Like a white-hot probe

The unseen assailant drove the ice pick deep into my shoulders. It felt like a white-hot probe searing its way deep into the joint.  The  muscles of my neck, arms and back, already exhausted from previous attacks, contracted violently.  I wasn't sure how much more I could take. I held my arms across my chest in an effort to reduce the pain as he kicked my hips. No. It wasn't kicking. He was hitting me with a baseball bat with the power and accuracy of a major league baseball player. My legs buckled under me. I wanted to pass out. Why didn't I pass out?  I wanted to sleep. I couldn't. I had to keep moving around the house trying to escape the attack. I wanted to scream. I couldn't scream because Pamela was sleeping peacefully. I didn't want to awaken her. It was just Arthur beating the hell out of my poor, tired body.  It was "just arthritis".  In all I slept about two hours between the time we went to bed and I became aware that it was light and Pamela was making coffee.

It hurts to sit here writing. There is a weather front passing through. I had a hard time carrying my coffee cup from the kitchen to the table where I'm sitting. My hands can hardly bend and my joints throb. When I stand up I have to stand still for a few moments to allow the wave of sever pain that passes through every joint in my body to return to its dull achy pain. What causes many falls resulting in broken hips, etc., is a person with chronic pain - especially from arthritis - standing up and trying to move too quickly. Even after allowing the wave of pain to pass I must be careful taking that first step. Moving is a very conscious act and I will be honest, I attempt to look as "normal" in my movement as possible. And to think I'm one of the lucky ones. I can actually still run a bit. I hike, climb mountains, bike, kayak and scuba dive, but I do these things very carefully and with a great deal of pain. I do them despite the pain because I love to do them and I know that if I don't keep my painful joints moving I will not be able to move at all and I will die.

I know. I did a Facebook post some time ago about how angry I was when I went to an orthopedic clinic and a 20-some year old PA flippantly said "It's just arthritis."  Just because it isn't the direct cause of death doesn't mean that it isn't a monster disease that can destroy the victim's quality of life and leave them in almost unbearable pain. To many who suffer from severe arthritis death is preferable to years of unimaginable pain.

Arthritis is far from the only disease causing chronic pain but in addressing the topic of chronic pain it is my personal point of reference.  There are also as many ways of describing the pain experience as there are people who experience chronic pain.  I heard one person describe it as like being kicked by a horse.  I was kicked by a horse many years ago. That's a pretty good description.  I've never been hit by a car, but I've heard that analogy. The ice pick and baseball bat are common. Very honestly the best analogy for those who have not experienced chronic pain is to imagine the worst pain you have every experienced in your life and imagine having to suffer that pain day in and day out for the rest of your life. The best a person with chronic pain can expect is a dull ache or pain that is at least tolerable so they can sleep or rest.

Having spent my entire practice around the elderly and those with chronic debilitating disease I did notice that medical practitioners have a tendency to say "just ...." because chronic pain is not considered terminal therefore how bad can it be?  Chronic pain can be a killer. My field was psych. People have an inclination to avoid anything psychological including trying to understand why a person would kill or try to kill themselves just because of pain.  If you don't experience chronic pain I can't blame you for not wanting to try to imagine what it's like. Just trying to really imagine it is psychologically painful in itself. But what if you couldn't escape that pain?  If you can comprehend that then you can understand why you would see death as the only escape. The problem is that death isn't an option because it would bring great guilt on the society and the society will not allow that. At the same time the society is not permitting the victim to end their life and threatening the victims with such boggy man stories as going to hell it is not providing any relief to the victim. How would that make you feel?  Angry? Desperate? Terminal?

I'm not saying that there are not those who are trying to find cure or relief for the various causes of chronic pain. However, I see three problems.  First, most practitioners have no concept of the pain we are asked to endure. Well-meaning medical practitioners give us mild analgesics because they've been told by some pharmaceutical chemist or advertising agent that it will control the pain of arthritis all day. Then they wonder why we return complaining of no relief.  Secondly, they give us anti-inflammatory medications in lieu of strong pain killers because they're no longer allowed to give us opioids without sending us to special pain clinics that are really inefficient but supposedly keep us from becoming addicted to the medications that only partially reduce our pain. Thirdly, western medicine is exceptionally arrogant. It calls anything other than it's forms and techniques "alternative" medicine or even more disrespectful names.  Many of these other medical approaches are older than western medicine and often just as successful.  A good example are the eastern medicines. They focus on prevention as opposed to western medicine which is reactive. They have an excellent track record. They aren't as arrogant and will use western techniques when they appear better. We don't do that. In Indiana, for example, it is almost impossible to get an acupuncture license because Indiana AMA just doesn't want it around.

So what can be done about chronic pain?  Since I just mentioned western medical arrogance and other successful medical models,  the first thing which could be done would be to explore what those systems have to offer to the management of pain and make them available by having them covered by insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.

I don't think any of us who suffer from chronic pain want to become addicted to opiate pain killers. Addiction would just add another problem and complication to our pain, but let's be honest. If you were hurting so much each day that you had no quality of life, which is more important - managing the pain or worrying about the risk of addiction?  The important thing to remember is that we don't take these potent drugs to get high. There is no pleasure use.

Countless websites want to tell you about the dangers of pain medications, and there are those dangers. The problem with those sites is that they fail to talk about what happens if one's pain goes un-managed. What happens to the body when you go days without rest? What happens to the body if you become so depressed that you don't eat?  I could go on at great length but suffice it to say that in my 47 years of practice I have seen many people come very close to death because they did not receive pain management.  I wonder how many died because we didn't get them into care. Then there are those I've seen attempt suicide.

We must also consider the cost. I mentioned being required to go to a pain specialist in pain clinics. I will avoid the temptation to talk about their efficacy but let's talk about their cost. Put the word "specialist" behind a practitioner's name and you multiply the cost many times. Then government requirements force such "pain specialist" to do monthly drug screening which can cost the patient or an insurance company as much as $700. That is $8,400 a year not counting the cost of the specialist, medication and any other requirements or treatments.  The drug screening is nothing more than treating the victim of pain like a drug addict. We must stop treating victims of chronic severe pain like drug addicts.  Pain medications need to be available and affordable.

Who knows how Coca-Cola got its name?  It contained cocaine.  John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola in 1886, claimed that Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache and impotence.  Cocaine was not removed from Coke until 1902. So let's stop be puritanical. A great deal of modern research has been done on cannabis - and I'm not talking about smoking pot.  Smoking marijuana just delivers the cannabinoids more quickly but it isn't as effective as pills. So we're not talking about becoming "pot heads".

Those who think the treatment of arthritis with cannabis was thought up by those long haired, new age hippies wanting to legalize pot should read some history. Four thousand years ago the Chinese called cannabis a treatment that "undoes rheumatism".  Cannabis tinctures were common in American drug stores in the 19th century because aspirin didn't become common until the early part of the 20th century.

