I - will have poetry in my life.
And adventure. And love.
Love above all.”
- Marc Norman
We finally came to a clearing and made our way to our journey’s end: Taft Point. Nestled some 3000 feet above Yosemite Valley, we were presented with an almost surreal-like but otherwise impressive view. There was a battle going on inside my head as I walked up to the edge. My fear of heights is trying to tell me that if I walk any further, I will slip and fall thousands of feet to the ground below. I can even honestly say that we are so high up that if I do fall, I might still have time to write a note or two to my loved ones before I hit the ground. On the other hand, a sense of adventure is daring me to walk up as far as I can to the cliff’s edge. So I did. And I peered down. I immediately took notice of the light dancing and twinkling down below. It was the Merced River reflecting back the scant amount of sunlight that was able to break through the thick clouds above back to us. Although it is far from where I was standing, Yosemite Falls, on the east, was still a powerful sight. With what seems like an endless cascade of water carving through rocks and granite. And then there's El Capitan, jutting out of the earth in all it’s monolithic
grandeur. Being in it's presence, it reminded me that in the whole scheme of things, I am just a tiny ant. Insignificant. Miniscule. Nadir. A small bleep in the radar. I stood at the edge for a few more seconds, holding onto the railing with a vice-like grip, while the left side of my brain, the side responsible for logic, is trying to make sense of this wonderland that is around me. I then became encumbered by the gusts of wind that was continuously making my whole body sway left and right. So I finally balked and walked back.
Thick grey clouds started to roll in with the sound of thunder still rumbling in the distance. We have a few more minutes before it will start to rain. I had Rubie and Jun stand close to the edge while he holds her close. At this point the wind started to pick up again and she was meticulously trying to fix and hold her hair away from her face. So I finally told her to just let go and enjoy the moment. Hair and all. I figured, we are thousands of feet above the ground, and at this point we are at the mercy of the environment. And let go she did. And what transpired are a series of photos that captures both the vastness of nature and the beauty of two people in love. There is definitely truth to the axiom: "On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it."
Looking back, this was one hell of an adventure we had with Rubie and Jun. Having to go through rain, snow, hale and at one time, a bear curiously watching us, Yosemite Valley is definitely a highlight of A Sight of Love. I will gladly wake up at 3am again to have this experience once more.
