Today, my story consists of 2 parts: Bitchy part and the other part. In bitchy part I will be writing (bitching) about all those who are dead but think that they are alive. In the second part I will be writing about a place that is too silent for them.
Noise
I have become very sensitive to mindless noise. I guess that's part of evolution, of a process of aging. However, I also must add that my resistance to noise is not just me getting older (and grumpier :)), but also my choice. My own Freedom. My own Taste.
I rarely watch TV, and when I watch it, I cannot stand the noise that comes from commercials. I always use my remote to lower it down, as it is at least 30% louder. It somehow hurts my ears, my head, my hearing. Perhaps, it is not just that obvious noise, it is more the effects of mindless content that we are being bombarded perpetually.
Fat brains who drive pickup trucks
I hate pickup trucks with diesel engines. The noise they produce (controlled by mindless ignorant fat brains), hurts my head, my ears, my brain. When these rude fat brains press their accelerator pedals and when the black exhaust fumes get expelled into air, and when they rush as they'll die next minute, I push my fingers inside my ear lobes, trying to protect myself. I am not that fast to use my ear plugs, so I still suffer from 110 decibels of road rage. It might be quite sexy to drive these ugly machines.
They believe that they deserve it
Many fat brains who believe that they "deserve it", speak so loud on their smart phones, that it becomes awkward, as suddenly I learn everything about their mistresses, their trouble with a teen daughter, their lack of banking knowledge, their arthritis, their successful "flip-flopping" real estate business, their Oprah admiration, and other numbing, never ending stories.
Of course they've built the world and they deserve it all.
We also cannot hear each other when we have a meal in even some of nicer restaurants. Obnoxious customers on other table (s) are literary screaming, and laughing so hard that we have to ask each other more then once:"What did you say". This breed of mean fat brains, who also "deserved it", allow themselves to "express" themselves, by ruining other people comfort. They are free in a land of free. When I politely ask them to decrease volumes of their voices, almost normal reply is:"That's not your business", or something like: "We deserve to yell".
Well, it is totally my business, as they affect my well being, and everyone else around.
Should I ask, where are their manners? Who did raise them?
Let me assure you that I don't pay much attention to all of this. If I did, I would be in so much trouble. I leave them to enjoy their prosperity and I go back to basics. To Mother Nature.
Silence and selling
I value silence more than noise. Silence tells us more than words, and with all stimuli around us, we are actually not told too much. Bombardment of our senses is mindless, as it serves only one purpose: To sell us something. Not because we need it, only because "Economy must continue expanding".
There was a slogan, from this bank that I worked for:"Selling is Helping". Geniuses of this bank marketing department came up with it. Good job.
My own way
I help myself without them helping me. I do it on my own way. I find real silence. I find true silence. I go to places where they cannot affect me. I go to places where they cannot sell me things.
Don't misunderstood me, I still buy "stuff", but only what I need. And I buy it locally. I don't get trapped by consumerism.
I am not a good soldier of their economic system. I conserve, I don't spend, and I support small businesses, I question their status quo. I educate myself. Of course they'll (fat brains) obfuscate the truth, they'll simplify it, to demonize me (and everyone else who is resisting their system, who doesn't shop at Walmart).
And, that is OK. Places I go to are out of their reach.
But, let's get back to silence.
Real silence and true silence is connected with noise, with real and true noise. They compliment each other. I don't mind that kind of noise, that comes as a result of nature's way of "making noise". Nature just does it, and noise is just a force of nature. Nature is not obnoxious, rude, or mean. Nature just does what it does. Noise that is produced by Nature is pleasant.
But then, nature gives us real and true silence.
That's why we are very closely connected with nature, and especially where we live, we are in sync with the mountains, their lakes, rivers, forests, animals. On the mountains we find real and true silence. Wilderness frees us.
As days are short and the sun is quite low on horizon, there are only a few hours of sunshine per day so big parts of the mountains are dark and cold. That's why we chose to climb south exposed mountain sides and faces. Castle mountain is perfect for that.
Castle mountain looks like a castle. When approached from Banff, or Lake Louise, or from Radium, it always looks like a castle.
To climb it, to get to the top, you can either go around and climb it using its gentle north face, or you can rock/ice climb it from the south side. The routes that go to the top are a sum of extremes, as "gentle" one is boring, and the rocky one is too dangerous.
