cage one day, and we shut the door firmly behind us. Our Gypsy cries.

Get up. Work and school. Home. Dinner. Chores. Sleep. Start again, five to six days of the week. No wonder our children are becoming violent criminals or the victims of violent crime, and the family pet doesn’t know whether to chase a ball or maul the neighbor. We are dying in body, mind, and spirit; but then… then…there are some flourishing outside of the constraints of society. TreT, an American Staffordshire Terrier from the Ukraine and his "pack" are some of them. They are impressive and daring, fearless in the extreme; and he is pure poetry in motion. Don’t worry that you won’t understand because the spoken words are Russian. Watch him, and them, and be inspired to do -run -jump –twist- flip -climb -swing -explore –explode… and be. LIVE.

Find your strength. The language of freedom is universal.

Can you guess which scene of the video was my "picture worth a thousand words"?

For further reading about Parkour:

www.cruzine.com/.../26/parkour-freedom-creation/

http://radiancewellness.ca/2010/01/do-you-parkour/

http://www.allcoolshit.com/2012/02/tret-parkour-dog.html

*If you are not familiar with Parkour in America, that is largely due to the fact that when you’ve seen it, but you don’t realize it. It’s been in recent movies, such as Prince of Persia, Casino Royale, and even the Bourne Ultimatum. The popular video game, "Assassin’s Creed" makes heavy use of its elements.*