Smiling Faces

 

A coupla weeks ago I was back in the Bay Area for several political events, and I had a chance to soak up the deliciosity of the softer environs that exist by the coast. There’s a very different feel from Redding with its rocky climb out of the northern tip of the Sacramento Valley into the mountains.

As I do every chance I get, I walked through Tennessee Valley to the Pacific Ocean. This day it was indeed as named, with the small waves breaking discretely, softly, with moments of silence in between them. On this windless afternoon, I could hear the surf from a mile away. Aside from some mountain bikers crashing through the solitude, albeit briefly and joyfully, it is a very restful spot. The faces of the score or two of fellow strollers over the four miles are serene, smiling a shared knowingness at the Eden we have discovered.

I’ve enjoyed this walk for more than a decade; I used to walk it, year-round, when I lived in Marin. Some things don’t change, though some perceptions do. Not necessarily from side to side, but maybe they change their focal length so that the close-up becomes more of a scenic shot, and the wide shots come into closer focus. I particularly noticed this time the expressions on the faces, both women and men showing warmth and approval, more so than they would show out in the real world.

I noticed a difference among the women based on their age. The older women were more generous in their smiles than were the younger women, who were harder. Also, the younger men seemed less contentious -- less ready to rut -- than they did years ago. Maybe some men -- those who can take off in the middle of the day to walk to the ocean -- are wisening up at an earlier age.

Permit me to infer that it is less about gender, and more about balance. That within each of us is anima and animus, our female and male personality components, and the more appropriately balanced they are in each individual, the healthier is society. It is vital to note that balance doesn’t mean equal measure; most men have a higher animus quotient and most women have more anima.

It is confusion on this point that has led to so many of the difficulties in our world, but in the smiles of the people on their way to the Pacific this day, I saw the potential for resolution.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.

 

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