Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life - Berthold Auerbach.
After hearing that there are seven of us who had never met each other living in the same house in a city we had never been to, many of my friends said, "oh my gosh! You guys are like The Real World: Bethel, AK!". I must admit that there are seven strong and diverse (in a good way) personalities living in the house. And even though we've only been in Alaska for about a week and a half, we have already managed to cling to a "house song". If we did make Real World: Bethel, then our theme song would undoubtedly be "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show. Other than Michael who introduced us to the song, none of us had really heard this song before, and now we listen to it all the time, everyday, and sometimes at every meal. In that regard, it reminds me of saying grace, a unifying verse that we let run through us to arrive at out own understanding.
When I was thinking today about this first week of being here finally with our jobs, I couldn't help but to hear that folk melody ride me lazily along my memory. Specifically, I've been thinking about Tuesday the 19th which was Fran's 22nd birthday. She's adventurous, vivacious, and just so full of life. Thus keeping in character, she asked us if we would all jump in the cold Kuskokwim River with her to celebrate. I think that even if we weren't daring before, we all will be when we leave here because it's just the way life is. So of course, we all say yes and head out to the river.
Now I do have to record here that on the way to the river through the tundra, things got a little messy. I don't know how many of you have ever been on tundra before, but it's like this spongy, mossy, ground that reminds us of Mother Nature's moon bounce. Anyways, if it gets wet, it can be very deceiving as to how deep it actually is. Well we were walking on the boardwalk until we got to a part of it that was flooded. Why I thought it was a good idea to walk off the boardwalk so that my feet wouldn't get wet (on my way to jump in a river mind you), I'm not really sure. But when I stepped off of that written wet road, I plunged a good three feet deep in a mud hole that had looked like a shallow puddle. My foot got tangled in a root and bing, bam, boom I fell backwards into more sludge and mud. All onomatopoeia aside, it was pretty funny. Then poor Jon in his valiant attempt to help pull me out (because I kept sinking) lost, found, and broke his shoe... or should I say Maura's shoe... and had to walk to the river and back partially barefoot.
In any case, we make it to the infamous Kuskokwim River where we have all caught, beheaded, gutted, filleted, and eaten fish from. (I really need to put up pictures up of that, trust me.) Michael, who now has a fitting Native name that essentially means "big daddy", was the first to jump into water. As I saw how cold and out of breath he was when he swam up, I began to feel a little more hesitant. But the desire to change grabbed and yanked me off the ledge into that sustaining river. Submerged in the biting water of the far north, I pushed off the mired bottom to regain sight of the scenery of my new tundra life. Then as Maura swam with me to shore, I couldn't help but to think about how much farther away that shore really was first of all, and how different I felt. For fear of stating the obvious cliche of our first "event" all together and sounding too banal, I held this realization in my unrestrained beating heart, tired from the shock and swim.
Even now, I have that grace-filled hymn Wagon Wheel playing as I write about our Alaskan baptism. Within this recollection of the physical and spiritual cleansing, its harmony continues to wash away the remaining misconceptions and inhibitions that I came here with. I'm surprised at myself, though, that it will need to be a daily cleansing because it is more difficult (though necessary) to start fresh within my own self than I thought. People always say that it is a weakness to run away from something; yet when you're running toward something greater, it sheds a new light on that direction. I don't think it's possible to have nothing left behind, and we all are coming from parts or whole pieces of a past that we must run from. But as long as we stay focused on what or whom we're running to, I think we might just make it there. And as the song goes...
After hearing that there are seven of us who had never met each other living in the same house in a city we had never been to, many of my friends said, "oh my gosh! You guys are like The Real World: Bethel, AK!". I must admit that there are seven strong and diverse (in a good way) personalities living in the house. And even though we've only been in Alaska for about a week and a half, we have already managed to cling to a "house song". If we did make Real World: Bethel, then our theme song would undoubtedly be "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show. Other than Michael who introduced us to the song, none of us had really heard this song before, and now we listen to it all the time, everyday, and sometimes at every meal. In that regard, it reminds me of saying grace, a unifying verse that we let run through us to arrive at out own understanding.
