Let There Be Light

The Kadupul flower is one of the rarest flower in the world. Once a year, at night, behind the curtain of darkness, the bulb explodes into a firework of petals. And just like dissolving sparks in the sky, the thin white petals wither away by dawn. The Japanese call it the "Beauty Under the Moon" and to witness one in person is supposed to bring you great luck. 
-
Besides falling asleep under the stars, David's favorite part of the day was the early hour of morning. There was peace during the daily inauguration of the sun and it brought great joy to him to see the world around him light up as if God was raising the dimmer. "Let there be light.."

Out here, he was at the mercy of the elements. He realized early on that too many men lived their lives as masters of this world. Yet pride is a delusional illusion, for man-kind is slaved to giants of mother earth. A single press of her thumb can crush humanity back to the stone-age. He knew how easy it was to fall under hypnosis surrounded by phallic monuments of man. He believed that comforts of modern society weakened the spirit and instilled a dangerous sense of pride. The regular pilgrimage to the wilderness helped rid of this blindness and humbled him to kneel.

A few years ago, he hiked down the Grand Canyon. It was a two day trek and right before reaching the bottom, he was stuck on an overhang. Like a puck in Plinko, he had zig-zagged his way down the canyon only to find himself 20 feet from the bottom. Fate had cheated him and and angered him to act hastily. He could not admit defeat especially when he was so close. He pulled out his climbing gear and anchored himself to a tree. Before stepping off, he tugged at the rope for assurance. He grappled his way down only to realize he didn't tie enough rope to make it back up. His impatient spur had cost him a six hour detour through thorn covered shrubs and cacti. Bloodied and badly beat, he stumbled back to camp. His own pride betrayed him and had almost killed him.

David emptied his canteen onto the smoldering coals which hissed and coiled its last breath. Stretching his arms towards the sky, he looked out towards the vast landscape. The canyons that were dripping in gold yesterday had cooled to a smoky gray. There was 25 miles of frozen rock and ice between him and the base of Lenin Peak. He pulled out his map and surveyed the tundra ahead of him. Following the river up, the map marked a cliff 15 miles away. The cold crisp air stung his lungs and invigorated him. He needed the extra adrenaline; the journey would be an uphill battle. 

SS