Wednesday, January 16, 2008

El Sendero Coyote



or
Coyote Way





In October of 2001 my life changed. A marriage broke up, in Japan, & I returned to the States broken & purposeless. My brother & sister lived in So. California so I spent a few weeks there running & trying to put the puzzle of life back together in a place that was not home.


On one of my runs through the arroyos of Laguna Nigel I came around a turn & found myself face to face with a coyote. If you know coyotes you realize this is not a normal occurance. They are typically skittish around humans; they see or hear us coming & usually get out of the way. I was surprised to see the trickster on the trail in front of me. He looked me up & down then trotted off ahead of me down the trail. I started running after him. He'd turn back for a glance but I just kept my distance, trotting after the grey dog. We continued maybe a quarter mile before he strode into the brush & out of site. I continued on my run, not really thinking anything more about it.


Over the next few years I would remember that short encounter & it began to take on a deeper, more spiritual connection for me. It is very hard to describe accurately what El Sendero Coyote represents for me & I haven't really pushed to have it define anything...I just believe that I am on the path of the coyote I met in that California canyon. This is my path...I'll learn it's purpose along the way.

4 comments:

Julia said...

Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy. By: Hamlin Garland

I understand and admire...I am a wolf ya know.

brownie said...

One time in the field with the Army in California, a coyote actually came into my tent and woke me up. Scared the shit out of me. I kicked it in the nose and it left.

OK, not quite as deep and meaningful as your coyote story...

Ed and Kate Burgess said...

I ran over a coyote once.

Shorey said...

There is magic out there & we are seldom lucky enough to witness it up close. You should check out dailycoyote.blogspot.com - very interesting & the photos are amazing.