Critical Thinking, Personal Development, Purpose

Want to Sober Up? Try Nature

Mt. Kilimanjaro in the horizon

Ego. Stature. Money. Talent. Race. Power. Gender. Religion.

All the things we love to hate and hate to love. These things account for all the division, toxicity, and bile in our lives.

They have a magnifying effect. Especially when one is benefiting from any (or a combination of these) they invoke a ‘larger-than-life’ aura. You know these chaps. From the politician who thinks they are ‘untouchable’ to the athlete who believes they are ‘indispensable’.

Recently I was at the port city of Mombasa, Kenya. I have made that flight countless times and yet it continues to feel so surreal. There’s something that flying 24,000 feet above sea level does to my being. And no, I am not talking about the puking!

There’s something about flying above Nairobi. How everything is reduced to dots. Mansions, sky scrappers, trucks and yes, even the mighty. From that altitude, there’s no distinction between rich or poor; black or white; child or adult. We are all just dots.

Then there’s the occasional turbulence that lasts a little longer than necessary. You know, the one that tempts you to recite your final words? Every time I have one of those moments I think about Kobe Bryant. RIP Black Mamba!

I digress. Mombasa is hot! Literally and figuratively! The Swahili city is right by the ocean and it lives up to its expectation. Regardless of my schedule, I make some time to go to the beach.

There’s something about seeing the Indian ocean that intrigues me. Its vastness. The lives it has claimed. The secrets it carries. The things it has seen. The majesty of its waves. Bold. Unpretentious. Untamed.

Nature helps me clear my mind. It reminds me of how transient life is. It reiterates how interconnected we really are.

Nature is unbothered. Unfiltered. Original. Nature just is.

Ah, what a sobering feeling!

21 thoughts on “Want to Sober Up? Try Nature”

  1. What a thought-provoking post! I enjoyed the use of humor, and especially loved the ending. This: “Nature is unbothered. Unfiltered. Original. Nature just is.” That’s both true and lovely!

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  3. Thank you, Billy, for sharing your insights with us. I love how you express yourself; you’re within the words.

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  4. We are all dots. I love that! Flying has the same effect on me—the sense of rising above it all, feeling, sensing, seeing, with new eyes and new perspective. I haven’t been on any flights lately, but thanks for reminding me. And for reminding me about a dream of a beach last night. It was lovely . . . !

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  5. I love this post, Billy! “All the things that we love to hate and hate to love.” What a great sentence! The picture of Kilimanjaro is fantastic! So much truth and wisdom. Love it! Happy Holidays!

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  7. Lovely post.
    I love, “Original. Nature just is.” Very well put.
    I love flying too. Through the clouds, soaring over them into the blue vastness. Humbling me as I once again realize my minuscule role in the universe.
    I agree with, “There’s something that flying 24,000 feet above sea level does to my being.”
    Happy Holidays

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