(This entry was written by a local resident near Taos who happened to bump into the Climate March. Read to hear Mary’s perspective)
May 22, 2014,
My friend Yvonne and I encountered the little band of yellow-vested walkers on our High Road to Taos in the northern New Mexico mountains. Have you ever met someone and just knew, immediately and instinctively, that this is a REAL human being? Well, here were a whole bunch of them, bright eyed, warm, friendly, dedicated, powerful, brilliant, courageous…the list could go on and on. I suddenly just wanted to be in their presence, absorb some of the magic that surrounds them, listen to their stories, get some insight into how they operate. So Yvonne and I accepted their offer to come to dinner, and attend their meeting, inside the local school gym.
One short evening wasn’t enough. We returned the next morning early and walked out with them, their first 5 miles.
I’ve often said, if I could live a parallel life, I would like to walk across the country for a worthy cause. I can see now that it would be no small undertaking. The planning, the meetings, the cooking, the setting up and breaking down of gear, the pressure of coordinating and getting to where you have to be, when you have to be there , day after day, is the real work. One walker told me, the walking is the easy part!
Yes, that 5 mile march was easy, and a joy, as I walked and talked with these beautiful people along the way. It wasn’t easy to say good-bye; a huge part of me wanted to keep on walking, ride this wave of magic and peace that surrounds them, experience the country and my fellow earthlings from the vantage point of feet on the ground rather than from butt on the seat inside an air conditioned metal box on wheels.
By the time they reach their destination, they will have such an intimate connection to their beloved earth, and everyone they encounter along the way will have benefited from their gentle touch.
Please keep an eye on these folks. If you see they are headed your way, please make arrangements to support them in any way you can when they reach your area. You will love them, they will inspire you, and you’ll be a part of making history.
And also, please put yourself in their shoes for a minute, look at what they are willing to do for our beautiful home and their brothers and sisters. Would you do this? If not, what could you do, that you’re not doing now? Just how far are YOU willing to go?
Peace, Mary
