Teddy at Medora
We took a little family getaway trip 3 hours north to Medora, North Dakota. It could be one of the most out-of-the-way tourist areas I know of. I, being a South Dakota native, have always been quite certain North Dakota is lacking in character and charm, but after visiting Medora, that opinion has been challenged, for sure!
The “North Dakota Badlands” are downright beautiful. They have a “wild” flair, and are full of mystery, leaving me wondering what all for sure has happened there in history? They teach me the value of vulnerability and “opening” to life, of the beauty that can be had if I release control and the fear of surrender. Add the history of Theodore Roosevelt himself, and you have a well-rounded out satisfying little vacation spot. The Little Missouri River flows slowly through the area, and the bare cliffs and bluffs show off their multi-colored layers of dirt, sand, and rock. Wild horses and buffalo roam free, and prairie dogs yip and dip in their barren little towns.
Teddy called this area “home” for a few years back in his day. First he visited as a hunter, and later he owned a ranch north of town out in the boondocks. He said if it hadn’t been for his time around Medora, he didn’t think he would ever have been president. He lost his wife and mother (on the same day), and found respite and healing in the raw and wild wilderness.
There is a famous quote by Teddy, and you will find it below.
These words stir the spirit and settle into the bones. They leave you with questions and thoughts to ponder, “am I in the arena”? Or am I the critic? I daresay each of us can claim one title at times, and in other times the opposite is true. To show up in the arena, not knowing whether you will know victory or defeat, is one of the greatest acts of courage known to man. There is an arena for everyone. It might be public, it might be private. It might be large, it might be small. It might be hard, it might be easy. It might be your talent, or something you struggle to accomplish. One thing that is always true in the arena, I believe, is this: In the arena, you meet life, yourself, others, in truth. It might look different from up high in the bleachers. But when you are on the ground, in the arena, face to face with what in in front of you, the illusion is gone. The ground is level. You are there seeing it exactly how it is, AND you are there to face it and acknowledge it. You are there to take action. What benefits you most in the arena? Prayer, stillness, breath, peace, surrender of the ego. A few smooth and sure actions will take you much further than thrashing about in panic. But if you do thrash and dash about, it’s okay, because YOU ARE IN THE ARENA, and that is the first great step. Keep trying, keep showing up.
And if you enjoy Teddy’s quotes, here is another one:
If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.
Seriously, Teddy?!
RCY