Marijuana provides two chemicals - called cannabinoids - that have been found to be exceptionally efficient in the treatment of arthritis: CBD and THC.  CBD, cannabidiol, is helpful for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain killer). As an added benefit THC is also known to reduce anxiety and depression "that commonly accompany severe diseases, especially those that affect one's mobility." (1)

We use opiates medicinally in all 50 states. There isn't a hospital in the USA that doesn't use morphine pumps.  With these very highly addictive and popular street drugs used so commonly why do only 22 states permit the medicinal use of the non-addictive CBD and THC for the treatment of arthritis?

From this you can see why, even though I'm a pacifist, I am sorely tempted to do bodily harm when someone says "it's just arthritis."

What can you do?  Be thoughtful to those who suffer from chronic pain.  Don't patronize us. Help us make our case, bring attention to the road blocks that keep us from getting the good and proper pain management that we deserve as human beings. Don't let us be treated like drug addicts because the only medications that come close to dampening our pain are strong and highly addictive. Help us push legislators and others to stop putting legal blockades in front of possible sources. And lastly, donate to the American Arthritis Foundation or other organizations that are seeking to find cures for the diseases that cause chronic pain.


FOOTNOTES:
(1) https://www.whaxy.com/learn/best-cannabis-for-arthritis

Russell E. Vance, III,  PhD
30 March 2016

Me, myself and I - finding the real you.

Me

I must admit that it is a bit fun to have people call me Indiana Jones because I'm a Harrison Ford fan, but it's just my Canadian made Tilly mountain hat.  Now days people think that any fedora style hat is either a cowboy hat or Indiana Jones which is totally not true. As you can see in the picture, that's really where my similarity to Mr. Ford ends. Indiana Jones doesn't have a beard, ear-ring or pony tail. LOL!

The other day I read a statement by David Bowie. He said, "Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been."

Now you need to know that I have been working on this blog and trying to get it going in the direction I want to go and say what I want it to say for months! Here, in one sentence, Bowie identifies my hypothesis - or at least one of them. It is what I needed to get me started.

Myself

Over the past 70 years there have been many times that I looked in the mirror and wondered about the real identity of the man looking back. At first I thought it was a silly experience. I knew exactly who I was. Suddenly, one day I was retired, old and alone and had both the time and inclination to revisit that ultimate question. "Who the hell am I?" Was I ever in for a shock! I really was one of those fantasies I had as a young man which I shook off as sheer fantasy. At that time the me that had the fantasy was convinced that what I perceived as the fantasy me could not be who I am, was, should have been or should be. I knew that I had to grow up and face reality. (What the %#@# is reality?)

and I

I don't know about you, but for about 66 plus years of my life I knew exactly who I was . . . I had all sort of people telling me on a daily basis - family, school, religion, society and peers, for starters. My parents were intellectuals so I knew that I was going to college and probably end up with a doctor's degree. That was a foregone conclusion and is exactly what happened. My schools knew that my parents were college professors so I was the son of college professors which meant that I would make As, get my assignments done on time and behave in school. Well, I didn't make all As but I fulfilled the rest of the expectation because that's who I was or am or whatever. I believed them. Why should I think outside my given parameters? My peers had me pegged as a weakling nerd because of me being who my parents and school told me I was, and so I accepted the role of weakling nerd. It had to be true because I accepted that what my parents and school had told me must be true and everyone like me was a weakling and a nerd. After all I loved classical music, I read Dostoyevsky, and thought everyone had the Harvard Classics in their home. (Actually, even after discovering who I am I do still love classical music, academic research and reading.) I will avoid getting caught up in trying to express my feelings about the baggage religion loaded me down with because that could take a volume or so alone.

By 27 years old I knew exactly who I was and how I was suppose to act.  If I didn't remember, there was a family (a wife and four children), work (geriatrics), career, title (Doctor) and a religion to remind me. My wife, now deceased for five years, would have supported me being anything I wanted but I looked at our children and realized that my responsibility defined me. I'm not complaining and I would not trade them for anything, but society had me believing that I could not be anything other than I had already been assigned without jeopardizing my family. No way! (emphasis on "society had me believing...") I could see no other option - probably because I had been raised to see no other option - and so I became the consummate Dr. Vance in the way I dressed and behaved.

My Father finished his PhD in history with a specialty in the US Constitution at a time when the US Department of State was heavily recruiting historians like him for diplomatic duty. He turned it down because it was too risky for his family. He did have a good career and retired as a highly respected full professor, but what might he have done? What phenomenal experiences and adventures did he forego in the name of our safety? Looking back I did the same thing. I took a few more risks but basically I accepted my definition.

Pamela and I were attending a Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates meeting. One of the things our organization does is sponsor a back country ranger internship. The ranger who was second in command of the park told us that he had been one of our interns many years ago. He was a pre-med student. He never made it to medical school and he had no regrets. 

While I was everything that everyone wanted me to be ... or told me I was ... there was a side to me that I loved but never thought it was more than a passing fancy of childhood. Few people know that part of my life. When we moved to Meadville, PA in 1957 one of our neighbors was a man who lived for the out-of-doors and Explorer Scouts. His name was David. I became a part of David's very small group and enjoyed countless adventures. The reason that our group was so small was because we did not do things the way others did them. For example, we did not go to a camping jamboree loaded down with tens, cots, sleeping bags, food, etc., as did other scouting groups. We would show up with our personal backpacks packed with survival kits, first aid kits, a change of clothes, water and maybe a couple of snacks. We would go off to the side and build shelters with knives, start fires with flint and steel, and eat roots, berries or other edibles we could find in the woods. We took canoe trips down streams and rivers. One November, while the snow was flying, we took a canoe trip down the French Creek, a river that leads into the Allegheny and ultimately into the Ohio. I loved nature, camping and spending times in the forest. Looking back, I realize that I was never happier. 

As a 15 year old I worked at a Boy Scout camp. Some other employees and I hiked home for our day off. That was about 40 miles.  We also hiked to the next state about 25 miles away just to say we did.  We had a "secret" club based upon our love of the wild. The initiation was to be led blindfolded into the woods and left for two days wearing nothing but moccasins and a loin cloth.  We had a knife and canteen of water.  Why did I think I was a weakling nerd?  Probably because I had been taught - perhaps brainwashed - that the weakling nerd was reality and time in the woods was just a lark. 

I dreamed of being the outdoors man but I had been taught who I am.  I had been taught that such nonsense is too risky, doesn't pay the bills, doesn't allow for a family, and doesn't fulfill the expectations set for me. And so I accepted "reality".  What did it take for me to learn who I really am?  

It is really sad that growing old must be the process by which one discovers the real them. Looking at my own story, I really want to cry.  I want to cry not because my story is sad but because, learning who I am, I realized what I had missed. 

I became a runner and ran my first race the day before my 63rd birthday.  My grandson had wanted to run a race at Disney. His Father couldn't run with him because he had to have a knee replacement. His Mother couldn't run with him because she was running her own race. His sister couldn't run because she was in college. His Grandmother was disabled, so that left his Grandfather - me - who,  by this time, had horrible arthritis.  I fell in love with running and did a bunch of marathons and half-marathons that first year.

