Magic Pools & Geysers

Growing up, when I thought of national parks or major natural phenomena to see in the United States, I’d think of Old Faithful. Maybe the View-Master discs created that expectation, with images I’d see of water spewing upwards towards the heavens almost two hundred feet into the sky? Whatever I’d seen or imagined in my mind, observing the real thing in person won out in spades. Often, when kids imagine experiences in their minds, the authentic reality rarely can match what they had dreamt up in their minds. So, I felt truly amazed that the Old Faithful had actually lived up to what I had hoped to see. Furthermore, geysers offered unique ecosystems that life adapted only its specific conditions could dwell near or in them.

Yet, I hadn’t expected all of the unique colors of both the waters in those springs & the minuscule plant life populated in & around them.

The liquid turquoises & aquamarines of the hot springs dazzled like jewels, as the acrid scent of sulfur reminded me of corroded batteries (if you’ve ever had the misfortune of tasting battery acid, then my apologies) creating a metallic taste in my mouth. And then there were those specific strains of bacteria & algae that thrive in the hot waters of the spring, resistant to being boiled. They created odd but pretty color patterns near the geysers & holes that seemed ubiquitous in Yellowstone below the caldera. Like the park that houses these features is named, yellow stood out most prominently, along with oranges & almost seemingly neon hues of orange & green.

Loving art the way I do, these vibrant colors of nature’s palette were striking, sort of like the spectacular colors of the Painted Eucalyptus tree in Hawaii, where you can also find volcanoes, geysers, & springs. Maybe it’s just my strange mind that links these things–volcanic settings & unusual, bright colors found in nature nearby? Below, you can see examples from my 2010 trip to Hawaii, during which I visited five of the major islands. Volcanoes National Park offered an impossibly gigantic caldera, pictured below with two images to help provide a sense of that scale. The middle of the middle image shows a white streak you can match to the bottom image, so that you can see how tiny the people walking appeared from that vantage point.

When you remind yourself that most of Yellowstone too is a volcano, with a caldera rim, then all of those natural steam valves embedded in the rock (pumice & igneous) make sense.

As an introvert who often has work obligations & self-created stress tied to perfectionism & self-criticism, I find the metaphor of a geyser quite apropos. If tension builds pressure like steam, then how long do you think it takes for a person to reach a release threshold? If continuous pressure isn’t slowly drained, then the resulting reaction can be quite explosive. Then there are the environmental factors, those unique situations that cause additional stress, creating a breaking point–an ultimate moment so dramatic that it can devastate. Devastate relationships, one’s career, life circumstances, any number of critical elements in life. And yet, when introverts find themselves so depleted of energy, the filter of reason & self-control goes out of the window entirely.

This is something I take to heart & have been considering a lot, in terms of my own self-improvement more recently. When my ego starts to get the better of me or I stop feeling grateful for the blessings in my life & instead start comparing myself with those around me, not the best parts of my personality emerge. The lesser parts start to measure, take offense at stupid things, second-guess others’ intentions, seek approbation or outright flattery, look for self-gain or interest in things, you name it. Now I try to slow myself down to reflect, or at least I try often enough to aim for making it instinctual. Breathing helps. Stepping away helps.

But, again, when I’m peopled our or exhausted from solid blocks of socializing, that challenge can be a tough one. This matters most in professional or networking situations. Which is why coping strategies become all the more important.

In sum, images from nature, memories of time spent in nature, or even best going out into nature remain my greatest cause for inspiration & reflection. If you’ve been reading this blog, then you know this about me already. There seem to be so many things to learn in terms of systems thinking, where you start to see yourself as part of a bigger whole than attaching so much importance to the larger microcosm. Reminding myself of my insignificance can be quite liberating, especially when anxiety can spring from a call to action.

There’s a balance to be had. And I’m trying my best to learn how to find it.

10 thoughts on “Magic Pools & Geysers

  1. When I was a child, those were called “View-Master” reels, cardboard disks with seven pairs of color photos. When seen through the viewer, they made stereoscopic pictures of national parks and monuments. My brother and I had dozens or maybe even hundreds of them.

    1. Yes! Thank you for the correction! I just updated. But yes totally. Between these and slides with metal frames that youโ€™d collect at different parks, I grew up with distinct images of what I thought these places would look like. Thank you for reading! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ™Œ

  2. Love your pics. Enjoyed the geyser metaphor too. Nature is indeed relaxing and ispirational. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics and thoughts. I love those turquoise too! ๐Ÿ˜Š SOOOOOOO inspiring.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *