Chronicles of the Journey- Day 4: the man and the woman

"Most things break, including hearts. 

The lessons of life amount not to wisdom, 

but to scar tissue and callus."

-Wallace Stegner

I confess,  I didn't know 'who' Wallace Stegner was a year ago. You need only to google his name to learn that this man has and continues to inspire writers and poets, readers, and environmentalists. I don't want to rewrite the wiki of his life, but I do want to meander in his footsteps.

"We simply need that wild country available to us, 

even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. 

For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves 

of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography, of hope."
 -Wallace Stegner

Firstly, I will, at some point, read more of Wally's writing; if he knew you well he signed off as Wally. As I am staying in his childhood home, I feel inclined to call him Wally. I have read quotes by him, skimmed a few books and even read His correspondence; cataloged in a book by his son Page. I found, all of it, easy reading, thoughtful and at times, profound.

"It is love and friendship, 

the sanctity and celebration of our relationships, 

that not only support a good life, but create one. 

Through friendships, we spark and inspire one another's ambitions." 

 -Wallace Stegner

Like Wallace to his 100th meridian, I too have found home in the people and places I exist in. Be it the new artist friends I am making or the scenery I am immersed in. I am finding oneness, connection and a sense of belonging; their sum equals an easy communication of my senses.

"What little strength he had left 

flowed out of him and was soaked up; 

his bones and veins and skin held nothing but tiredness and pain."

 -Wallace Stegner

My challenges are known to most, I have a few scars, and a few more that need to heal. Some days their weight takes a toll and I lay down the champion armor in exchange for something less arduous. The time, here in the Stegner Residence, has allowed me to unwind, find my tempo, listen to my heart - in all its glory and pain.

"Be Proud of every scar on your heart, each one holds a lifetimes worth of lessons." 

 -Wallace Stegner

"You can't paint sunlight, 

you can only paint what it does with shadows on a wall." 

Spectator Bird, Wallace Stegner