Humility's Fall

“The sky begins at your feet.” – Hopi chant

I often forget my humility. I don’t act badly…I take humility for granted. I get so caught up in the tasks at hand, mixed with a little pride about what I am trying to accomplish, and find myself with my head in the clouds.

That’s when I tend to have forgotten the very legs, my own, that I am standing on to be in this position with a view of the top side of clouds. I take my support for granted I even believe that there are those out there that have my back, only to find that they are sawing off my legs at the ankles. And when that happens I feel that reminder of my rump on the earth as I suddenly take a fall. Ouch! On many levels.

I’ve taken a few of these falls more than a few times. I am only grateful that they were not fatal to my goals and were from only a height that could be measured by my own deeds and failings. There have been many men and women who have reached far greater heights than I – reached higher stars – and fell from those loftier positions than I ever will. They fell from a height that could be attributed from elevations supported by piles of treasure, bodies of people who stood in the way or just spoils of earth.

I on the other hand, have only crashed from the height that is measured from the low place where my feet touch the earth to the height of my outstretched arms.

Some powerful and ambitious souls, don’t often survive the crashes that they experience, figuratively or literally when the truth is revealed. After all, if you were standing on my shoulders, what would make me want to put the effort into catching you if you fall? And what would make me just step out of the way and let you tumble to the ground?

 It would all depend on how you arrived on my shoulders.

The picture above is of Hopi Indians and they are performing their traditional "Rattlesnake Dance."