The Revolution (or, Contemplations While Sitting on the Shores of Priest Point Park, Olympia, WA, August 7, 2011)

My breaths are the waves of the shore, and the wind my constant nourishment. Glitter shines and speckles upon the water I sit at, speaking to me as does Morse code to the mainland peoples. Oh, the sun! I cannot ever be alone as long as the sun hugs me as it does now. As I question the role of solitude in my life, it is moments like these, as I am reminded that nature is my loyal best friend, that I am led to believe that I will never be alone. Holding hands with the rocks upon which my body sits and that the water caresses, I feel my emotions burst within me; just as whatever King Midas's hand did touch turned to gold, my heart explodes with the infinite possibilities of this life. Thank you, best friend.

This nature around us, and the cohesion I feel at this moment with it, is part of the revolution. You see, we are all homes for the revolution - it is in us all. When we truly connect, to nature, each other, and/or ourselves, the revolution begins.

It has been 21 days since arriving here in the Pacific Northwest. I have been spending my time running through Washington State, each day feeling nature and meeting the hearts of the faces I meet along the way. I've picked wild blackberries, apples, plums, and figs; had an impromptu picnic with two Japanese farming brothers on their fruitful acreage; had spirited conversations with adventuring young people about passion and purpose; performed an improvised song and dance on the streets of Vancouver, BC to earn coins to buy nachos; danced the night away with locals of all ages to live Louisiana Bayou zydeco music; shared avocado ice cream, cheese grits, yerba mate, and peanuts with strangers; hiked through a lush forest to a hidden lake; knocked on the doors of locals asking to barter my labor or peanuts for water and garden veggies; been moved to tears at the dinner table as I listened to my host family share with me the vision and purpose of their lives; and run about 215 miles across Washington in 10 days, collectively. Life has been enriched, to say the least, and above all else, what has held true since day 1 of my travels is this - "where there is love there is no question." Who knew that this little saying, scribed upon the teabag that sat stewing in my mug on day 1 would be the theme of all this?

Love is the revolution.

I believe that that connection to others, nature, and our own hearts is love, hence when we can tap into this connection, we start the revolution. Josiah, an 18 year-old who is wise beyond his years and son of my hosts, Tim and Beth Kobernik, on Anderson Island, WA, said it beautifully. Josiah was driving me around the island at dusk, showing me the magic of the land, when he asked, "what is this revolution that you keep referring to?" I shared my thoughts, then Josiah added, "Yes, everyone has something that excites them, and that thing is almost unexplainable...and it is that thing that makes the person feel so cohesive with the world around them."

So, following your spark is cohesion is love is the revolution.

As I sit here upon the shores writing, I am love. It is exactly that cohesion that I am experiencing, this time with nature. My experiences over the past 21 days have made me feel cohesive with everything - with life. This is what happens when we trust our flame; the voice within our hearts that tugs us in the direction we knew all along we should go; the inkling that, just maybe, we can open new doors and build castles in the sky despite societal pressures that teach us to fear what we can't have.

Just before leaving my temporary afternoon home here on the beach, as I write my last few lines here in my journal, a little girl comes up to me and stops, looking at me. I could tell she was wondering what I was doing. I pop up my head and say, "Hello, I'm Katie! Would you like to hear a story?" She nods, soundless, and comes to sit cross-legged next to me, facing the same glittering water. I read to her this journal entry that you are reading now, sharing with her my words, my heart, my cohesion. I finish reading to her, and she looks up to me with a smile. She stands up, looks for her younger brother, then runs towards him calling, "Hunter! Look, look, look how beautiful the water is! It glitters!"

Share your spark, your cohesion, your love, your revolution:)