When my wife died I found myself old and alone. I turned to ultra-trail running. That's runs of over 40 miles.  I loved being in the woods and could run all day. I ran through the mountains of the Ouachita National Forest and diagonally across the Badlands National Park. I did one race that only 70% of those who start actually finish. I ran it three times and finished all three times. I started living in a 5x8 foot utility trailer when I went on my adventures. I loved it. Then I got a popup. I loved being in the wilderness and I loved the adventure and the challenge. Would you believe that I still hadn't quite made the connection with the dreams of my youth? 

I met Pamela a little more than three years after my wife had died. She too was a widow. It didn't take us long to realize that we are out of the same mold. We love the same things. Pamela was a triathlete before arthritis ended her career. We both love the wilderness.  We both love to run, hike, bike, kayak and scuba dive.  We ended up buying a 16 foot 35 year old vintage camper trailer and spending our time working as volunteers for the National Park Service.  We work as campground hosts and trail patrol at Glacier National Park in the wilderness of northwestern Montana. 

This will be our fourth season.  We hike trails, climb mountains, bike mountain roads, and kayak on remote wilderness lakes. I went scuba diving in Lake McDonald, a glacier lake where the water temperature at the surface was 40 degrees on July 5th.  Our work day is filled with helping experienced campers plan their adventure, teaching new visitors how to enjoy the wilderness, and patrolling trails and mountains to assure that humans have a good experience without harm to the environment or wildlife. 

It didn't take me long to realize that this was the real me.  What had taken so long? Was it really necessary for me to wait until I was retired to be who I am?  

I don't think it was necessary.  Don't get me wrong.  I say again, I had a good life. But how much more living could there have been if I had started out as who I really am?  How much more could I have contributed to the world?  If I had not had a wonderful, loving family and enjoyed being a psychotherapist I would be understandably really angry right now. 

What can we learn from my story?  Is it a common story?  

I believe that it is a very common story.  I believe that the first lesson is that there is no freedom to be if you conform to religion and society; i.e. the various facets of society, along with religion, will dictate who you are to be if you let them. For most people there is no choice or at least no choice of which they are aware.  I'm not proposing anti-social but non-conformity. I'm not proposing non-conformity as a negative reaction to society but non-conformity as being the unhampered search for the real self.  I'm talking about non-conformity as being the refusal to permit religion and society from limiting and/or dictating.  

There is only one person to whom it is important to be happy with who you are - YOU! 
Being non-conformist and/or being who you are does not assume or require that one acts contrary to society or in an inappropriate manner. Sadly religion and society try to convince us that that is not true. Religion and society prefer that we believe that doing anything contrary to the way they say is wrong and/or inappropriate. They prefer that we   act and become what they say we are. They want us to believe that it is our only option. 

There are obvious problems with this. Many people are really not capable of such a search. They may not like religion and society dictating who they are but they do not have the means to go their own way. Others have neither the intellect nor the desire for such an undertaking and are perfectly happy having religion and society define themselves.  For those of us lucky enough to have the opportunity, means, intellect and desire finding ourselves should not be something we put off until we are at the end of our lives. The potential we discover could have profound benefits to more than ourselves. Who knows the potential of the real you. Could I have made a profound impact upon environmental policy or our wilderness had I become who I am now 50 years ago?  We'll never know. 

I must admit to being very happy that I discovered the real me and am now able to fulfill some of those dreams even if I did come close to waiting until it was too late.  Please, dear reader, don't make that mistake. Learn who you really are. It could change your life. And who knows, you may be the one whose saves humanity from itself.  

Russell E. Vance, III, PhD
27 March 2016

WHY I THINK HOMO SAPIENS ARE AN INVASIVE SPECIES?

It is not easy to come to the conclusion that if your species were to disappear from the face of the earth the earth would be better off. It is hard to accept that we not only do not contribute anything essential to nature but that we are, in fact, the worst invasive species on the planet. That's really, really hard but I've finally accepted the reality and I sincerely believe that by accepting this reality and attempting to do our best to change our behavior is our only hope of surviving as a species. 

It is even more difficult to write an essay explaining why we are an invasive species. Humans have a psychological predisposition that, as soon as they read or hear something they find offensive, their brains stop processing the new information and concentrate on organizing their defense. All I ask of my reader is that they fight this urge and actually think about what I say. 

Why do I think the homo sapiens are an invasive species? Actually I don't think this is a difficult question. For me it is very obvious. Then again, I'm not hampered by the anthropocentrism of religion. But I don't want to get off on that argument here. Please set religion aside.

We demand oil for our pleasure and comfort

Let's start by the fact that the homo sapiens meet every definition of "invasive species" of which I am aware. Most definitions are almost word-for-word identical. Here is one definition "Invasive species are defined as organisms (plant, animal, fungus, or bacterium) that are not native and has negative effects on a region." (1) Other definitions include harm to human environment, economy or well-being. I think that's more than a bit egocentric of us, but I believe that we still fit the definition. In destroying everything around us we destroy ourselves because of our arrogance. Again, however, this argument would be digressive at this point. 

We produce mountains of waste and pollutants. 

As an organism we are not indigenous to any area except northeastern Africa. I think that professor Dr. Yusal Noah Harari noted in his 7/24/2015 Ted Talk that if homo sapiens had stayed in northeastern Africa, where they originated, and minded their own business we'd probably be extinct by now.

I am sure that someone will argue that after 60-125,000 years we have become indigenous.  It is true that the first genus homo left Africa two million years ago.  Homo sapiens entered what is today Europe 60-125,000 years ago. My question is - can one become indigenous?  No matter how long my family resides in the USA we will still be an immigrant family. We can never be indigenous. No matter how many generations pass my family will still be carrying Irish DNA which is not indigenous to North America. 

The results of tar-sand oil extraction

But, for the sake of argument, let's assume that a species can become indigenous. For that to happen the species would have to no longer damage and/or be a danger to the ecosystem. An indigenous species is not only not a danger to the ecosystem but is a productive and vital part of the system such that the ecosystem actually suffers if the species is missing.  A good example is the wolf in Yellowstone.  When homo sapiens totally eradicated the wolf from Yellowstone there was a marked deterioration of the ecosystem. Herds of ungulates expanded because of the lack of the predator. As a result trees suffered which caused problems with ground water, streams, etc. In short, there was a disastrous domino effect. When the wolf was returned to the ecosystem healing was observed almost immediately. 

We destroy air quality. 

I know that humans have the delusional belief that we can do just as well as nature, but we know that isn't true. Can anyone name an ecosystem that would deteriorate if homo sapiens were to disappear? Can anyone name an ecosystem into which the homo sapiens has moved that does not immediately demonstrate stress, damage and deterioration?  No matter in what ecosystem homo sapiens are found there is no ecosystem in which we are a productive and vital part of the system. We are always a destructive force. 

Homo sapiens took the great plains from this . . . . 

