when I was born in the summer of 86 my dad wrote me these words the important
dad wrote me these words the important
dad wrote me these words the important places child of mine come as you grow
places child of mine come as you grow
places child of mine come as you grow and youth you will learn the secret
and youth you will learn the secret
and youth you will learn the secret places
the cave behind the waterfall the horns
the cave behind the waterfall the horns of the oaks that hold you high
of the oaks that hold you high
of the oaks that hold you high the stars so near on a desert ledge
the stars so near on a desert ledge
the stars so near on a desert ledge the important places and as with age you
the important places and as with age you
the important places and as with age you choose your own way
choose your own way
choose your own way among the many faces of a busy world may
among the many faces of a busy world may
among the many faces of a busy world may you always remember the path that leads
you always remember the path that leads
you always remember the path that leads back back to their important places
back back to their important places
back back to their important places dad for forests 1986
before we could walk we learned to swim
before we could walk we learned to swim in the pond below the house pushed back
in the pond below the house pushed back
in the pond below the house pushed back and forth between caring hands water was
and forth between caring hands water was
and forth between caring hands water was a constant
a constant
a constant I heard that form as a baby even lived
I heard that form as a baby even lived
I heard that form as a baby even lived parts of it as a kid and then forgot it
parts of it as a kid and then forgot it
parts of it as a kid and then forgot it completely as I moved away from the
completely as I moved away from the
completely as I moved away from the mountains to find my own path in a city
mountains to find my own path in a city
mountains to find my own path in a city far from those places dad called
far from those places dad called
far from those places dad called important then the year dad turned 70 I
important then the year dad turned 70 I
important then the year dad turned 70 I felt he stopped thinking about living he
felt he stopped thinking about living he
felt he stopped thinking about living he was slowing visibly and that scared the
was slowing visibly and that scared the
was slowing visibly and that scared the out so I ignored it
out so I ignored it
out so I ignored it I picked up broken
I read that old man will see visions
I read that old man will see visions young man fall dreams die believe me I
young man fall dreams die believe me I
young man fall dreams die believe me I see are facing everything that same
see are facing everything that same
see are facing everything that same winter I unearthed the box of old family
winter I unearthed the box of old family
winter I unearthed the box of old family books and found the poem again the
books and found the poem again the
books and found the poem again the important places flipping through dad’s
important places flipping through dad’s
important places flipping through dad’s old slides it occurred to me that maybe
old slides it occurred to me that maybe
old slides it occurred to me that maybe just maybe if I can bring back together
just maybe if I can bring back together
just maybe if I can bring back together these two things that were young once my
these two things that were young once my
these two things that were young once my father and the Colorado River I can
father and the Colorado River I can
father and the Colorado River I can somehow travel back in time to learn
somehow travel back in time to learn
somehow travel back in time to learn something of who my father was
when I was very young the smaller rivers
when I was very young the smaller rivers and creeks taught me a certain wisdom of
and creeks taught me a certain wisdom of
and creeks taught me a certain wisdom of flowing water but they also gave me a
flowing water but they also gave me a
flowing water but they also gave me a sense of wonder where did you come from
sense of wonder where did you come from
sense of wonder where did you come from where are you going
where are you going
where are you going and the first time I heard of the Grand
and the first time I heard of the Grand
and the first time I heard of the Grand Canyon I was probably seven years old
Canyon I was probably seven years old
Canyon I was probably seven years old and I looked at it through my hands
and I looked at it through my hands
and I looked at it through my hands stereoscopic I guess they were slides
stereoscopic I guess they were slides
stereoscopic I guess they were slides and then over the years I had caught
and then over the years I had caught
and then over the years I had caught other glimpses there was a magnetism
other glimpses there was a magnetism
other glimpses there was a magnetism there that driven
the first time I experienced the
the first time I experienced the Colorado water to flesh was in a kind
Colorado water to flesh was in a kind
Colorado water to flesh was in a kind inside my big there is an r that is
inside my big there is an r that is
inside my big there is an r that is indescribable
indescribable
indescribable I never thought I would return
in 1970 dad let his Explorer scouts West
in 1970 dad let his Explorer scouts West from Maryland on a whitewater expedition
from Maryland on a whitewater expedition
from Maryland on a whitewater expedition that would culminate in a 10-day trip
that would culminate in a 10-day trip
that would culminate in a 10-day trip down the Colorado River
down the Colorado River
down the Colorado River forty-three years later I challenged him
forty-three years later I challenged him
forty-three years later I challenged him to go back to the river to do it again
to go back to the river to do it again
to go back to the river to do it again but this time to bring me along
we pushed our raft out of Lee’s ferry on
we pushed our raft out of Lee’s ferry on November 12th 2013 first stroke hasn’t
November 12th 2013 first stroke hasn’t
November 12th 2013 first stroke hasn’t feel like coming back with dad grinning
feel like coming back with dad grinning
feel like coming back with dad grinning behind the boars not just alive but
behind the boars not just alive but
behind the boars not just alive but living again the way I’d known him as a
living again the way I’d known him as a
living again the way I’d known him as a child
child
child and then something more something deeper
and then something more something deeper
and then something more something deeper twinkled under his tired eyebrows a
twinkled under his tired eyebrows a
twinkled under his tired eyebrows a spark of something I had never seen
spark of something I had never seen
