#droppingin

After Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house in Hastings in the 1950’s, we rode in the dark for three hours on two-lane roads to get back to Detroit. Sometimes, because he was tired and needed a cup of coffee or because he hadn’t had enough of the joking and conversation that came with Thanksgiving, my dad would suddenly announce that we were going to drop in on J, his brother. Yes, his…

Dropping In: Presented by Ean Wood

THE GREATEST GURU

Photos by Gabriel Rovick 

None of us would be who we are today without the teachers in our life.

Some of them consciously took on the role while others were quite unaware.

Parents at home.

Teachers at school.

The community we grew up in.

Society at large.

For me, part of growing up and becoming an adult has been looking at the lessons I learned.

Reviewing the beliefs I took on from the teachers in my life.

Consciously letting go of outdated information that no longer serves me.

This is part of becoming a unique individual.

No longer being dictated by the experiences of the past.

There is one guru in particular that stands out.

The wisest teacher of them all.

Shapeshifting for time immemorial.

That elder being LIFE itself.

Each day life simply is as it is.

Each day my mind creates stories and opinions about what is.

“Oh, this person here, and all my opinions about them.”

“This event in the world, I have so many judgments about it.”

“I don’t like this, I want less of it.”

“I really like this, I need more of it.”

The external world becomes something that we can become very reactive to.

But if we remember life is our greatest teacher, we can start to look for the many lessons.

There are always gifts to be found in things that we judge as bad.

We can expand, grow, learn, and become more adaptable from every situation.

And if we begin to see life this way the label of “bad” begins to dissipate.

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.

"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.

"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"Maybe," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. “what terrible luck!”

”Maybe," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

"Maybe," said the farmer.

When we let life teach us, when we remember we are students, every moment then becomes a lesson. We start looking and listening more intently.

Dropping In is a series about outdoor adventures drawing us inward.

Becoming more aware.

Strengthening our ability to be present for what is.

This is a practice like anything.