The closest we ever came to being a non-destructive addition to an ecosystem was when we were hunter-gatherers.  Now we build roads and large buildings. To do that we change the land, the topography, and the soil chemistry. We destroy indigenous plants and animals and bring in invasive species, who, like ourselves, drive out the indigenous. A good example is the great plains. We invaded a fertile ecosystem, destroyed the wildlife that helped make and keep it fertile and planted non-indigenous species that robbed the soil and was not capable of withstanding the natural weather. Result - the great dust bowl. 

to this!!

I would dare to say that any one who is reading this can look out the nearest window and see an example of our destructive nature. This type of destruction can never contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

No matter in what ecosystem homo sapiens are found there is no ecosystem in which they are a productive and vital part of the system. They are always a destructive force. Therefore we can only conclude that homo sapiens are and always will be an invasive species.

Can we change?  Can we become a productive part of a healthy ecosystem?  

Would you live here? 

This is probably the most upsetting part of accepting that we are a destructive, invasive species. I fear that homo sapiens are not ready or willing to do what it would take to become good environmental citizens of planet earth.  It would require giving up so much of what modern society feels is essential. There is a post that has been making its way around Facebook. It shows a very simple cabin in the woods and asks if, for a prize of $10,000, would you be willing to live in the cabin for 30 days without television, internet, smart phone, electricity, etc. There are still a few of us who would pay for such a place but the point is that such simple living is considered a hardship to the "developed" world. 

Living the full-timer's dream.  

As full-timers our great love is living simply in the wilderness or remote areas. Our home, Willy, is 128 square feet and has everything we want and need. Albeit small it still has an environmental footprint. While Pamela was recovering from surgery we saw television. There was a program about the new "tiny home" craze. All of the "tiny" houses were at least twice the size of Willy filled with modern conveniences. At least that's moving in the right direction.  I believe you would find that most people think we're strange and would not consider living the simple life we love so dearly. 

A "tiny house" about 450-500 square feet. A good start.

As long as homo sapiens believe that they need all the trappings of modern life we will be a destructive invasive species. Our only hope and option is to attempt be the least destructive invasive species possible. We must stop thinking that we are so superior that we are able to improve upon nature.  We must seek to find ways to be a part of nature and minimize our footprint.  We must continue to make a concerted effort to reduce our population. We must put greater effort into renewable sources of energy and means of storing that energy that are eco-friendly. We must contain our expansion, protect what wild and wilderness areas we have left and return as much land as possible.  We must be willing to spend some of our money to help poorer countries to improve their lives without destroying their environment. And the list goes on and on and on and on. 

We can't be intimidated by the length and complexity of this list. We can't do nothing because we think we can't do enough or can't do it all.  A positive attitude is that such a lengthy list means that there is something for everyone. There are many items and activities on the list which each of us can do to make a difference.

We may not be able to change the reality that we will always be an invasive species wherever we go, but we can do something about the extent to which our presence adversely effects the world around us.

FOOT NOTES:

(1) www.env.gov.yk.ca 

More Alike than Different

More Alike than Different

Russell E. Vance, III, PhD

If this were a video or television program it would be opening with the sound of Willie Nelson singing “On the Road Again” with a big ole Dodge Ram Hemi 4x4 pulling a red and white vintage trailer down the road toward the distant mountains.

Since it's not a video or television program you'll have to use your imagination. It was that image in my mind that actually prompted this blog. I'm sure, as I get into the subject, you'll start to wonder about me, but that's a different matter.

I know a young woman who suffers from major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder is a chemical depression; that is, the person only feels and manifests depression because of a chemical imbalance. They may be having the greatest day of their life, but if their chemistry get off they may start crying. Comorbid to this – that's medical talk for another disease or disorder existing at the same time – is chronic pain. Chronic pain in and of itself is quite capable of causing depression, so this poor lady has a double whammy. Double whammy is not a medical term, but probably best describes her situation.

This lady has a dog. The dog is more than a pet. The dog is a companion animal. In this case the animal actually senses changes in her body and will alert her by his behavior before the actual manifestation in her body. His behavior is to try to cuddle and comfort her. There is only one way this dog can do this. For the dog to recognize a change in emotional status the dog must share emotions. There is only one reason for the cuddling and comforting. The dog has and shares emotions.

This is all precursory to my thesis; a reality of which scientist have been aware but have been afraid to admit for at least one to two centuries; viz. that all animals share the same emotions. Oh, my. There I went and said it. But western religion doesn't permit its adherents to consider such a thought. Thankfully I'm not an adherent to any religion, so I'm safe. I don't have to worry about being punished in the United States for such belief, at least not unless some current politicians get their way.

The eyes tell the story

Before I go further I guess I should explain how the vision of heading down the road toward mountains and a lady with chronic pain with a companion dog got me to this point. My brain just works that way, I guess. As I was driving this morning I experienced the emotion of longing to be on the road. Being aware of my feelings I began to think about how one tries to put them in words. It is very difficult to explain or describe an emotion without using the word for that emotion. Homo sapiens do not explain or verbalize their emotions to each other. We recognize an emotion in another homo sapien by their behavior or because we can relate to the emotion. That led me to how other animals express the same emotions.

Primate Skeletons

If you look closely, with an open mind, at all mammals you will notice that we're more alike than different. Check out our skeleton. (1) You can do an internet search and find untold numbers of sites that compare mammal skeletons. One thing which you will learn is that there is minimal difference. I could give a lecture on the skeleton of a dog and you would not know I was talking about a dog unless I told you. The biggest differences are between gender not species. Religion wants us to think that we were "created" differently. That's just not true. The basic skeletal structure developed over millions of years and was structurally established by the time the hominina (first human and biped ancestors) came along. Compared to most mammal species we are the johnny-come-latelies. As a separate species, our coming so much later than others was to our benefit.

Homo Sapiens compared to Bird Skeleton

The next thing you will notice is that our chemistry is the same as all other mammals. (2) I didn't say that our chemistry is similar to other mammals. I said that it is identical. The chemistry of the brain developed over a long time before our earliest ancestors arrived on the scene. We inherited the chemistry of our brains from earlier animals. It is designed for survival. When I was driving down the road and my memory reminded me of my previous enjoyable experiences of being on the road, dopamine (a feel good chemical) began to be released. It not only makes you feel good about the experience but provides energy for the chase or the pursuit of the goal/reward. Even the means by which these chemicals are produced by our bodies are the same. Face it. You're an animal.

As Dr. Carl Safina (3) likes to point out we are willing to accept that other animals get angry but we don't want to allow them any other emotions. That would make them the same as us and our Abrahemic religions won't tolerate such a thought. But how can one argue that another animal is obviously angry but can't be happy or loving? It doesn't make sense does it.

Some years ago I encountered a report of a mother elephant whose baby did something that it shouldn't. (4) As a result of straying away it did get into potentially deadly trouble. The mother and some other females rescued the baby. Once the baby was safe the mother was observed checking the baby for injury, cuddling and showing love and concern followed with a definite slap on the rump for misbehaving. This can not happen without emotions. Dr. Safina shares an entire book of observations and science to establish this as a fact. (5) It is only human arrogance, egged on by religion, that would deny such observations and reports.

