THE SEVEN WONDERS

                                

Once upon a time (last year!) I had a different journal. I loved it. It was my very first online journal. I needed it. Writing was good for my soul. I could release my thoughts and feelings instead of keeping them tucked inside of me. And for about ten months, it was the perfect place for me to do so. For reasons that no longer matter, I closed that journal and began this one. It was probably the wisest change I have made in a long time. Because through this Bedazzled journal, I have come to know those of you whose compassion, intelligence, humor, decency, and kindness are overwhelming.

I kept all of my writings from that other journal. I have a big, thick notebook full of my entries. I was thumbing through it the other day, and I decided to occasionally post an entry from that journal in this one. Maybe the entry is not my favorite. Or maybe it is not even very good. But for some reason or another, it appeals to me. Such is the case with this one. I hope you enjoy it, and it gives you pause for thought.

"Most of us can easily name the Seven Wonders of the World. And they are wondrous, indeed. They leave us in awe of their beauty, their design, their timelessness. Some leave us puzzling over how they were constructed. Some are so very old, no one can ascertain just how they were built. All that is known with absolute certainty is that a great amount of time and number of workers helped create them. The "newer" Wonders have plans left behind detailing their creation. Whatever the case, these Seven never cease to amaze onlookers. People travel from all around the world for the opportunity to gaze upon them. And rightly so; they are visions to behold. Each one is etched into the minds of those fortunate enough to be in their presence. But...

Are there not additional Wonders? Other "things" equally staggering and stunning? Perhaps even more so? I have received the following email numerous times over the years, and it always makes me pause and think. It puts things in proper perspective for me just in case I have "forgotten." It goes as follows:

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes: 1) Egypt's Great Pyramids; 2) the Taj Mahal; 3) the Grand Canyon; 4) the Panama Canal; 5) the Empire State Building; 6) St. Peter's Basilica; and 7) the Great Wall of China. While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not yet finished her paper. She asked the girl if she was having trouble coming up with a list. The girl replied, 'Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many.' The teacher said, 'Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.' The girl hesitated, then read, 'I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1) to see; 2) to hear; 3) to touch; 4) to taste; 5) to feel; 6) to laugh; and 7) to love.' The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

We do not always think about THOSE wonders, do we? We believe we have to travel far and wide to experience the grand and the majestic. We bring along our cameras to record the time we spend at those sights. We revel in the glory of those precious minutes. We roam around taking in everything about them that we can absorb. If we are with others, we all point to this and that and chatter enthusiastically about what is before us. We reach out and hold onto the arms of our traveling companions. We feel the power and intensity of the sights. At the end of a long day spent exploring and filling our minds full of memories, we retreat to our hotel rooms for a nice meal, and then we curl in our beds for lovemaking or just the comfort of a lover's arms. Those traveling alone drift off into a deep and contented sleep recalling the events of the day. The trip over, we return home and regale those we know and love with the tales of our adventures. We bring out the movies and pictures to share with them; allowing them to glimpse the Wonders man created. We talk and laugh. There are always amusing anecdotes to tell about something that occurred during the trip. It is a warm get-together with those with whom we are close.

Now, think about this. Take away your ability to see. Take away your hearing. Remove your sense of touch and taste. Lose your capacity to feel, laugh, and love. Then return to St. Peter's Basilica. It is a whole different adventure, isn't it? You have no one with you, because you have no capability to feel and to love. Therefore, you are alone. Without your sight you cannot appreciate the magnificence of Michelangelo's fabulous Pieta or any of the other marble carvings and the ornate structures both inside and outside of the Basilica. You cannot see the hordes of people whose mouths are agape while staring at the incredible sights. Nor can you hear the many hushed whispers or the exclamations of awe erupting from the mouths of onlookers. Return to your hotel and go to the restaurant located inside it. Order your meal. Are you enjoying that chateaubriand and glass of cabernet sauvignon? Of course not, for you can neither savor their aroma nor taste their richness. Time to proceed to your room to go to sleep. Pull back that bedspread and feel the softness of the sheets and their coolness to your touch. But you cannot feel that, can you? You have no sense of touch. The trip over, you return to your empty home. A home devoid of love. Empty of friends and family. No one throwing arms around you to welcome you back home. No kisses placed on your lips and cheeks. No one with whom to share your experiences. But, there is this question to be answered...

Did you really HAVE any experiences?

I believe that student definitely listed the most wondrous Seven Wonders of the World for all of time."

  "From wonder into wonder existence opens." ~Lao Tzu