As a writer, and sometimes philosopher/poet, I will come upon a Latin phrase or a snippet of poetry which seems to link a universal concept to a personal and experiential event. I then ponder upon the phrase and the linked event with amazement of how it fits and seems so synchronistic to life! After a while, when I sit with it for a few minutes, I angrily dismiss it as a trite attempt to make some brilliant reference to a very common occurrence; as if this epiphany occurred for the reason of announcing my kinship with the sages of old. But there are times - rare and delightful moments - when a universal truth does become apparent and there is an acknowledgment of connection to all that is.
One of the Latin phrases that writers often use, to sound literary and ever so erudite, I suppose, is Solvitor Ambulando which means basically, "it is solved by walking." Most writers and readers come across this phrase at some point, use it, and then move on as it becomes one more term to file away and dust off when needed. But, lately, I had a delightful experience where concept and reality blended to create a solution which was sourced by Solvitor Ambulando.
I was struggling with a deep problem. I needed to make a decision and I was at a crossroads. Whichever direction I took would dramatically impact my life and future. The issue crossed boundaries of emotional, logical, financial, and even physical. But I could no longer defer it. I had to decide.
Near where I live is a wooded area and a lake. Mary Lake is a city park and it has a walking trail of 3/4 miles that loops the lake. The path creates a border where the outside perimeter has somewhat manicured grass with its spaced trees and picnic benches and the inner perimeter, where the land that goes to the lake's edge and is kept wild and untamed. Cat-tails grow, reeds flourish, animals abound. Geese, ducks, beaver, otters, egrets, turtles, and all manner of bugs and insects inhabit this wild interior.
While trying to decide what to do, I subconsciously felt (it truly was at a deep and unaware level) that I needed to walk around the lake. My son (my usual walking companion) was at work and so I took my dog, Dixie (a frenetic blend of chow-chow and husky and who defines the term 'hyper'), for a walk around Mary Lake. It was cloudy, but relatively warm, and the geese and ducks at the lake were quite active. I made it a point to walk down a dirt path (off of the concrete one) that followed the lake shore for a short way and then wound up through some oaks. It was very nice.
While Dixie and I were standing by the water’s edge a flock of Canada Goose, maybe 15 or so, came in from the northeast and flew above the lake. The clouds were scattered and provided a ruffled backdrop. The geese flew directly overhead (I thought, for just a brief moment, that it was a dangerous spot to be, underneath a flying goose, but I had a hat on). They then curved around and flew near the borders of the lake in a long spiral: back over my head a second time, and then a third time and then they touched down on the water in a display of beauty. As they landed, their wings flared back and their webbed feet came forward and they slid into the water and settled in peacefully.
It was a display of numinous nature right in front of my eyes...and my troubling decision was suddenly resolved so clearly. It was the blending of Solvitor Ambulando, a faithful canine companion, and the serenity of nature that created this epiphany. I will be taking a lot of walks in the warming months to come...who knows what I may discover?
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