Lessons in the Land: Springtime in Kentucky

The road was unkempt and wound its way methodically past rolling hills, marauding streams, and hand-made stone fences still standing in spite of years of harsh weather and neglect. The weather, however, was a perfect assortment of spring sunshine and summer breezes melting in aromatic splendor across the vast central Kentucky landscape. For those that traverse these lanes regularly, it’s sadly understandable how such beauty can go unnoticed and under appreciated. In the rush of living, life is oftentimes lost in the mundane, even when God’s creations loom in all directions daring you to take notice. On the road, that flawless day I took notice.



Amidst the gently swaying deciduous trees I was reminded that a strong leader often bends but seldom breaks, speaks with few words, leads with quiet calm, all while resting in the warmth of confident solitude. As the wind and the tree intertwine so eloquently, so should the leader lead those that follow. The tree cannot sway without the breeze nor can the breeze find relevance without the tree.



With a rippling stream pressing toward the horizon in workmanlike fashion, growing ever larger with each passing mile, patience and direction reverberated throughout my mind like stones under rushing water and I wondered why mine was often curt and short-sighted. In haste, we often trade experience for convenience, long walks for short rides, hand written notes for typed memos, family vacations for myriad meaningless possessions all the while unwittingly losing the experience forever. Without direction, a stream becomes a pond, and after some time, a pond can stagnate leaving in it unsavory inhabitants and unpleasant experiences. Like the stream and its meandering dedication to reach the horizon and beyond, I learned to choose struggle over ease and experience to convenience.



Framed on both sides with stone walls crafted by early African American slaves, the road I traveled made me consider the correlation of hard work in light of hardship. Suffice it to say, nothing harkens images of cruelty, hate, and moral bankruptcy like the institution of slavery yet thousands of miles of slave walls still exist today, crafted with calloused hands in bondage, hands forced for their labor, labor performed in the face of tyrants. The message echoing from these hallowed walls tell a tale of freedom; freedom of the human spirit even in the throes of bondage. The walls remain to remind us that our work is never too hard and should always be performed with great pride regardless of circumstance.



The road that day is the same today, I surmise, with history abounding at each subtle bend. The blossoms pink and purple color the landscapes providing texture to the horizon in all directions. The waterways, byways, evergreens, and fauna all hide reflections of thought whether noticed or not. Perhaps they need our eyes to focus just long enough to see the lessons in the land. On that day, I noticed a few and today, I rest in that realization. Just a thought!