Life Connections

Last night, Steve my friend who is very graciously giving me support and protection at this difficult time in my life, suggested that we watch a DVD as a way to relax. Last weekend, he had attended a pow wow of native American Indians at Bedford and had been inspired to play his Native American flutes and take a greater interest in their culture.

He selected Grey Owl from his home library, a movie from 1999 that was directed by Richard Attenborough, the film director who has made a number of films that feature famous people from history. You may remember that he directed Gandhi which portrayed the struggle of that great man in his quest for Indian Independence.

Grey Owl was the Native American name for Archibald Stansfield Belaney, a man who was born English in that most English of towns, Hastings.

Hastings, where William The Conqueror defeated the Saxon king Harold and established the Norman dynasty which changed history and the future of what was then a series of kingdoms in England. The Battle of Hastings is the last time any foreign invader successfully conquered this island, nearly 1000 years ago in 1066.

Archie emigrated to Canada in 1910 as he was fascinated with the Indian culture. He immersed himself in the knowledge and teachings of the tribes in Canada and became a trapper. He was an anonymous figure until his life changed when he met a young girl, Pony a Mohawk Iroquois, who was half his age. Now 38, Archibald Stansfield Belaney was known as Grey Owl and he manufactured an identity to suit based on a false parentage.

His life changed with the advent of Pony into his life. He was encouraged to write about the Wilds of Canada, Nature and, in particular, the plight of the beaver which was an endangered animal in the 1920's. His books and articles became an international success and he embarked on a tour in England and other countries to promote his ideas before returning to Canada, a public hero.

Fate then conspired to catch up with him, the truth about his identity emerged and he retired to the wilderness where he died in 1938, two years after his enforced retirement from the public eye.  The story was then published and became front page news. Of course, his reputation suffered but the strength of his wisdom remained and was revived in the 1970's.

This was Archie's story: a man before his time who extolled the necessity for Man to treat the planet in which we depend upon for support with greater respect. His writing is a legacy that cannot be erased. His life touched many others and among them were the Attenborough brothers – Richard who directed the movie and David who has become a world renowned naturalist.

The connection?

As young boys they sat in the audience when Grey Owl was conducting one of his lectures and, such was the force of his presentation, that it altered their view of the world and their place in it. To great effect you may argue too.

I am struck by the message behind this simple viewing of a DVD but, then, nothing surprises me about the events that occur in my life anymore.

This morning as I was writing my daily journal, as I do every day before I move into the day, I was bemoaning the poverty of my material existence. By any measure, I am poor – no job, no savings, no material possessions whatsoever.

It is a dark and difficult place to be and I will not downplay the gravity of my personal situation. I wonder what will become of me but I also know that I am faced with a new challenge. I actually noted in my journal entry today that I have nothing of value left.

In fact, that is not quite correct.

I do have the experience and knowledge of a lifetime lived 'on the edge'.

My life has not been a comfortable one at all. Sure,  I have experienced great material comfort but I have also lost all that too. My relationships have been difficult, particularly with women – karmic even – but out of the trials, tribulations and moments of great joy there has come a deep understanding of why I have lived

We very rarely stop to ponder the effect that we have on other people. We cannot all be Grey Owls who have the ideas and the platform to go with it to support us in how we express the truthfulness that is in our lives or even the wisdom that we may have earned.

However, we should understand that through giving without thought of getting back in return, then each of us can have a remarkable influence on how other people see their lives and how they may progress to a more fulfilled way of living.

Was Archie – Grey Owl – a fraud? Should he have owned up sooner then he did to the truth of who he was?

In the movie, he confesses to the Council of Chiefs that he was not a native American. Their response was that his life was a 'great dreaming' accompanied by a great laughter at the irony of the situation. In other words, the integrity of his spirit was being accurately reflected in what he projected into the world.

His talent was to be able to express in clear terms an issue that is of great importance to us all. The relationship of the human race to Nature and how we have to respect what we are given and use what is provided with care.

This is his legacy.

What will yours be?