For millennia we have developed an externalized, collective memory that survives our own lifespan to become knowledge in the future. It is a core element of civilization. We can now reach out to the entire planet in a matter of seconds. That combination of speed and reach has been intoxicating and is fundamentally changing our perception of time and space. It is certainly compelling, but we do not know yet how much is good. Forgetting history, it seems to me, is a serious risk.

Human affairs have their cycles on many scales of time and space, as do the affairs of rocks and life apart from ourselves. We never have been separate and never can be. We have little choice but to live when and where we are, but there is choice in how we live if we are attentive and persistent. Occasional pilgrimage to gain distance and perspective on a larger and deeper scale is essential. We learn what we can and try to pass it on. It is a colossal ship to steer and is both foolish and wonderful to try. The desert has whispered this to me with the help of a pair of boots, a camera and a few good friends.