Often, especially in summer as a counterpoint to my longing for the deep heat that is not available, I am grateful for the fresh air in San Francisco.  Moistened by fog and directed by the mighty pacific ocean, the air here is rich and full of momentum.  Truly wonderful things to inhale and incorporate on a daily basis: abundance and movement.

How lucky are we, to have this healthy place?  You don't have to drive to L.A., or even close, or even its direction, to experience how much less enjoyable life is when the air is full of crap.  As soil is to a plant - i.e. EVERYTHING - so is air to us.

There are certainly other places to find fresh air, but how many of them are big cities?  Most of the places that give you air this sweet are out of the way.  Such as the beauteous, remote mountains in Idaho where Ken played music this weekend as part of RanchFest 2010.  Thinking of Ken, in this place, with all of the trees and rich greenery, I could almost taste this air, and it prompted me to send him a text message that said, simply, "Breathe."   Of course that message works on so many levels.

Getting to these remote places, where the majestic trees so generously share their oxygen, requires many of us to burn an amount of fossil fuel that seems preposterous, given that the goal is to get to an unspoiled place.  There's a Catch 22 in there, or at least a great irony, driving miles to escape the smog from cars. 

As the unspeakable horror continues in the Gulf of Mexico, and the urge is to focus on the forces and parties with greater responsibility for this incomprehensible mess, lets all take a few moments to think both about what is not yet spoiled (as well as to affirm our commitment to its preservation), and to recognize what we do in our appreciation of nature that might be ultimately counterproductive.

Today I open my arms to the wind.  I forgive the chilly fog for ruining my summer swims.  I thank my lucky stars for the clean air right outside my door.
 


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