When I was thinking today about this first week of being here finally with our jobs, I couldn't help but to hear that folk melody ride me lazily along my memory. Specifically, I've been thinking about Tuesday the 19th which was Fran's 22nd birthday. She's adventurous, vivacious, and just so full of life. Thus keeping in character, she asked us if we would all jump in the cold Kuskokwim River with her to celebrate. I think that even if we weren't daring before, we all will be when we leave here because it's just the way life is. So of course, we all say yes and head out to the river.
Now I do have to record here that on the way to the river through the tundra, things got a little messy. I don't know how many of you have ever been on tundra before, but it's like this spongy, mossy, ground that reminds us of Mother Nature's moon bounce. Anyways, if it gets wet, it can be very deceiving as to how deep it actually is. Well we were walking on the boardwalk until we got to a part of it that was flooded. Why I thought it was a good idea to walk off the boardwalk so that my feet wouldn't get wet (on my way to jump in a river mind you), I'm not really sure. But when I stepped off of that written wet road, I plunged a good three feet deep in a mud hole that had looked like a shallow puddle. My foot got tangled in a root and bing, bam, boom I fell backwards into more sludge and mud. All onomatopoeia aside, it was pretty funny. Then poor Jon in his valiant attempt to help pull me out (because I kept sinking) lost, found, and broke his shoe... or should I say Maura's shoe... and had to walk to the river and back partially barefoot.
In any case, we make it to the infamous Kuskokwim River where we have all caught, beheaded, gutted, filleted, and eaten fish from. (I really need to put up pictures up of that, trust me.) Michael, who now has a fitting Native name that essentially means "big daddy", was the first to jump into water. As I saw how cold and out of breath he was when he swam up, I began to feel a little more hesitant. But the desire to change grabbed and yanked me off the ledge into that sustaining river. Submerged in the biting water of the far north, I pushed off the mired bottom to regain sight of the scenery of my new tundra life. Then as Maura swam with me to shore, I couldn't help but to think about how much farther away that shore really was first of all, and how different I felt. For fear of stating the obvious cliche of our first "event" all together and sounding too banal, I held this realization in my unrestrained beating heart, tired from the shock and swim.
Even now, I have that grace-filled hymn Wagon Wheel playing as I write about our Alaskan baptism. Within this recollection of the physical and spiritual cleansing, its harmony continues to wash away the remaining misconceptions and inhibitions that I came here with. I'm surprised at myself, though, that it will need to be a daily cleansing because it is more difficult (though necessary) to start fresh within my own self than I thought. People always say that it is a weakness to run away from something; yet when you're running toward something greater, it sheds a new light on that direction. I don't think it's possible to have nothing left behind, and we all are coming from parts or whole pieces of a past that we must run from. But as long as we stay focused on what or whom we're running to, I think we might just make it there. And as the song goes...
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain't a turnin' back
To livin' that old life no more
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me
7 comments:
beautiful Elyse. I lived it but I don't know I saw it quite like that until this moment.
Hey Elyse,
Rachel gave me your blog site. Keeping you in my prayers. It sounds like a fab adventure so far - work hard, have fun, stay safe. I am sure Grandpa Fred is smiling down at all the fishing you are doing. It's in the genes whether you knew it or not.
Suzy G.
Wow.
That was a really cool and insightful post, thank you.
thanks for reading! :)
reading that just made me cry. (yes, like everything:) I'm glad that I could be there with you guys, though I'm especially more glad now that I documented the occasion instead of partaking in it.
aww yay bethy! we love having you in our lives as an honorary JV lol :)
I know this is a really delayed response but your postings are great. I love reading about what you're doing and your writing style is fabulous just like you. I will definitely be reading and commenting more (especially since I just realized today that I could access it when I'm at the office. yay!)
And I decided to comment on this post first because I am surprised that you hadnt heard the Wagon Wheel song when you were at Wheeling Jesuit cuz that was like one of the WJU class of 08's theme song. It is a great one!
Glad you are enjoying life there. Miss you!
- Alicia Miller
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