Christina Solstad - Spirit of Chaco Blog

Chaco Friends of Like Mind

Every trip to Chaco I meet people of like mind who are intrigued by, inspired by, affected by Chaco in some way. Most come back again and again.

Chaco is like that.

It draws those who appreciate its many wonders. I see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice as they share their experience.

And everyone leaves changed in some way.

Leaving the road as it is, unpaved, will help to continue drawing those who can sense its magic, but not those who might cause damage.

For all those I have met on this trip, and others -- thank you for enriching my experience. And, as GB Cornucopia likes to say, "May you get from Chaco what you need."

As I prepare to leave Chaco for home, I have received what I need from the canyon, once again.

What about you? Let me know what you are thinking, below in the comments.

(Thanks to Joe Kennedy for the photo of several of us after the Zuni sunrise ceremony [splendid!] on Saturday June 19 at Casa Rinconada. Do we look happy, or what?)
 

How Do You Say Good Bye? Larry Davis

(Photo: Larry and the three of us [Janette, Christina, Jory] on that first Chaco trip in April 1994.)

Good Bye, Larry

Larry Davis -- my friend, teacher, and the one who introduced me to Chaco Canyon -- has left us. He passed away, peacefully and unexpectedly, on Sunday, December 27.

So how do I say good-bye to a man who showed me so much?

His family says: "His hope was that his legacy would go on within each of us that called him teacher and friend. He loved all of us with such a big heart." 

Biggest Gift

His biggest gift was introducing me to Chaco in April 1994. Larry loved Chaco since he was introduced to its magic some 20 years before. Chaco spoke to something deep within me, and I've been returning ever since. 

Chaco Experiment

I met Larry in 1993. He led a weekly meeting of people interested in personal growth and spirituality.

When he announced a trip to Chaco, I wanted to go. This was to be an experiment to see if taking groups there made sense. Three of us made the trek, a 15-hour drive from Southern California, giddy with excitement.

We camped, the third week in April, in the bitter cold (12 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit). Larry swears it was 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) just the week before. 

Now that I know Chaco and the high desert, he may have been right. Then again, who knows ...?

It snowed on us the first night. We ate soup while sitting in the car to stay warm. We explored and hiked and filled our heads and hearts with Chaco.

We loved it. The experiment was a success. 

Many Introduced to Chaco

Larry continued to take small groups, usually twice a year. I was his assistant on many trips, then continued coming on my own.

Hard to say how many people Larry has introduced to Chaco, and how many are changed as a result. Lots.

Like me. I always go to Chaco with the intent to learn something about myself. And the things I've learned (and relearned)! They are not always easy or pretty, but always valuable.

Thank You, Larry

Larry, thanks for Chaco. And your friendship. And all those I met through you. And all that I learned with your help. And oh, the memories...

Your legacy lives on, in some small way, in me.

I love you, and wish you peace. 

Stop by Chaco any time.

Why I Missed Chaco Solstice 2009

Photo: Here we are (most of us), about to enjoy our yummy New England lobster

Missing a Chaco Solstice ... me? ... gulp.

Try as I might, I still have not learned how to be in two places at once. If anyone has the trick, please share!

I listened to my heart, and it was absolutely the right decision.

Some special family events the same weekend in June meant traveling to the East Coast instead of Chaco Canyon.

Was missing Chaco worth it? Yes! Here's why:

• Time with family. Family health issues and parents in their 80s make me want to spend whatever precious time I can with them, especially since I am 3000 miles away. Plus I love them and they're pretty cool.

• Connection with Norwegian family. Yay! One of my cousins and her family have been planning to come for quite a while now. I don't get to see the Norway family much, especially with me being on the West coast. And Boston is a lot closer than Norway.

• Fun. Wow, what a fun group. Six cool people visited, four of them young adults in their 20s. And they laugh all the time. How great is that?

• Fresh perspective. I got to see America (at least New York City and Boston) through the eyes of foreigners. And they love us and how we treat strangers (with welcoming arms). One cousin was on crutches and nursing a broken leg - everyone helped her!