It is too dangerous as it looks deceiving, with so many good "routes" and hand/feet holds, that inexperienced climbers are usually very eager to take on their way up. And that's how they get into trouble as suddenly they are faced with vertical, non-climbable faces. And there is no way back.
However, it is still possible to get almost similar benefits, as being on the top of Eisenhower peak of Castle mountain. It is somewhat boring, but safe, unexposed, and once you are at the end of the trail, once you are on Castle Lookout, amazing scenery opens up in front of your eyes.
It is a somewhat steep climb that starts 5 km north of Castle Cabins on Bow Valley Promenade - not possible to miss it :).
At first it is lame (for some) to walk through thick forest, but very soon, while gaining altitude, the views open up.
And that's where that amazing realization of silence kicks in. There are no more pickup trucks, no more TV commercials, no more rude restaurant guests, no more loud smart phone owners.....
You can hear your steps, sound of crunching snow, and you don't have to ask a question:"What did you say". You can even hear when rocks break high up, and start falling down.
You can hear your own breathing when you are taking a video. Even you can hear a camera "motor" moving its lenses when you are zooming in or out.
It is that silent.
Another great aspect is total absence of fat brains. There are no fat brains up there, to spoil this beauty. And those few people who get there, they usually understand and know everything about silence. When our eyes meet we know. Well, they also drive pickups, watch TV, have smart phones....laugh and yell, but they are aware, and they are gentle, and they are kind people. They respect others.
They are not fat brains.
I learned about respect and humility from the mountains. Mountains were kind enough to pass that knowledge to me. And I was eager enough to learn it.
On the mountains I can live in alignment with my spirit and not with this toxic culture I am forced to tolerate.
Average people don't come here. It is too strenuous for them. And that is a good thing. I don't mind lack of crowds and not seeing them.
Average people probably expect a four lane highway to help them to get to the mountain, to the top of it. They also expect some help with it, because they "deserve it". They expect a resort. They expect "all included".
Again, don't misunderstand me, some "average people" are great and grand, and are doing all in their powers to help creating a world in which fat brains will use their brains. These people are respectful and kind.
That's why I tell fat brains to come and join us - it is not too hard to climb to Castle Outlook and enjoy silence. To refresh and recharge senses that have become numb and dumb.
To refresh spirit and consume healthy food of life.
To leave technology behind.
To unhook from the grid.
To rock the boat.
To live on their own way.
To live without human laws.
To live without religion.
To live without social norms.
To comply to only one law - law of nature.
To better communicate by being silent.
One of great Bow Valley residents, Eddie Hunter, said that "Maybe, the most beautiful sound in the Canadian Rockies is just...silence". And boy, he was so much right.
Noise
I have become very sensitive to mindless noise. I guess that's part of evolution, of a process of aging. However, I also must add that my resistance to noise is not just me getting older (and grumpier :)), but also my choice. My own Freedom. My own Taste.
I rarely watch TV, and when I watch it, I cannot stand the noise that comes from commercials. I always use my remote to lower it down, as it is at least 30% louder. It somehow hurts my ears, my head, my hearing. Perhaps, it is not just that obvious noise, it is more the effects of mindless content that we are being bombarded perpetually.
Fat brains who drive pickup trucks
I hate pickup trucks with diesel engines. The noise they produce (controlled by mindless ignorant fat brains), hurts my head, my ears, my brain. When these rude fat brains press their accelerator pedals and when the black exhaust fumes get expelled into air, and when they rush as they'll die next minute, I push my fingers inside my ear lobes, trying to protect myself. I am not that fast to use my ear plugs, so I still suffer from 110 decibels of road rage. It might be quite sexy to drive these ugly machines.
They believe that they deserve it
Many fat brains who believe that they "deserve it", speak so loud on their smart phones, that it becomes awkward, as suddenly I learn everything about their mistresses, their trouble with a teen daughter, their lack of banking knowledge, their arthritis, their successful "flip-flopping" real estate business, their Oprah admiration, and other numbing, never ending stories.
Of course they've built the world and they deserve it all.
We also cannot hear each other when we have a meal in even some of nicer restaurants. Obnoxious customers on other table (s) are literary screaming, and laughing so hard that we have to ask each other more then once:"What did you say". This breed of mean fat brains, who also "deserved it", allow themselves to "express" themselves, by ruining other people comfort. They are free in a land of free. When I politely ask them to decrease volumes of their voices, almost normal reply is:"That's not your business", or something like: "We deserve to yell".
