Since leaving Bec, although inspired by his ideas, I found myself slightly dissatisfied with my surroundings. I hankered after something but it’s discovery eluded me. I felt as if something was missing or even that I was missing something! After an arduous afternoon’s trek, I came upon a river. Then it struck me. This is what I had been missing – the river!
I stopped to rest in a particularly beautiful spot and immediately felt a familiarity and connection to the gentle flow of the water. The river was tranquil and glided gently past. I found a comfortable place to sit and watch, focusing on the surface of the water. A fish rose on the other side of the river and the ripples expanded in ever widening circles.
Lost in thought, unaware of my surroundings, I drifted in and out of daydreams, sometimes aware of the flow of the river and sometimes aware of the elusive pictures being formed in my mind. I felt relaxed and at peace. Inklings of peaceful times from my past gently passed through my mind.
This enjoyable reverie continued until I saw a little bird take off and fly into the sky. Almost automatically my eyes followed. They stopped on the vast blue sky and I became transfixed by a cloud. My imagination took over and I could see the cloud turning from white to black and then enveloping me before moving on again.
Suddenly I was aware of the present again. I could hear Bec’s words;
“You are not your feelings. Just because you feel weak does not mean you are weak.”
I understood. I thought of the cloud in my imagination. When the cloud surrounded me, although I felt a bit overwhelmed, I remembered I was not the cloud. Clouds pass by. Feelings come and go! In an instant, I changed my view without any effort.
I knew I had just discovered a gift. I felt as if I had found a treasure chest but did not yet have the key to open it. Just at that moment a friendly-looking face emerged from the water.
“I have seen that look before. You have just discovered something wonderful!” Somewhat taken aback, I opened my mouth to answer, when the water vole continued, “Hello, I’m Mur. When I spend too much time out of the water, I encounter problems. I make sure I spend time submerged in the river where I can dream and where my imagination flows.
That is where the answers are. Like the river, that part of you under the surface never sleeps…it is always flowing, waiting to give you its gift.”
“You have obviously found your treasure chest,” I noted with a smile.
“Yes I have. And now it has been remiss of me not asking your name?”
On hearing that it was ‘Epic’ he was the one now taken aback. “Epic! he exclaimed, that is synchronicity. I have been dreaming for weeks about making an ‘epic’ journey along this river to meet the ‘great river’ and then swim along the ‘great river’ to find an expanse of water, which I’ve heard is so vast, that it goes on and on forever, far, far past where the eyes can see.
This must be a sign. It is time for me to set off on my ‘epic’ journey. Thank you for inspiring me. Good luck discovering more about your treasure chest and Good bye!” With that, Mur disappeared into the river.
A memory popped into Milo’s mind and he felt compelled to pose a question, “I remember Epic when you removed my fear of the pike that day on the bridge. Is this when you discovered how to do it?”
Yet again Milo, you are one step ahead. Such an insightful student! Yes. This was the beginning. The rest is for the next part of my story!