My trip to Tahoe
I have to tell this story. It was one of the most amazing times of my life. They have been happening a lot lately, which only gives me word that my life is continually getting better. Maybe I am getting closer to eternal joy, I don't know.
I went to Tahoe to see Bassnectar on mid February. It was me, my friend ,and his girlfriend. We drove from Denver for the weekend. Sound Tribe was supposed to be the third day but they were with a band member helping him conquer an illness.
Many things happened at this show of which I will leave out. It was not even the show which made me grateful for the weekend. It was the tree I sat in after the two shows.
The first night I randomly found my friend in the streets of Tahoe on the way to the lake. After I walked out of the show the moon was out and it was the incredibly beautiful. Ultraviolet rays wrapped down from it and floated as a welcoming hello. Simply breath taking. I decided I would go to the lake and watch the moon. It was as I was walking the streets when my friend walked up to me. He was lost and lit, and wanted to go back to the hotel. I urged him to come with me to the Lake. He lost his girlfriend but for the time it was ok.
We went down to the lake and it was amazing, splendid, divine. The moon was at a quarter and was an eye looking down to the world. Where the moon light illuminated the lake the lake was glowing, not glimmering like normal light, it looked as though a spotlight was shinning up from inside the lake to the moon. Somehow they both surged with a presence all of their own yet finely connected. The wondrous thought is the light from both came from a sun on the other side of the world. The greatest gift of the sun is giving itself over, to the day, and for us at night to the moon.
Looking out onto this sight we both, Rob and I, wanted to get very close to it but a fence blocked the way. Before the fence though there were massive trees. Among these there was one, of them all, but unique of its own in how it spread out. It did not climb to the sky but opened as a welcome to those, like us, which passed by. I wanted in and after coaching Rob and helping him into the tree we were in it ascended above the fence and a part of the night.
Where the branches spread there was a cove one could easily lay in, and I did. From the one and only cut a branch stemmed sideways and was a bench overlooking the lake. Rob sat there. Laying and watching the moon set over until behind the mountains the water looked as though it flowed up from the sand and glided all of its own. The glow in the lake slowly moved over the lake and right before the moon set behind the mountains it turned to a glimmer and stretched across the lake. Slowly it ducked behind the mountains but the world did not turn dark the light reflected onto the clouds and we sat a little longer.
After a wonderful event and moment with the tree we both got down and as we were walking away I decided to go back and give the tree a hug. When I hugged it bark flew into my hand and as it closed sap from the tree sealed my fingers to the bottom of my palm.The tree gave me a gift of itself.
The next night I did not party but instead after the show went back to the lake, alone, and stood for hours in the tree. I poured water around it and many others and later that night when I closed my eyes I could see the branches rise up from me. I truly made a friend that weekend and when I go back to Tahoe, I always have a friend I can stay and sleep with. I have never in my life felt as connected with any organism. I don't know. Human or not. This tree, and all of the rest, seemed to give me something I can only explain as love and wisdom beyond a meter for years. I tear up right now telling this story. Moments like this reveal so much to me, but more than anything they show me the true meaning of the joy of life and the beautiful ways in which we can meet new friends and build friendships. I not only know the tree gave me something but I gave it something too, love. Together we shared in one another. Until next time.