It’s mid April and the television meteorologists have said it all. If the Kentuckiana area receives one more drop of rain…we will set an all time local record for precipitation during any April since records have been kept. With half a month to go and more rain in the forecast for this week…that record is a goner. As I write this…the river is still rising. I mentally contrast this to what is happening in California with their severe drought. I wonder if there are any billionaires out there that would like to invest in a pipeline that would send all this extra water to where it’s needed most? After all, isn’t water a much more precious commodity than crude oil? We don’t send exploratory satellites and space craft into the vast distances of the universe looking for petroleum. It’s water we seek because in a fundamental way we realize that water is the key to life.
The following adventure happened last weekend which was warm and beautiful, but with an ever-rising river. The large driftwood mound under the railroad bridge I documented in my last post has broken apart and floated away along with my absurd March Madness figure. Perhaps when the river returns to its usual water levels, I may run into him once again? For now, I am exploring a section of the Ohio River Greenway which is near the Interpretive Center’s entrance and has a nice view of Louisville’s skyline. The riverbank does not lack for junk and before long I’ve photographed and collected a full bag of possibilities for future use. It was while I was absorbed in my own head space that I bumped into a most unusual character that was engaged in what looked to be some type of ritual at the water’s edge.
What I first thought was singing turned out to be chanting and it was coming from this exotic guy. I’m sure I must have had the strangest expression on my face! Despite my presence, this blue-helmeted figure with some kind of mandala on his chest was practically knee-deep in muddy water and lining up found flip-flops on a beached log. A perfectly normal activity don’t you agree? I’m assuming he gathered these sandals from all the other flotsam and jetsam that has washed into here? That part I can understand because I have an ongoing collection of the same footwear that I hope to make into something grand and profound some day.
I remained quiet, stayed observant, and took these photographs. I saw the blue helmeted man face west and chant. He later did the same thing looking towards all the cardinal directions. On occasion, he would carefully pick up a sandal and whisper to it before placing it back upon the water-logged trunk of a limb-less tree. For emphasis, he would also do this little hop dance step in the muddy water. I waited for him to finish before interrupting him with a few questions of my own.
Finally, I had my chance to speak and the mysterious figure looked my way. I was surprised that I could understand what he was saying. First, he thanked me for respecting his custom by not interrupting his ceremony. He also said that it is very important that the flow of energy continue unabated if the ritual was to take hold. Filled with questions, I asked his name and what was he doing? Patiently, he explained that he was the Shoe Shaman of the Big Blue Nation, a holy man and offered as proof the ill-fitting helmet on his head which was the official crest of his high office. I didn’t say anything, but thought the Shoe Shaman’s head-gear bore an uncanny resemblance to a Smurf’s head. I wondered if that was in fact the Big Blue Nation he was referring to? If that indeed was the case…well, it did make some sense in a surreal sort of way. There are many cultures that have legends about “little people”. I asked what he was doing with the sandals and he said that working with footwear was his specialty. Each shoe, in this case, each lost sandal…has a direct connection to the soul of its former owner and is holy to them. The weight of each person is impressed into the sole’s foam and is as individual as a fingerprint. In his culture, they have a saying that you can’t fully understand someone until you stand in their shoes. I said we have a similar saying. The Shoe Shaman said that his goal is to affect the river’s empathy and not to further enrage it for taking the water and environment for granted. My new friend was attempting to appease the flood waters by asking the river to forgive our carelessness and to accept the sacrifice that had been prepared for it on this altar of wood. The shaman assured me that only in this way would the river agree to return to its normal banks and not seek out our kind that had been hurtful towards it.
I’ll admit that the idea of a revenge seeking river stunned me some, however, history is full of epic floods. In our arrogance, we forget how at Nature’s mercies we really are. My curiosity sated…it was time to move on. I left the shaman at that interstitial zone between water and land. Slogging through the mud, I paused briefly sitting on a dry log and thought about what I had witnessed as I also picked the mud off the bottom of my shoes. I am hoping that he was successful in intervening on our behalf and only time will tell. For my part, I will never forget the scene and will pledge to do my part to be respectful towards creation by celebrating it and in doing so…hope to save myself and those dearest to me. I don’t ever want one of our soles to go missing and find itself on a log floating somewhere along the Ohio River. Until the river retreats…
Haha, Shoe Shaman. Love it!
Sounds Germanic doesn’t it? Nice hearing from you!
I’m always reading 🙂 Good timing with the water as a precious commodity commentary. Just did a workshop with kids today trying to explain to them even renewable resources, like freshwater, can become scarce.
Isaac…the freshwater issue is only going to get more critical and so I applaud you for doing the resources workshop. These are concerns that are happening now and not at some unspecified time in the future. Here in my area, we have had an over abundance of water. The Ohio River has been high for most of April.
Al, with all those flip-flops I’d swear this was my local NJ shoreline! But all that water coming into the general Louisville metro area is definitely concerning. Fun post!
Thanks for the great comments and you are right…those flip-flops could have come from New Jersey or anywhere else because these objects are that ubiquitous. One challenge I have is how to repeatedly broach the subject of environmental stewardship without making people turn off do to the negative nature of the subject.
Look at all of those flipflops! And you know, while it may be dry in Cali., I’m betting they’d take that drought over this dirty ole “creek” any day- heheh… I have two finals to go and then I’m finished for the summer. I’ll get to go play down at the river! (These years are really flying by, aren’t they? I remember telling you that last year too and it seems like weeks ago.) Shoe Shaman- love it. :0) And great pics as always, by the way…
Thanks B. Best of luck with the finals and see you by the river some day.
Oh my goodness, Al! This is the best I think you have written. At least it becomes my favorite of all time. I like the helmeted Shaman and his message. I like the photos of the overflowing river and I like those photos of the flip flops all lined up. The “impressions of a sole”! Perfect! Hats off to you and your creativity and the message for all of us to get it together and clean up our acts.
Thank you Leslie…I am losing sense for whether or not the types of things I have been writing about are effective at all? Feedback from friends is a big help.
I love the way you get serious points across with your stories. And I totally believe the Gaia Theory – the Earth will look after itself, and unless we humans change our ways, it will get rid of us if necessary.
I feel we can take the Earth to a certain threshold before she shakes us off her back. In the grand scheme of things…we aren’t that important.
Prescient post Al. Big things been going down and from reading your May Blogs there was more to come.