A good speech or an article or a monograph should always have a point or a goal. I guess by definition this is not a good monograph because I had no conscious goal and I only shared these thoughts because so many people have never thought about how much we are like the other animals with whom we share this magnificent and fragile blue planet. Perhaps if we were more conscious of our similarities and interdependence we might curtail some of our destructive behaviors. Alas the one big difference between the homo sapiens and other animals is that we are the only animal that hunts and kills for pleasure. Perhaps if you were more conscious of how that animal loves its young, is happy, sad or afraid and wants to live, you might not shoot and kill it for pleasure or hang its head on your wall as a trophy.

Life on this earth is fragile. Scientist can identify the thin margins and combinations of factors that permitted a spinning hunk of hot gasses and rock to develop into a planet where carbon-based life like ours can exist. To this point humans have been far from good citizens. Now is the time for change.  Let us be mindful of our great treasure and do our best to preserve it. May we be mindful of our interdependence with all life on earth and show grateful respect.

FOOT NOTES:

(1) http://www.earthlife.net/mammals/skeleton.html and/or https://www.basicbiology.net/animal/mammals/skeleton/

(2) http://www.slideshare.net/LorettaBreuning/mammalian-brain-chemistry-explains-everything

(3) Safina, Carl ( ). Beyond Words: what animals think and feel.

(4) I read this report quite a number of years ago and can not find a reference to cite. Guess I'll just have to say "from memory".

(5) The difference between science and other disciplines is that for something to be accepted by science as true, fact, etc., it must be able to be replicated. If you can't do or demonstrate something again and again you have no case for validity. The presence of emotions in all animals has been demonstrated countless times.

Safe from the storm

Callie at rest (1)

I was sleeping soundly when I was awakened by the pain of claws in my left bicep.  I rolled over toward the edge of the bed where my nose was met by the big cool nose of Callie, a 25 pound all white American Eskimo dog.  As my eyes grew accustomed to my surroundings I could see the dark eyes in the white face. They were frightened and pleading.

The large bedroom was basked in the orangish color of the salt lamp we use as a night light. It gives off a warm and comforting glow which doesn't actually light the room but makes it so you can get around without tripping and falling.  Quickly I ran through my awakened-in-the-middle-of-the-night routine.  First a quick glance at the clock.  1:13 am.  Next check Pamela.

Pamela had bilateral knee replacement on December 7th and had to have one of the new knees removed and replaced with a temporary plastic joint until an infection acquired during surgery heals. She not only had the pain of surgery but of recovering from the infection, so getting sleep is very hard for her. She was sleeping peacefully. I knew that it had taken her hours.  'Dang,'  I thought to myself, 'I can't wake her up.'  I looked back at Callie, who had her front paws on the bed and waiting anxiously. "Be quiet and get down," I tried to whisper to the apprehensive dog.  She got down.

Everything in the room was normal, except for the nervous American Eskimo. The next step was getting my body moving.  You see,  I was first diagnosed with arthritis when I was thirty-two years old.  I'm now almost 70 and have had the heinous disease in just about every joint in my body for the past 38 years. I have had to sleep flat on my back with my arms at my side and not daring to cross my ankles for well over ten years just to diminish the pain sufficiently to sleep.  As you can imagine, you don't just jump up with arthritis unless you want some really serious pain. You have to coax, plead a bit, and slowly move a joint to get it to start moving.  Callie waited impatiently.

I really wanted to tell her to go back to bed and let me sleep, but Callie has never awakened me or insisted that I follow without good reason. I rolled my left leg off the side of the bed and used the patent Vance-method to lift my body to a sitting position. Well, it isn't actually patented. It's just a way that I've learned to get up where there's nothing to grab.  I put my elbow on the bed and use my forearm to leverage myself. Thankfully it is a lot harder to describe than to do. Callie watched closely as I put my feet into my slippers with her nose so close that she almost pushed them on because I wasn't moving fast enough.

"I must have left the gate closed," I thought.  I didn't think she would awaken me because the food dish was almost empty. Besides I had just checked that the evening before.  She might wake me up for water, but the most likely problem was that the gate which we use to keep the dogs out of the bedroom area when we're not home and my daughter's puppy, who lives with them in the apartment down stairs, from getting us up to play at 5:30 or 6 a.m., was closed.  If it was closed Callie could not get to either food, water or the doggy door.

As I rounded the corner from the master bedroom I could see that the gate was open. I looked down at the dog who was walking at my side looking up at me with foreboding.  "It's open Callie. What do you need?"

I checked the food and water, although I knew exactly what I was going to find, but I went through the exercise in hopes that whatever she needed would manifest itself in the act. As I moved through the house I kept a close eye on the large white animal with the pleading eyes. It was then that there was a small flash of light at the window like someone had used an old-fashioned flash bulb nearby.

That was it. I reached down. Patted the frightened dog and said "It's okay."

I wasn't angry with Callie for waking me up.  I wasn't happy but one or more of them gets me up at least twice during most nights. But now I was filled with compassion and my heart melted.  Callie is terrified of storms. I spent a few moments trying to comfort her.

My smartphone weather app showed that there was a storm front just about ready to engulf us. That, I thought, was why my arthritis hurt more than usual.  Remember how you giggled when your grandparents would tell you that they could tell when it was going to rain because their rheumatism hurt?  Believe me, it's true!  Callie is evidently sensitive to the pressure change long before there are signs of a storm.

By the time we got back to the bedroom I could hear rain softly falling on the skylight above the bed. I put a large dog bed close enough to our bed that I could easily reach down and comfort the frightened dog. Callie sat next to the bed and looked at me with her longing eyes. "You're too big to sleep up here," I said softly. "I'm sorry."  She just sat and looked.

I climbed back into bed.  Our bed is an antique bed that is slightly shorter and narrower than a standard double. We ended up making our own mattress for it.  Besides we already had the two little dogs with us. Atilla-the-Honey, a blind nine year old Yorkie, and Teddy, a tiny deaf 13 year old Pom, had not even raised their heads.  They are what is left of the G-3 - -  the three small dogs who have traveled an average of 12,000 miles a year around the country with us for the past three years, spending their summer protecting a small campground in Glacier National Park. The third member of the group, Cubby, passed away this past Thanksgiving. All three slept with us in the bed in Willy, our vintage 16 foot camper trailer, which is smaller than this bed.  Callie is actually my oldest granddaughter's dog. When she's not with us she lives with my daughter and their puppy.  But now she sat and looked at me. She just sat.

I dangled my arm over the side of the bed as an offering of comfort. Callie continued to just sit and look. The fear and pleading in her eyes was more than I could bear. I could sense her body shaking violently. As the storm arrived and light began to flash at all windows I got up, picked up the shaking, squirming dog, and laid her down next to me. She snuggled close and in short while the trembling began to subside.

What the heck.  Worst case scenario - I would have to lay on my side and not get much sleep. The important thing was that everyone was together and safe from the storm.


