The Free Radical

“At the very root of your ‘former’ consciousness is the idea of general scarcity. Moment to moment you question if there is enough for everyone. It is the foundation of consumerism; it places you within competition with one another.

“Resources appear to be finite, and hence, limited. Not all can abide in abundance. But is it true?”

Wapiti or Elk asks the question. The signs of a substantial herd of elk in the area abound. It is clear that there are a great many of them roaming this corner of the forest.

The open fields are covered in a thick blanket of snow, mostly undisturbed. Footprints and tracks of various kinds criss-cross the path here and there. But in select places there is undeniable evidence that Wapiti has been feeding. The snow is disturbed, the grasses churned up and grazed.

An average adult elk, depending on its gender, weighs between 500 and 700 pounds. That’s about 3 of me! How many of them there are in the region I don’t really know… but more than just a couple.

It’s the middle of winter, and so far it’s been damned cold! Wapiti doesn’t get to ‘go home’ at the end of the day to snuggle in some blankets curled up by the fire. Winter cold, snow and ice are a 24/7 reality for Elk. Try to imagine how much food is necessary to sustain these massive creatures throughout the season!

“We do not complain; we do not fear. There is enough to reward our efforts, to sustain our intent to walk into the fresh bounty of spring. All that we require is provided… but largely, it is hidden.

“Sometimes abundance needs to be uncovered, for it is not immediately apparent. During the other seasons we bask in the luxury of knowing a bounty we cannot even begin to diminish. In the winter however, most often it is all hidden beneath the snow– unseen. But it is there, awaiting our senses to discover and apprehend.

“Do you really imagine that you are not equally provided for? Nature loves the one but not the other? You are loved and cared-for more than you have yet dared dream. But you must engage all of your senses; you must dig beneath the surface appearance. What awaits will astound you!”