Its been a hard day, a hard couple of days, not just the details of
getting ready for a trip or the uncertainties around work and around
the world, but the heaviness of winter gone on too long, too brown,
too lifeless to be borne much longer.
It was tempting to call my friend and say, 'not today, too much going
on' and he would have acquiesed and said 'fine, another time'.
Instead I found myself saying into the phone - I'll be about 30
minutes, now where do I meet you? and jotting down the directions.
An hour later, I pulled up behind his truck in the suburban
neighborhood - beige, identical, zero lot line middle America on the
left and a tired out dead grass gated multi abuse area on the right.
We skirted the industrial grated pit, some sewer diversion
construction, and aimed for a massive amateur welded 'gate' that
sealed off the pit. Using a pry bar we manhandled the top off, slid
off the wooden layer below, and I started down the iron ladder that
descended one side of the spacious concrete shaft. I'd forgotten to
turn my light on above and entered the lovely warmth in darkness. My
glasses fogged instantly in the warm moist air, so I could barely see
as I stepped tentatively off the ladder. Turning on my light, taking
off my glasses, my breath caught as I saw the glistening wonderland
surrounding me. Impossibly delicate soda straws feet in length
sparkled from every part of the ceiling. Frosted flowstone gleamed
in improbable places above and below. The room was filled with
family like groupings of stalags, crusts and flares of mineralized
water glowing flowing growing. It was beautiful, the more so for its
total improbabilty. Yet not improbable, because here it is, dazzling
me, taking me out of my humdrum grey- brown and hopeless mood of
moments ago, into the realm of wonder, beauty, mystery.
Not a big cave, no real need to move about, just to stand still and
breathe in the extravagant glory of it. And leaving, to remember the
beauty unimagined below the surface.
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