• More family history. I've been recording history from both parents. And the keen interest my cousins had in my Dad's WWII resistance experience in occupied Norway encouraged him to tell more great stories. Doesn't get much better then to hear your nation's important history from someone who lived it, especially family. Plus it made him happy.

Listening to my heart always steers me to where I need to be. I wouldn't have missed this for the world!

To my Chaco friends: I missed you, but promise I'll be back soon! You know I can't stay away very long....

Chaco Canyon Is My Touchstone

I love to get up early and relax and enjoy the quiet and the rustling in the Chaco Canyon campground even before my fellow campers awaken and begin their day. I love mornings - the quiet, the birds, the still air, the space to simply Be - before the rush of the day.

How I love this place. I feel loved. I feel safe. I belong here, as G.B. Cornucopia, my ranger friend, keeps telling me. He knows I'll keep coming back, because I can't stay away. I need to be here. I reconnect with ME here - I remember who I am, at my deepest level.

And Chaco can bring up my shit too, allowing me to see it and make choices, make change.

Chaco Canyon is my touchstone that I can always come to, figuratively and literally, when I need to remember who I am, for it is too easy to forget when I get caught up in “life.”

And then I bring that feeling with me when I leave and return to Southern California, where I live my life.

The morning quiet helps me to remember Chaco. I remember what I learn. And each time, I live my life a little closer to what is true for my deepest self.

(Photo: Casa Rinconada sunrise)

90 Years Young and Still Going Strong

I am inspired by my Aunt Joy. She has been around for 90 glorious years, and is still going strong. Her entire extended family gathered recently for a grand weekend of celebration for her birthday.

That's her in pink in the photo (which includes only a portion of the clan). Four generations were represented. Can you pick out the youngest, her adorable great granddaughter?

Joy has had two wonderful marriages, and has outlived both husbands. Both are great love stories.

• The first, my Uncle Bob, she met after being sent away by her mother so she would come to her senses and realize her then-fiancee was not the right man for her. Instead, she met my uncle, they fell in love, and were married within a few weeks!
• She married her second when she was 80 or 81 and he was in his late 80s. She had nabbed the most eligible widower in her retirement community. The local newspaper did two big spreads on them: their wedding, on Valentine's Day, and a follow-up some time later. They were the talk of the town.

She feels completely blessed for all she has in her life. She's been through a lot too.

What's her secret? Here are some of my thoughts:

• She rolls with what life gives her, and makes lemonade from the lemons. She's been through bankruptcy, and losing two men she loves.
• She is full of appreciation. Every time I visit her, and everything I do for her, she is full of gratitude.
• She is accepting of others.
• She is always helping others. She is also good at allowing others to help her.
• She is clear what she wants.

Look like some pretty good life lessons to me. I'm sure my cousins, my mom (her sister), or other family members have things they can add.

So here's to you, Joy. Thanks for being such an inspiration to your family and friends!

Music at Chaco Canyon: Native American Flute

I have always connected the beautiful sound of the Native American flute with Chaco Canyon. Listen to R. Carlos Nakai and the wondrous music he makes with his many flutes.

Since having my own, playing at Chaco is something I must do.

In June 2006, I met a couple of photographers who were enjoying Chaco. Unbeknownst to me at the time, one of them (Dave Baiocchi) took photos of me playing my flute, and pausing to take in the stillness, at Casa Rinconada. He was kind enough to send them to me. Thank you, Dave!

I love these photos, because they remind me of how connected and happy I feel when I play.

Why It Is Difficult to Leave Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon - both the place and the people - envelops you in its magic, making it difficult to leave. I have found this to be true every time I visit.

I just returned from Chaco - a week later than planned! Can you relate? This is the first time I was actually able to stay, since I have created my work (editing and writing) to be mostly mobile.

Hence my lag on blog posting, since I was without internet access for over a week longer than expected. Oops!

The good news is that I have lots to write about for upcoming posts, after nearly a month in fabulous northern New Mexico: Santa Fe and Chaco.

See what I wrote about the spring equinox in several earlier posts.

Why couldn't I leave (i.e, my excuses)?

• My friends, the park rangers and volunteers, twisted my arm really hard - honest!