=====
(1)  This is the best picture I have of Callie.  She is like one of those people who believe that you steal their spirit if you take their picture. She has a second sense that tells her that a camera is in the room.

FOR MORE STORIES AND BLOGS BY

Russell Vance

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Puma, the Sheepish Lion

Northwest end of Avalanche Lake looking toward where
Mt Cannon (far) and Bearhat Mt (near) meet.

It was late May in Glacier National Park.  The snow was gone below 4,000 feet but you could still hear avalanches echoing across Avalanche lake.  That's what makes the 6 mile round-trip trek worth the effort.

Some of you might know the spot where Hidden Creek drops down from Hidden Lake between Mt. Cannon and Bearhat Mt. and enters Avalanche Creek.  It is one of those steep, open, craggy areas that are great foraging areas for all animals. There is water, early spring plants and the carcass of those who died during the winter.  Of course it is also a great spot for live prey that is attracted by the water and plant life.

On this particular day a young mountain lion - also known as a puma or cougar - was watching for just such live prey and he wasn't disappointed.  A male mountain goat, known as a billy,  was also attracted to the area. The billy had wondered down from the high country above Hidden Lake. Billies are solitary animals and roam large areas.

The mountain lion caught sight of the billy. His body became tense and he crouched down in predator mode.  Slowly he began to circle above the seemingly unsuspecting billy. The billy never looked up until he suddenly started trotting up the side of the mountain. The mountain lion stalked behind.

This pattern repeated several times before the mountain goat started to run followed closely by the mountain lion.

Now we all know that a mountain goat isn't going to outrun a mountain lion.  But the craggy ledges of mountains are the mountain goat's sanctuary.  Mountain goats have been observed to go where no one else would dare to go.  In fact, mountain goat expert, Dr. Douglas Chadwick (1) tells the story of watching a goat go so far out onto a ledge that it could not go in any direction and could not back up. The goat did a mountain goat version of a gymnastic walk-over, bringing its hind legs in front of its front legs and then turning and walking off the ledge.  Don't under-estimate the strength and power of a mountain goat.

The mountain goat went out onto a solitary point that seemed to hang over the valley below. The mountain lion seemed to know that a mountain goat can easily eviscerate an adversary with its horns, so it stopped a few yards away. The goat was isolated. The only exit was past the lion.  Could the goat outlast the lion?

Anxious hikers across the deep valley on the Avalanche Lake Trail on the side of Mt Brown watched the stand-off through binoculars.  If you had asked any one of them they would have given the best odds to the mountain lion.  After all a mountain lion can bring down an animal many times its size. It is fast and lethal. Most of the on-lookers knew nothing of the mountain goats agility and lethal horns.

After quite a lengthy time many of the human observers began to wonder off.  Nothing was happening. Besides, they might also have decided that they didn't really want to wait for hours to watch the carnage.  Shudder. The others kept watch as though in prayerful meditation for some sort of miraculous deliverance.

Ironically humans have a tendency to see the carnivorous hunter as the "bad animal".  It's ironic because humans are omnivores who think we must be carnivores. Does that make us "bad animals"? Since we are no longer hunter-gatherers we can let someone else slaughter the animal and we don't have to see it. I'm a vegetarian. I have no desire to see an animal be killed by a human or any other creature, but I realize that many species are carnivores. Humans, bears and a few others are omnivores. We don't really need to kill another animal to eat and survive. The mountain lion is not an omnivore.  If this lion were to lose this stand-off he would go away hungry. That could mean his death.  As much as I hate seeing either of these two marvelous creatures die, I realize that we must stay out of it and stop trying to improve on or manipulate nature.

As more and more of the human on-lookers began to wonder away the mountain lion was also becoming tired of the stand-off and decided that he had to make a move. The lion stood up.  The mountain goat looked over its shoulder at the lion but didn't move. The lion took a couple of steps toward the goat. The human audience gasped and all binoculars were lifted to their eyes.  The goat didn't seem bothered.  The lion took another step.  The goat rose to its feet and lowered its deadly horns toward the lion. The lion took a step back to re-evaluate his approach.  A murmur went through the on-lookers across the valley.

Suddenly the mountain goat leaped off the ledge.  Oh, my gosh, it was going to leap to its death rather than be mauled by the lion.  Naw!  That's a human thing. If it was going to die, the mountain goat was going to go out fighting.

With an indescribable grace and beauty the goat leaped into the air, landed briefly on a ledge many feet below, paused only a moment and leaped once again.  The billy did this no less than five times. Before the mountain lion could get to the edge of the ledge from which the billy had first leaped the mountain goat was running up the side of the opposite mountain several hundred yards from the lion.

A sheepish, hungry lion was left standing on an isolated ledge looking longingly at the goat who now stood on the opposite mountain looking back.  I must admit that I was happy for the mountain goat. At the same time you have to feel sorry for the mountain lion who may well go to bed hungry unless he finds an animal less crafty.


FOOTNOTE:

(1) Chadwick, Douglas H. (1983). A beast the color of winter. Sierra Club Books. San Francisco.      ISBN  0-8032-6421-6

Mt Cannon 

Ryuhiko -12

“Oh, excuse me!” said a very embarrassed Catherine. Each day after Shinmasa left she would go into his room and gather the inevitable dirty dishes and laundry. This morning she had assumed that he had left early because he was always gone by 8 am so she had done her usual perfunctory tap on the door and walked in. Unaccustomed as she was to human modesty, Moru just sat up in surprise while Shinmasa grabbed for a nearby corner of sheet. “I am so very, very sorry!” Catherine backed out of the room.

Moru and Shinmasa looked at each other. Then one of them began to snicker. That was all it took. They found themselves embracing as they laughed hysterically.

As Moru and Shinmasa's laughing and giggling turned into foreplay, a dark figure sat on the summit of Mt George a few miles away looking toward the lair. Bafu Nama had witnessed the defeat of Mmolai Botle and had followed Ryuhiko back to his lair. As he sat and watched Ryuhiko's lair he made a very deadly mistake. He decided that he wouldn't tell his master, Lefu Sefefo, about the lair but would forever be in his master's good graces because he would kill the akai ryu. Now he was sitting there thinking about how he was going to accomplish such a feat.

That evening, as Shinmasa was practicing his jo skills on the ledge, Bafu Nama decides to make his move. He felt that he had the advantage. After all, Ryuhiko was in his human form and standing totally open to attack. He flew as fast as he could toward the solitary figure.

Shinmasa was caught off guard. As Bafu rapidly approached Shinmasa caught a sniff of putrescine and cadaverine. Shinmasa knew that smell but before he could react Bafu hit him, knocking him down but not off the ledge. Moru had been watching Shinmasa practice from just inside the lair. She too had smelled the foul odor of putrescine and cadaverine and looked up to see Shinmasa fall just as he was struck by Bafu. She jumped up and started to run to his aid but before she could arrive he had transformed into Ryuhiko. All of the practice had paid off. He was standing on the ledge watching Bafu. He appeared completely relaxed which belied the taut, well-trained muscles waiting for his adversary's attack. Still grasped in his left claw was his jo. But it no longer looked like the four foot jo with which Shinmasa had practiced so much. It was as tall as Ryuhiko and shown a brilliant white like the white of the hottest flame. Ryuhiko looked at the jo and held it up for Moru to see. It was his Father's jo through which he would learn to focus the power.

