#58/365 Paintings

Some years back I stayed in a B&B on the ocean of Kauai to write a book. The first night around 2 a.m. a loud thunderous song-like-sound woke me up. It felt so near, I thought it was in the room. It was deep and sonorous. It went on and on. I finally realized it was whales. I’ll never forget it. I thought for sure I was sleep deprived and imagining it. So I asked locals the next day. And yep, it was a common occurrence. Those whales sounded way more ancient and intense than any life experience I had ever thought was important. Sort of a zen thing to imagine how this whole underwater world going on while we go about our lives doing the things we do; worrying about the things we worry about. In Carl Sagan’s words, “We are but a dust mote at the very tail end of the milky way.” I felt like an atom in that dust mote that night. Kind of comforting in an odd way.

Whales completely leave me groveling at the steps of “more please!—more of that great mystery. It’s incredible. But sing me to sleep this time!” It might be time for another trip to Hawaii!