spark of something I had never seen before
grandis not
grandis not descriptive enough adjectives for the
descriptive enough adjectives for the
descriptive enough adjectives for the country that we’re traveling through
country that we’re traveling through
country that we’re traveling through right now just looking at head singing
right now just looking at head singing
right now just looking at head singing sunlight penetrate that he’s been
sunlight penetrate that he’s been
sunlight penetrate that he’s been everybody feels that
having never been to the canyon before I
having never been to the canyon before I had no idea what we would find but
had no idea what we would find but
had no idea what we would find but secretly I hoped we would find the
secretly I hoped we would find the
secretly I hoped we would find the missing part to the time machine I was
missing part to the time machine I was
missing part to the time machine I was building the piece that would take me
building the piece that would take me
building the piece that would take me back to 1972 no dad as a young man and
back to 1972 no dad as a young man and
back to 1972 no dad as a young man and in that to learn something about myself
the things that bring joy to my
the things that bring joy to my wonderful have been living a long time
wonderful have been living a long time
wonderful have been living a long time as I’ve gotten older sometimes it’s
as I’ve gotten older sometimes it’s
as I’ve gotten older sometimes it’s difficult to do all the things that I
difficult to do all the things that I
difficult to do all the things that I did back then but so far it’s been just
did back then but so far it’s been just
did back then but so far it’s been just a thrill there’s
a thrill there’s
a thrill there’s however want more to come down river you
however want more to come down river you
however want more to come down river you learn a lot about people on the 28 day
learn a lot about people on the 28 day
learn a lot about people on the 28 day trip there were 15 of us on six rafts
trip there were 15 of us on six rafts
trip there were 15 of us on six rafts and four kayaks dad looked on the river
and four kayaks dad looked on the river
and four kayaks dad looked on the river like an old friend the rare kind where
like an old friend the rare kind where
like an old friend the rare kind where years passed but the memories of one
years passed but the memories of one
years passed but the memories of one another remain vivid picking up right
another remain vivid picking up right
another remain vivid picking up right where they left off
it brings back memories of all the kids
in there some who didn’t want to get in
in there some who didn’t want to get in there because dragged it in anyway
there because dragged it in anyway
there because dragged it in anyway good to be back here
at night as we sat around the fire dad
at night as we sat around the fire dad told tales of his old friend the river
told tales of his old friend the river
told tales of his old friend the river and as shadows danced on the canyon
and as shadows danced on the canyon
and as shadows danced on the canyon walls above us the line between then and
walls above us the line between then and
walls above us the line between then and now seemed to fade and flicker and
now seemed to fade and flicker and
now seemed to fade and flicker and finally
each morning I watch dad’s struggle from
each morning I watch dad’s struggle from his ten to move from the shore back into
his ten to move from the shore back into
his ten to move from the shore back into the current back towards that important
the current back towards that important
the current back towards that important place
and in that movement he comes alive the
and in that movement he comes alive the closer he is the river
closer he is the river
closer he is the river the stronger the grip of his hands the
the stronger the grip of his hands the
the stronger the grip of his hands the fuller is smile and the deeper is
fuller is smile and the deeper is
fuller is smile and the deeper is perhaps and for a moment we both forget
perhaps and for a moment we both forget
perhaps and for a moment we both forget howling is
any last words from the camera before I
any last words from the camera before I put it away holy
sometimes we get stuck in Eddie’s and in
sometimes we get stuck in Eddie’s and in life currents that won’t let us go
life currents that won’t let us go
life currents that won’t let us go places we shouldn’t be and as we get
places we shouldn’t be and as we get
places we shouldn’t be and as we get older we look at our parents we wonder
older we look at our parents we wonder
older we look at our parents we wonder what they’re doing we think they’re
what they’re doing we think they’re
what they’re doing we think they’re losing them but what I realized is dad
losing them but what I realized is dad
losing them but what I realized is dad never had it all figured out in the
never had it all figured out in the
never had it all figured out in the first place as much as he’s taught me
first place as much as he’s taught me
first place as much as he’s taught me and shown me how to live he’s still
and shown me how to live he’s still
and shown me how to live he’s still finding his path just the same as the
finding his path just the same as the
finding his path just the same as the rest of us and that’s okay because the
rest of us and that’s okay because the
rest of us and that’s okay because the joy is in the journey no one has the
joy is in the journey no one has the
joy is in the journey no one has the answers not even our parents in Dad’s
answers not even our parents in Dad’s
answers not even our parents in Dad’s poem that he wrote twenty-eight years
poem that he wrote twenty-eight years
poem that he wrote twenty-eight years ago he said you always remember the path
ago he said you always remember the path
ago he said you always remember the path that leads you back to the important
that leads you back to the important
that leads you back to the important places I don’t know if he remembers
places I don’t know if he remembers
places I don’t know if he remembers those words as much as I do but I
those words as much as I do but I
those words as much as I do but I realized on the Colorado River whether
realized on the Colorado River whether
realized on the Colorado River whether you’re young old or like me somewhere in
you’re young old or like me somewhere in
you’re young old or like me somewhere in the middle we can all use a little push
the middle we can all use a little push
the middle we can all use a little push from our friends or family as we find
from our friends or family as we find
from our friends or family as we find our way back back to the important
our way back back to the important
our way back back to the important places
”
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