Reflection

During free time on Saturday afternoon I headed by myself up into the mountains behind the conference centre. I looked longingly at a nearby summit, then after some hesitation, I could not resist the impulse and rather adventurously I started climbing. A bit foolhardy at my age, and alone at that. I threw aside my years of adhering to the maxim: Never climb alone! A cool breeze off-set the sun’s heat. There were several rock scrambles up sharp, white rocks, full of small quartz crystals, in rock beds which dipped steeply to the north. The fynbos was thick and prolific with new kinds of protea and erica. The aromatic scent of boegoe bushes caught my nose. Too beautiful for words. I reached the little summit and sat there alone for an hour, soaking up the sun, and looking out over the valley far below. I reflected on the conference talks, about the deep mystery inherent in the universe. And how close this mystery is to us. I thought of myself alone there, far from anybody. Nobody in the whole world knew I was there at that moment. I thought of the vulnerability of life. I thought about love and friends and family. I thought about my connectedness with people, as well as with the very plants and birds nearby. And how small and insignificant I was sitting there on that peak under the huge dome of the sky.