poetry

QUOTE OF THE DAY
‘GPSs blunt the way traditional Inuit carry land in their collective memories. The anthropologist Edmund Carpenter believes that Inuit perceive space more from auditory cues than from the visual and measured cues that we apply to geography. While Kabloona eyes pinpoint a place specifically within a space and next to a background, Inuit ears can perceive sound coming from any direction.
More precisely, Carpenter believes that Kabloona sensory traditions mirror the first sentence of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, telling us that sight, not sound, is “above all others.” Our traditions continue with the Bible’s “Seeing is believing” and on to modern physics, measuring light waves. Yet the parts of our brains that process sound or intuition are little used – unlike those of traditional Inuit.’

Listening carefully to my inner voice I choose to remain in my cross-training phase. Two training sessions today: a ride this morning and weight lifting/climbing this afternoon.

THE RIDE
rise before dawn
at 3:00 am
slip out for the brisk morning ride
let the rhythmic pedaling begin
soothing, yet powerful steady breaths
rhythmic breathing
my mind moves into “the zone”
an altered state of only “nowness”
only the presence of the task at hand

rhythmic up – up – up – up – up – up pedaling
peaceful-stillness envelops me

rhythmic up – up – up – up – up – up pedaling