Beauty and Vandalism in the High Country - a Choice.

For a number of years ago, I would go for a walk on the road near our home in Sedona, both to get the exercise and to see the world and sky around me. I especially enjoy walking along the roads near our house in Sedona because there’s little traffic, and the trees and hills are low enough that I can relish the vastness of the Arizona sky as I stroll along.

At that time, came across a scene of vandalism during my walk. Someone had destroyed a gate next to the road, giving people access to a dirt path that leads to the national forest boundary a half mile away. They also bent the "No Trespassing" sign on the destroyed gate so as to hide it. The vandals then advertised the location of this “short cut” on a hiking website for the Sedona area, and now it’s being used by many people as a quick way to access the trails. Of course, they leave out the detail that the hikers would be trespassing over private property and complicit in the destruction of the gate. This shortcut is about 1.5 – 2 miles away from the actual National Forest parking lot, so it’s a popular way to get close to the best parts of the main trails more quickly, even if they have to ignore the fact that they're complicit in destructive behavior.

Do you see the small “No Trespassing” sign on the vandalized gate? Some hikers keep bending it backward so people can't see it, and I keep bending it back into position so that people will see it and acknowledge the fact that they’re trespassing.

After a while, I realized that thinking about this situation was affecting my enjoyment of my walk. I had made my small contribution to shift people's ways, and am now focusing on enjoying the vast sky that surrounds me as I walk along the road, noticing the light of the afternoon sun that accompanies me, and savoring the beauty of Sedona’s red sandstone cliffs.

The mysteries remain…the actions and thoughts of the vandals, my mind and heart being drawn into this drama, and the immense sky surrounding all of this.

Just a two minute walk east of the vandalized fence, there’s a much more powerful view:

This conjunction of scenes prompts me to reflect on what I use my focus and energy for. Am I cultivating gratitude and joy, or resentment and anger? Every time I come to the gentle crest of this hill, just a few blocks from our house, I have a choice: to look at the vandalized gate once again and be tempted to renew my sense of irritation, or to look at the enormous sky and feel a sense of expansion and joy. When I forgive the vandals and let go of my negative feelings, it's much easier to notice the vast space and light that I'm surrounded by, and experience the beauty of the high clouds that delicately paint the sky above Sedona.

It's something to think about.