OF DITCHES AND PONDS

OF DITCHES AND PONDS

A Journey Through The Metaphors Of Childhood And Maturity

by

Chris Maser

In memory of Billy Savage, who not only lived by the best ditch in the world and shared it with me when we were children but also started me on a journey to maturity beyond fear. Billy died in 1950, when we were both 12 years old.

I have found, in my sixty-five-plus years, that we humans are engaged in a perpetual practicum saturated with “pop quizzes,” or, if you prefer, unexpected tests, each of which deals with a necessary aspect of our lives. For those of you who are not familiar with the term “practicum,” it is usually thought of as part of a college course that consists of practical work in a particular field. In this case, the course is Life and the particular field is “Living.”

A Pacific treefrog like the ones Billy and I use to catch in our ditch.

I have also found, as I look back over my life, that it has been choreographed by an inner compulsion, of which Mahatma Gandhi said, “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the ‘still small voice’ within.” What the “still small voice” or inner voice is, I don’t know, although some people might call it intuition. Nevertheless, it has guided the decisions in the practicum of my life ever since I can remember. When I say it has guided the decisions in my life, I must admit that, in my youth, I did not always listen to it—and I reaped the consequences of turning a deaf ear or a blind eye to the spiritual path along which my inner voice attempted to guide me. It is as though we are made blind to the future that we may learn to trust.

What, you might ask, are the consequences of straying from the spiritual path? The consequences manifest themselves as the circumstances in life—the “pop quizzes” or unexpected tests—that confront each of us with compelling choices to be made. Like every quiz, there are correct and incorrect answers. In the case of life’s quizzes, however, we do not get a plus or a minus on a material scorecard as a way of indicating that we either passed or failed. Instead, we know we passed when the circumstance goes away never again to return; conversely, we know we failed when the circumstance reappears, often in another guise, which it will continue to do until we respond in such a way that we earn a passing score.

A red-spotted garter snake, like the ones we found along our ditch.

This said, I find that we each have in our lives a few pivotal events that come to the fore as a series of interrelated circumstances. When such an event and its orchestration of circumstances take place in the youth of our lives, it not only informs us and molds us but also helps establish the direction we ultimately take in our Earthly pilgrimage. For me as a child, it was not so much a single, pivotal event that helped to structure my life as much as it was a place in which to feel safe. That place was a humble, roadside ditch.

If you were to ask me why I have written an entire book based on childhood experiences centered on a roadside ditch and adult reflections centered around a garden pond, I would answer that I have found in both the wonders of the Universe. And it is the gift of wonder—the endowment of everyday life—that I would share with you. As Mother Theresa said: “Life is a promise. Fulfill it.”

My garden pond, in whose company I reflected on life.

ENDORSEMENTS:

“This deeply philosophical memoir closely examines that place in all of us where the human world intersects with the natural one. His respect and awe for all life is, in Chris Maser’s case, a true measure of the man. Read this book. It’s for everyone who has ever had a friend or planted a garden.”—Virginia White, Writer and Teacher (former Biologist), Institute for Extended Learning, Community Colleges of Spokane, Washington.

“This marvelous book takes us on a deep journey, from the close, rapt attention of a child’s eye to the long view of life on this planet. It shows us a true way to connect, through the path of inquisitiveness, to our world and our selves.”—Barbara Bash, Author, calligrapher, illustrator, and teacher, Accord, NY.

“Of Ditches and Ponds is a call to remembrance, nested in the ordinary, wondrous landscape of Life. With a naturalist’s eye for detail and a philosopher’s gift of reason, Chris Maser maps the interconnectedness and the moral beauty of earthly forms. A journey of time and space, a memoir of self and matter, this is an inspiring read.”—Doreen Valentine, Acquisitions Editor for Rutgers University Press, Piscataway, NJ; writer; and mother.

A water lily in the pond of my maturity.

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Of Ditches And Ponds:  A Journey Through The Metaphors Of Childhood And Maturity. 2006. Woven Strings Publishing, Amarillo, TX. 282 pp. E-Book. 2505KB.

If you want more information about this book, want to purchase it, or want to contact me, visit my website: http://chrismaser.com/index.htm

I spent over 25 years as an active research scientist in natural history and ecology in forest, shrub steppe, subarctic, desert, coastal, and agricultural settings. Today I am an independent author as well as an international lecturer, facilitator in resolving environmental conflicts, vision statements, and sustainable community development. I am also an international consultant in forest ecology and sustainable forestry practices.

I Have Lived, Worked, Consulted, And/Or Lectured In: Austria • Canada • Chile • Egypt • France • Germany • Japan • Malaysia • Nepal • Slovakia • Switzerland • and various settings in the United States.