Mana Mana everywhere and not a drop to drink

History pits urban against rural from the inception of civilization each with their own misconceptions about each other. Yet as with most stereotypes these misconceptions often stem from or are based on reality. Stress levels are higher in urban areas, people are less relaxed and what I find to be most interesting today is the disconnect with nature the closer to "civilization". Each island here has a personality all its own with a distinct cultural and spiritual identity. Without judgment, these are my observations. The farther from the city you get the easier it is to connect with nature, to slow down and breathe, to feel the life force surrounding you. This is not to say that peace cannot be found in the city but it is harder to come by, it is less natural (pardon the pun). We have to work harder to see it and be better equipt to handle a higher level of other people's negative energy - merely because there is more of it concentrated in one place and everyone else is also sensitive to the increasing stress levels. On Oahu, I find the traffic to be perfectly tolerable. In fact, I have been rather enjoying my drives around the island - each day to a new destination to learn something new. I hear constantly about how awful the traffic is and how terrible Hawaiian drivers are (mostly heard from other Hawaiians). Whether it is the perspective of having driven in less pleasant traffic or the grateful feeling I have for being gifted a chance to unwind on my way home from the clinic with a beautiful sun setting behind spectacular mountains these drives here please me greatly. My sister admitted to me the other day, "Yeah, I understand that everything here is beautiful - and it IS, but also... I get it already, it's pretty and I don't want to sit on the highway for hours". But it isn't the highways unnatural appearance or the congestion of people and conglomeration of energy because even on Maui on the Hana Highway which is about as scenic as it gets (insert glorious road side waterfall here) people seem to be in a hurry to get where they are going. We are all in so much of a hurry that we barely see the beauty around us. What is it about an over-active mind that seems to cloud our vision? How can we be surrounded by such magnificence and still be spiritually dehydrated? The Mana is flowing, open your mouth and drink it in.

With Light,
Michelle