Who Sees The Lake? @Crater Lake
Feeling Blue October! The Watchman Peak Trail; 1.7 Miles
In Coelho’s “The Alchemist”, why does the lake cry?
Narcissus was a youth who loved his own image so much that he spent days looking at his own reflection in a lake. One day, he was so infatuated with himself that he lost his concentration, slipped and drowned in the lake. A flower grew by where he fell and came to be called “Narcissus”.
“How can you love yourself so much that you lose yourself?”
Crater Lake National Park has to be one of the authentic parks I have ever visited. Formed by a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago, the collapse created a caldera which is what is known as “Crater Lake”. (Plus, it is the deepest lake in USA (1,949ft) and 10th in the world!)
Discovery Point Trail; 2.4 Miles
Pride, narcissism, self-love, self-obsession, and egocentricity are some of the words I would use to describe Crater Lake; every hike, viewpoint, backpack experience, scenic drive, neighbors the lake. Indeed, Crater Lake can be perceived, sensed, touched, and smelled from any adjacent point.
“Dive Deep into the Mysteries of Crater Lake”, I felt the lake saying. I regarded the importance of conceiving the lake from different directions. Watchman Peak, the lake from the top. Discovery Point, the lake from the right. Garfield Peak, the lake from the left. Cleetwood Cove, touch me, feel me, kiss me and love me.
Cleetwood Cove Trail; 2.0 Miles
- “Can I be loved?” Narcissus asked.
- It is not selfishness, it is self-love, I said.
They sound like similar concepts but are totally opposites. The selfish person does not love himself much, but very little, he can even hate himself! He who is altruistic (detached) does not want anything from himself, but only lives for others.
How are you going to allow someone else to love you if you don't love yourself? Loving and letting be loved is an act of faith, it is an activity that is constantly in motion. What does one person give to another? He gives himself, the most precious thing he has. Love is a power that produces love. Love is the child of freedom. Love yourself and let yourself be loved.
“Where there is beauty, there is appreciation, and consequently, there is love”
Mature love follows the principle: "I am loved because I love."
Immature love says: "I love you because I need you."
Mature love says: "I need you because I love you.”
-Erich Fromm
