Wisdom

Seeing for yourself the great expanse of the Grand Canyon is a life-changing event. The canyon's enormity and the strength of the forces that created it are so huge that there is no way to see it and not feel different about your self. Niagara Falls causes the same reaction; you feel smaller and humble.

My friend Alan has plastic souvenirs from these two landmarks. He displays them proudly on his mantle. At a small gathering he once threw, another guest asked about the significance of the chintzy objects over his fireplace. Alan's chest filled with pride as he took them in hand. As he described his feelings about The Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, all other conversations quietly died down. Alan was so emphatic about his descriptions that he was impossible to ignore.

He told of how he went to these places as a younger man searching for meaning. The great hidden truths were locked in these places of geological wonder, Alan felt, and he believed he discovered their keys. Life was not about the fantastic, Alan told us, it was about appreciating the everyday. Witnessing the enormity of The Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls revealed to him that there is wonder in everything, no matter how insignificant. You just have to look.

You can imagine the effect this had on his party. Some guests were hugging and weeping while others just simply sat and smiled with the contentment of true wisdom. As I was beginning to see Alan's point, I noticed that he was gone from the room. All of us were so focused on what we had learned that he left unnoticed.

Together we all looked excitedly through the house for Alan. Was he gazing at the fish swimming languidly in his aquarium? Was he staring deeply into a piece of wheat bread to discover its complex surface? Where was he? We found him in the den trying on all our coats.