#9 - Persuade With Power

Cliff-jumping for the Cliff's sake

  1. Cliff-jumping in Domincan Republic
    1. Narrow valley, with small waterfall and small lake at head
    2. Waterfall was narrow and cheerful
    3. Water cool and pleasant, inviting us to swim
    4. Lakes' purpose
      1. Many things
      2. Including to be swum in
    5. Overlooking this was a moderate cliff - 40' tall perhaps, and serious
    6. Cliffs too have various desires in life
      1. Rock slides
      2. Weather patterns
      3. To be jumped from
    7. Cliff was too serious - not a happy cliff
    8. It cast a pall on our swimming & interrupted our swimming
    9. We had to remind it of it's purpose in life
    10. We had to jump off of it
    11. That's the only way to overcome the foul mood of an arrogant cliff is to have someone leap from its top
    12. We climbed to the top, and after a while of contemplation, and peering over the edge, and consulting wth the lake on its depth, we gave a cry and a run and leap - and off the edge we went, crashing into the waters below
    13. Cliff was confused for a moment then stood still in glee, remembering again the joy of being a cliff, sitting high, and having people jump from it
    14. Lake was giddy with ripples - nearly ecstatic for the only thing lakes enjoy more than being swum in, is being lept into
  2. Important lesson
    1. Nature has variety of purposes in life, including bringing us pleasure
    2. Hills are meant to be hiked
    3. Lakes swum in
    4. Trees climbed
    5. Grass walked on
    6. If left alone too long, it loses sight of that
    7. We need to remind it
  3. Historical
    1. 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue
      1. He didn't do it in search of a spe route, or to become famous
      2. Oceans enjoy a good sailing the way we like a good back-scratching
      3. The Atlantic Ocean was itching for a good sailing, and it was becoming quite sullen without one
      4. Columbus recognized this
      5. Did the dignified thing and set out to give that ocean a good sailing it would never forget
      6. Had it not been for a little oceanic dis-temper and the insight of one man we might not be here today
    2. Space program
      1. Not to defeat the Russians
      2. The moon needed to be landed on - that what moons are for
      3. Astronomers could see the moon was getting a bit cranky
  4. Call to action
    1. We need to get out there and take action
    2. Nature needs our attentions
    3. There may be a hill you need to bike up
    4. Raging rivers need to be rafted
    5. Mountains hanker to be climbed
    6. Sometimes a once happy cave gets a little down. Get out there and plumb its depths. Go deep and remind the cave of one of it's joys in life
    7. Get out there and jump off those cliffs. You and the cliff will be better off for it