Bafu paused for a moment as he turn around for another pass. Ryuhiko had never seen Bafu Nama and was repulsed by the creature who was heading toward him. Putrescine and cadaverine were actually quite descriptive of what he saw. Bafu appeared to be nothing more than an extremely large blob of rotting flesh. Ryuhiko could not make out a face, appendages or weapon. How was this creature planning to kill him?

“Watch out,” cried Moru. “He can spit a caustic acid.”

“Oh, that's nice,” Ryuhiko replied sarcastically. “Anything else you'd like to share?”

“He is very toxic,” responded Moru. “He's not really very good at direct combat. His forte is smothering you in your sleep.”

“Nice guy,” said Ryuhiko as he watched the approaching creature.

Bafu's idea was to knock Shinmasa off the ledge and then smother him as he lay broken at the bottom of the cliff. It wasn't going nearly as well as Bafu had imagined it. Now he was face to face with a dragon. He decided that his only chance of success was to fly right into the dragon's face and attempt to smother him as he stood there. As he drew near he saw the jo. It was too late to pull up and run.

As he approached, Bafu opened up his body to make the largest area possible to engulf Ryuhiko's head. When Bafu was just feet away Ryuhiko rose up and backhanded the creature with a mighty claw. Bafu was stunned, spinning and bouncing across the ledge and finally falling into the valley below.

Ryuhiko rose in the air, bent at the waist and went head first into the valley after Bafu. Bafu was far from intelligent but he knew when to give up and run. He tried desperately to pull himself together and headed down the valley away from the lair. If he could only survive he would tell his master. Lefu would know what to do with this dragon.

Vance Mountain was one of the higher mountains in the area. It had been created by three glaciers. One created the valley on it's west side with two cirques on the northeast and southeast. From above it presented as an upside down Y with knife edged ridges. Bafu was lifting up over the western ridge when he was hit by Ryuhiko and fell to the ground near the mountain's summit.

Bafu Nama stood up. He was dazed and confused. He looked around and saw Ryuhiko setting down a few yards away. Bafu knew that he was defeated. He couldn't out run or out fight this dragon.

“Go tell your master that I'm coming for him,” said Ryuhiko.

Bafu Nama knew that his master would be extremely angry and may, in his anger, destroy Bafu. He believed that he had no other choice than to attempt to finish what he had come to accomplish. Bafu threw himself at Ryuhiko.

Ryuhiko thrust with his jo. When the jo entered Bafu Nama's body Bafu immediately began to turn a bright white until, being totally a brillant white, he exploded.

Ryuhiko stood for a moment and said quietly, “or don't.”

Moru was standing on the ledge waiting for Ryuhiko. She had seen the explosion and believed that he had prevailed against Bafu, but she still stood anxiously waiting. This, she thought, is how humans feel so often. She was frightened. Frightened like a human. It was more than mere worry. It was painful. It was a pain she couldn't describe coming from her very core. When Ryuhiko could be seen approaching the sense of relief, joy, love was like a wave of comforting balm. 'How do animals function with all of these emotions?' She thought.

Ryuhiko transformed into Shinmasa immediately upon landing on the ledge and the two embraced. Shinmasa explained what had happened.

“It's the jo!” Shinmasa concluded his account.

“The jo?”

“Yes, this is my father's jo,” Shinmasa explained. “It carries the power. I've had it with me all along.”

Moru felt skeptical, but smiled as Shinmasa spoke. She had seen his father fight many times and, while he did carry the jo, it didn't seem to be the source of his great power.

“And I know how Lefu is going to try to destroy North America.”

“You do?” Moru was excited. She forgot about the jo.

“Yes,” Shinmasa was exuberant. “He's going to try to poison the Triple Divide.”

As Bafu Nama made his ill fated attack Lefu was half way around the world watching the carnage of war in the Middle East and drawing strength from the anger and hatred. He was enjoying himself. He had flamed the fires of distrust and religious difference into anger and hatred and was gleefully cheering both sides as two groups of Muslims were butchering each other in the name of the same god. Lefu could feel the power surge through his body as the battle became more violent and more gruesome.

Lefu's pleasure was interrupted by a strong sense of sudden loss. 'Bafu!' Lefu thought. 'That idiot has done something stupid. He's dead.' Ryuhiko was getting stronger faster than Lefu had anticipated. Then, Lefu thought, there was the possibility that the dragon prince had figured out his plan. That didn't matter as much as the timing. Actually he wanted Ryuhiko to figure it out in time to be there when Lefu brought about the beginning of the end of life in North America. He wanted to torture the young prince and make him suffer. That would give him great strength and it would torture his family, especially his sister, Moru. He wouldn't have to physically defeat the young dragon. The pain, the sorrow, the failure would destroy him. It made Lefu smile.

Lefu decided that he must act quickly. He sat looking at the gore and a smile came to his face. He needed distractions to keep Ryuhiko busy until he was ready for him. He looked around the world. There was so much angry and hatred. There was so much distrust, blame, self-centeredness. Lefu was so happy with his handiwork. It gave him many options.

There. Lefu saw a police officer approaching a young black man in Birmingham, Alabama. Lefu had been feeding off this type of situation for years so it took little to instigate a confrontation that left the young black man lying dead. Soon a riot ensued.

Oh, yes, thought Lefu. There are refugees trying to get their families to someplace safe. 'Sorry,' Lefu said out loud. 'Not today.' He grinned as he stirred hatred, suspicion and anger among some locals. The police and military are losing their tempers because they are trying to keep the refugees out while not allowing the locals to hurt the refugees and they're getting totally disgusted with the entire situation.

Lefu was having great fun and he was only starting. He would be having the heir to the dragon king's throne so busy trying to bring calm that he wouldn't notice what Lefu was doing until it was too late. That's when Lefu wanted Ryuhiko to show up . . . when it was too late.

In the lair Shinmasa suddenly sat up in bed with a gasp.

“What is it?” Moru said rolling over and looking up at Shinmasa.

“It's starting,” Shinmasa said looking around as thought he expected to see something or find something.

“Lefu?”

“Yes. He's starting trouble,” said Shinmasa.

“You know he always does that,” said Moru sitting up and putting her hand on Shinmasa's shoulder.

“No this is different,” Shinmasa shook his head. “He's ready.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I can feel it. These situations aren't for his entertainment or to gain power. They are to draw me away so that he can make his attack.”

Moru knew that as Ryuhiko grew in power, he was more and more attuned to what Lefu was doing. He seemed to always know where Lefu was at any time. He would feel . . . he could sense Lefru. It was as though Ryuhiko being Lefu's opposite created a common link. The two of them had almost become like yin and yang. This worried Moru. Could Ryuhiko survive destroying Lefu? Even worse, could it be that the destruction of Ryuhiko was what was necessary to bring about the destruction of Lefu? Moru didn't want to consider such possibilities but they haunted her.

