Rock Bridge Memorial 州立公园半日游

老二周六下午要去Columbia参加MSA校友日活动。先生和我打算去附近的Rock Bridge Memorial 州立公园hiking。我们一早先去Grandview高中参加1500米长跑，然后从那直接去Columbia。中午在taco bell吃的快餐。下午两点把孩子送到Mizzou Middlebush hall，我们就去Rock Bridge Memorial州立公园的Devil's Icebox hiking。

今天气温97度。魔鬼的冰箱小径（Devil's Icebox）是个半英里的圆形木板路。一米宽的木板路，两边有扶手，高低不平的台阶刷上黄漆，提醒游人注意。木板路直接把游人带到有名的天坑和天然石桥。我们沿着木梯下到天坑（sinkhole）。60英尺的落差。坑底凉快，难怪称它为魔鬼的冰箱。坑底的岩石洞穴有细细溪水，先生弯腰从石桥下穿过去，中间有个狭缝可以直身站立。从观景台上可以看见他站在坑之间的狭缝。同一时空，高台气温97度，炎热无比。洞穴气温60度，凉爽舒适。

从魔鬼冰箱出来，我们继续前行。前面有两个天然石桥。一边的桥洞比较矮，不能进去。

另一边的石桥高大一些，可以走进去。里面还有一个早期居民修的水坝。桥下凉爽。有游人摆出托塔天王的姿势把桥撑起。

观景台上有许多洞穴知识的广告版。知道这里的洞穴有濒临灭绝的灰色蝙蝠（grey bat)。为保持生态，好多洞穴都不对游人开放。小径hiking，除了看景，还可闲聊一些平时不涉及的话题。昨天先生提到著名的哲学三问：我是谁？我从哪来？到哪里去？

哲学问题无标准答案，看个人悟性。我觉得三个问题要靠参照物而定。我是谁？对两个孩子言，我是做饭菜的咨询对象。对我老板而言，如何是我管的项目出了问题，那我就是她的联络对象。从哪里到哪去的问题也一样，简单的说：来是出生，去是死亡。在这生死之间的旅程，每个人的所作所为，给每一个相遇的人演绎着我是谁的答案。我希望我不交恶我所遇到的，无论是人还是物。来安之，去坦然。有所为，有所不为。用心体会人生。

[林凡_圣路易]

朋友说把Kahlil Gibran的 On Children 的children 换成“我”

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said
"Speak to us of children"
Your children are not your children
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself
They come through you but not from you
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you
You may give them your love but not your thoughts
For they have their own thoughts
You may house their bodies but not their souls
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams
You may strive to be like them
But seek not to make them like you
For life goes not backward, nor tarries with yesterday
You are the bows from which your children
As living arrows are sent forth
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite
And he bends you with his might
That his arrows may go swift and far
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness
For even as he loves the arrow that flies
So he loves also the bow that is stable

[菲儿天地]

好棒的半日游，羡慕你们那里的景点。最后一段写得真好。

[林凡_圣路易]

回复 '虫妈株株' 的评论 : 第一次听说“叶落归根只是肥料”， “落地生根才是王道”。 但喜欢：）

[林凡_圣路易]

回复 '梧桐之丘' 的评论 : 都过去了。
和你经历相似，我2001年也被裁过。以前写过短文。
https://blog.wenxuecity.com/myblog/72858/202203/16753.html

[梧桐之丘]

2000年IT泡沫，俺被裁员，在家六个月发了无数简历求职，无人搭理，我发问：“Who am I?”没人能回答。呵呵，难，难死哲学家。

[虫妈株株]

谢谢林凡给我文章评论！
落地生根才是王道，本来还有1句，叶落归根只是肥料（不敢太叛逆），删除了