Well, it is totally my business, as they affect my well being, and everyone else around.
Should I ask, where are their manners? Who did raise them?
Let me assure you that I don't pay much attention to all of this. If I did, I would be in so much trouble. I leave them to enjoy their prosperity and I go back to basics. To Mother Nature.
Silence and selling
I value silence more than noise. Silence tells us more than words, and with all stimuli around us, we are actually not told too much. Bombardment of our senses is mindless, as it serves only one purpose: To sell us something. Not because we need it, only because "Economy must continue expanding".
There was a slogan, from this bank that I worked for:"Selling is Helping". Geniuses of this bank marketing department came up with it. Good job.
My own way
I help myself without them helping me. I do it on my own way. I find real silence. I find true silence. I go to places where they cannot affect me. I go to places where they cannot sell me things.
Don't misunderstood me, I still buy "stuff", but only what I need. And I buy it locally. I don't get trapped by consumerism.
I am not a good soldier of their economic system. I conserve, I don't spend, and I support small businesses, I question their status quo. I educate myself. Of course they'll (fat brains) obfuscate the truth, they'll simplify it, to demonize me (and everyone else who is resisting their system, who doesn't shop at Walmart).
And, that is OK. Places I go to are out of their reach.
But, let's get back to silence.
Real silence and true silence is connected with noise, with real and true noise. They compliment each other. I don't mind that kind of noise, that comes as a result of nature's way of "making noise". Nature just does it, and noise is just a force of nature. Nature is not obnoxious, rude, or mean. Nature just does what it does. Noise that is produced by Nature is pleasant.
But then, nature gives us real and true silence.
That's why we are very closely connected with nature, and especially where we live, we are in sync with the mountains, their lakes, rivers, forests, animals. On the mountains we find real and true silence. Wilderness frees us.
As days are short and the sun is quite low on horizon, there are only a few hours of sunshine per day so big parts of the mountains are dark and cold. That's why we chose to climb south exposed mountain sides and faces. Castle mountain is perfect for that.
Castle mountain looks like a castle. When approached from Banff, or Lake Louise, or from Radium, it always looks like a castle.
 |
| Castle Mountain during different seasons |
It is too dangerous as it looks deceiving, with so many good "routes" and hand/feet holds, that inexperienced climbers are usually very eager to take on their way up. And that's how they get into trouble as suddenly they are faced with vertical, non-climbable faces. And there is no way back.
 |
| Eisenhower Tower on Castle Mountain |
It is a somewhat steep climb that starts 5 km north of Castle Cabins on Bow Valley Promenade - not possible to miss it :).
At first it is lame (for some) to walk through thick forest, but very soon, while gaining altitude, the views open up.
And that's where that amazing realization of silence kicks in. There are no more pickup trucks, no more TV commercials, no more rude restaurant guests, no more loud smart phone owners.....
You can hear your steps, sound of crunching snow, and you don't have to ask a question:"What did you say". You can even hear when rocks break high up, and start falling down.
You can hear your own breathing when you are taking a video. Even you can hear a camera "motor" moving its lenses when you are zooming in or out.
It is that silent.
 |
| Storm Mountain viewed from Castle Mountain |
They are not fat brains.
I learned about respect and humility from the mountains. Mountains were kind enough to pass that knowledge to me. And I was eager enough to learn it.
On the mountains I can live in alignment with my spirit and not with this toxic culture I am forced to tolerate.
 |
| Bow Valley and its peaks - Mt.Temple on the right |
Average people probably expect a four lane highway to help them to get to the mountain, to the top of it. They also expect some help with it, because they "deserve it". They expect a resort. They expect "all included".
Again, don't misunderstand me, some "average people" are great and grand, and are doing all in their powers to help creating a world in which fat brains will use their brains. These people are respectful and kind.
 |
| On Castle Lookout |
To refresh spirit and consume healthy food of life.
To leave technology behind.
To unhook from the grid.
To rock the boat.
To live on their own way.
To live without human laws.
To live without religion.
To live without social norms.
To comply to only one law - law of nature.
To better communicate by being silent.
 |
| Silent view from silent lookout |