“These are distractions,” Shinmasa said turning to Moru. “I'll bet anything if I head toward one of these trouble spots there will be a unbelievably severe store go across the Triple Divide.” Shinmasa paused and looked away in thought. “He wants me to realize what he's doing but be so far away that the deed is done by the time I arrive.”

“Metsia!” Moru suddenly exclaimed.

“Who?” Shinmasa asked.

“My sister, Metsia, is the spirit of the ocean,” Moru smiled broadly while Shinmasa looked totally lost. “To force Lefu to make his move while you're still close enough to stop him, we have to make him think his distractions worked. You can start toward Birmingham. You both seem to be able to sense the other. We'll have Metsia send a heavy tropical storm in from the Gulf to dampen things in Birmingham. Hopefully Lefu will think that you have been distracted and start his attack. You will actually close enough to be there when he arrives at the Triple Divide.”

Shinmasa pondered the idea for a few moments. It could work. He certainly didn't have any ideas. Moru left immediately to contact her sister while Shinmasa went out on the ledge to meditate before his great battle with Lefu Sefefo, the greatest evil the world had ever known. As he moved deeper and deeper into his meditative trance his body began to glow until he was a brilliant white.

Ryuhiko stood on the Triple Divide Peak looking down the long valley of Hudson Bay Creek toward Red Eagle lake. He was well above the tree-line. The trees created a cushion of green far below him. A palette of greens and browns topped by the stark vertical linear lines of massive Mount James and Norris Mountain on each side of him. At the end of the valley was Red Eagle Mountain standing like a giant fortress with a rainbow crossing it like a sash. In the distance he could see the approaching storm. It was time. He looked down at his hand. It was just a jo decorated with runes. How had he come to this? Sunyata. In Sunyata he had seen the oneness. He now understood.

Ryuhiko looked at the approaching storm. Lefu Sefefo was manifest in the storm. Ryuhiko had seen this face before. It was many times worse than the one he had experienced with Moru when he first learned that he was Ryuhiko. That seemed like so long ago. It was a terrifying storm but now 'Ryuhiko was strong and prepared.

“I know who you really are and how you plan to kill North America,” Ryuhiko called to the storm. “You plan to poison the Triple Divide. That will poison the water in all of North America. It won't be fast but eventually the land and all living things will die.”

Lefu laughed. It was a hideous laugh. It was a laugh that defined hatred and evil. Time and again what appears as lightening flashes toward Ryuhiko but each time he reflects it with his jo. In a rage Lefu sent multiple attacks at one time hitting and striking Ryuhiko. Time and again Ryuhiko is pushed from the top of the Triple Divide into the deep valley south of the peak. Each time he returns the storm is closer and each time he is greeted by Lefu's terrifying laugh.

“You are no match for me, little prince,” Lefu taunted. “You will stand there pathetically fighting my storm as I destroy your precious earth.”

Ryuhiko paid no attention to Lefu's taunt but it did make him realize that standing right on the Triple Divide wasn't good strategy. He must fight from someplace where Lefu must get past him. Ryuhiko moved to the peak of Split Mountain. Now Lefu must literally get past Ryuhiko.

Ryuhiko's jo was brighter than he'd ever seen and the glow was moving through Ryuhiko's claws into his body. Ryuhiko's body was the light. Not the jo.

“I know now,” said Ryuhiko, “the source of the light. Lefu's face grew dark. “Yes, you know it too and you were hoping that I'd not figure it out. The brilliant light is the manifestation of the total of all hope, love, compassion and goodness in existence. Like the law of conservation of energy, these elements go from reality to potential. The potential for them is always there. This is the oneness which you have attempted to pervert. I'm the yang to your yin. I'm the dragon standing on a mountain filled with light and life. But you want the duality to continue. If people were to understand the oneness of the universe you would cease to control them.”

As Ryuhiko spoke Lefu's face grew darker until it was almost featureless. “You are but a collection of negative energy gleaned from the fears, angers, and hatred of people. But we are all connected. We are all one. So technically, I must accept these negative emotions. But what if I have made friends with my emotions – positive and negative? What if I can give that hope to a handful of others who pass it along, and so forth? Would this little spot here turn clear and beautiful?”

As he spoke Ryuhiko pointed his hand at the edge of Lefu's terrible storm and a small area turned white. Lefu's rage grew but made no difference to Ryuhiko. “Would that not grow expotentially? How long until your storm of hate and fear became like a gentle summer shower or a fresh winter's snowfall?” Ryuhiko pointed and the white area began to grow.

“This can't be happening,” shouted Lefu.

“Of course it can,” replied Ryuhiko. “Is this your reality or mine?”

Ryuhiko spreads his wings and flew directly into the heart of the storm as Lefu Sefefo screamed “no” and attempted to back away. But the storm could not move fast enough. All goes black.

Shinmasa awakened to see his Father sitting next to him. He was on top of the mountain but, looking down, he could see Ryuhiko lying at the foot of Split Mountain.

“Am I dead?” he asked his father.

“You could be,” his father answered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You have a choice. You can be dead and be free from the endless battle with Lefu or you can accept the Bodhisattva way. You know that humans are not strong enough to deal with him on their own. You stopped him today but, if you accept death, they will die tomorrow.”

Shinmasa thought of the Buddhist Bodhisattva prayer he had recited so many times.

May I be a guard for those who need protection
A guide for those on the path
A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood
May I be a lamp in the darkness
A resting place for the weary
A healing medicine for all who are sick
A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles
And for the boundless multitudes of living beings
May I bring sustenance and awakening
Enduring like the earth and sky
Until all beings are freed from sorrow
And all are awakened

Shinmasa realized that he was on the bodhisattva way. He and his father stood facing each other.

“I am proud of you, my son.” said the dragon king. “You have won a great victory and learn a greater lesson. But you know you have not stopped Lefu but for a moment. He will continue to spread his cloud of anger and hatred, bigotry and discrimination, and all things foul and demeaning to humanity. He will continue until humanity understands the oneness of all things.”

The two men embraced. As Ryutada faded from view, Shinmasa looked down at Ryuhiko lying at the bottom of the mountain. There was a figure kneeling next to the dragon. It was Moru. She was weeping. 'There was another good reason to return,' thought Shinmasa. He closed his eyes. When he opened them he was Ryuhiko lying on the ground. Moru cried and hugged and kissed him. He hurt all over. He didn't want to get up. But he did. He had chosen the bodhisattva way and he had the Spirit of the Forest to walk it with him. 

Ryuhiko looked up at the majestic barren mountain that was the Triple Divide. As the sun was setting the mountain was awash in a scarlet sky.  Then he turned to Moru. "the mountain is safe and we survived."  Moru hugged and kissed him again.  Holding tightly to each other they kiss as they rose into the clouds above the mountains.