• OK, so my arm twists easily, and I am good at doing it myself.

• They put sugar in my gas tank, and punched holes in my tires, so I couldn't leave. No? Well, they threatened to ...

• I needed more time in the canyon, to do all the back country hikes, and visit all my favorite sites (a common excuse).

• I had a chance to ride a bike through the canyon - highly recommended. (Watch for an upcoming post.)

• I volunteered to stay and help when it was expected some large groups (~150 and 75 people) would be coming into the canyon (The Longest Walk 2 and the Hopi Sacred Runners). Turns out they did not come through as expected, but it sure would have been interesting to see them.

• Then the stormy weather made leaving on the south road potentially dangerous, so I waited for better weather. I got to see snow!

• Tried taking some star photos, then had to wait for more clear night sky to try again! I did get some decent shots, to be posted later.

What else is it about Chaco that makes it so difficult to leave?

Resilience of the Human Spirit: World Trade Center Impressions

I am constantly amazed by the resilience of the human spirit. Life happens. Disasters happen. Bad things happen to good people. And we bounce back. We help one another. Life goes on.

World Trade Center Site in New York City

Recently I made my first visit to the World Trade Center site in New York City. The first time I saw it was at rush hour on a weekday. As I approached the site, near the WTC transit station, I began to feel a lump in my throat. I slowed my pace, and felt, and watched.

The events of that day on September 11, 2001 came rushing back in my mind's eye. My eyes teared up.

I sent my silent prayers to all those who lost their lives, all those who lost loved ones, and all those who experienced that day, in some profound way.

I walked around the temporary information and memorial site above the subway entrance. I was the lone visitor in the darkness. Descriptions and a timeline of that day. 3,000 names on a wall. Pictures of the memorial to be built. Looking through holes in the fencing at the construction underway and the massive holes in the ground where the towers stood, and that will hold reverse reflecting pools.

Resilience and Reverence

I watched people rushing to catch the subway, heading home to loved ones, seemingly oblivious to the nearness of the site and all that happened there only 6 1/2 years ago. The word that came to mind was Resilience.

A horrific event happened here. But life must go on. People do what they need to do. I'm sure it is never far from their thoughts, but why dwell on it?

Coincidence (or Not) in New York City

Coincidences seem to occur more and more in my life. Except, to me, they aren't really coincidences. I've learned to sit up and take notice, even if the reason is often not readily apparent.

I am in New York City this week for business. As I headed to catch a train from Newark airport to Manhattan, a fellow traveler behind me remarked that he knew me from somewhere. Turns out, I attended a screening in San Diego 3 or 4 years back of a poignant movie he wrote and directed, “ The Streetsweeper.“ It is the story of a father's love and sacrifice.

James Hill was in New York for another film screening, and was drumming up investors to help get it distributed in time for Father's Day. I suggested he contact Stephen Simon of Spiritual Cinema Circle, as they like independent films with more depth and heart than the average mainstream movie these days.

What are the chances of running into someone in New York that you met briefly (and 3,000 miles away) several years before?

Would you pay attention if that happened to you?

Here are some suggestions when a “coincidence“ seems to occur for you:

• Pay attention
• Assume there is a reason
• Follow up
• Keep track, so you can see where it may lead

Who knows? You might make connections that are just what you or the other person needs. Besides, it could be fun!

Spread Some Kindness: Loving Kindness Meditation

Pamela Slim, of Escape from Cubicle Nation, writes in her post, "When life gets you down, try a little loving kindness," of a wonderfully simple Buddhist meditation that we can use when we or those around us need some loving kindness. I really like this.

I came across the Loving Kindness Meditation which comes from the Buddhist tradition. Like so many nuggets from faiths around the world, it is not necessary to practice the religion to get a great deal of benefit from it. The meditation is simple:

Loving Kindness Meditation

May you be happy

May you be well

May you be free from suffering

May you be safe

Pamela Slim goes on to list 10 practical ways you can demonstrate loving kindness - a good read.

I've had my own practice of sending kindness and love to others, and it really makes a difference - for me, and perhaps for them. How can it not?