Source: Mountains Speak
Let the mountains speak and share their story. As leaders, we must let the world and people speak to us and be sensitive and attentive listeners as it shares its stories.
I enjoy traveling through mountains. It is hard work, because heights terrify me. Kathy and I tell others that she drove on the Going to the Sun Road, because the driver has to have their eyes open. There are places that the drop off of a narrow road is thousands of feet.
The beauty of mountains is hard to fully describe in words. It is an experience, soaking in the moment. We lived in a small town, McBride, BC, for 2 years. It is in a mountain valley.
Mountains speak to me. The wind is different. The weather socks in for days and weeks. Animals appear at the door and appear unthreatened by human presence. One Sunday morning in McBride, I waited for Kathy on the front steps and about 20 feet away was a young cow moose, eating, and keeping a close eye on me. She moved when we decided it was time to get in the car. We were not separate from nature, but part of it in those moments.
When we are sensitive and mindful of the environment, so much of it speaks to us. This includes nature, the workplace, our families, and in our communities.
I did not take that picture. Kathy did as she drove through Glacier National Park, MT.
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
wonderful post. great photographs. thanks for sharing.
Thank you and you are welcome.
That looks like a ‘scary’ road, Ivon. We have a few similar ones here in Australia. One is especially narrow and frightening; however, when you reach the bottom the prize is Jenolan Caves; a number of very inviting caves with spectacular scenery – http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/
And yes, I agree; the mountains have a special ‘speak’ unto their own, if we are quiet enough to hear.
Well done to Kathy. That’s a great image!
Yes, there is always a treasure at the end whether it is up or down. Thank you for the link Carolyn.
Breathtaking photo, and mountains do speak. I’m glad you hear them too. Blessings and peace✌
Thank you. It is a spectacular piece of the universe.
Blessings!
Thank you for the link.😃
You are welcome.
Beautiful!
Thank you David.
I understand the fear. I live upstate NY. Before they built the interstate the bus use to speed up the side of the mountain. Looking out the window you just saw the tree lined cannon. But the beauty is undiscribable. Breathtaking and beautiful.
When you were in McBride did you ever drive to Bella Bella or Bella Coola? That’s a white knuckle one for sure. I feel the same way driving from here to Whister on Duffy Lake Road. Saw the documentary Haida Gwaii: One The Edge Of The World last night at our film festival. Made me want to move back to the coast. I could smel lthe ocean.
We lived in Williams Lake for several months, but did not go too far into the Chilcotin or towards Bella Coola and Bella Bella. It was the mid-1970’s and the roads were not great. The interior of BC has many great white-knuckle drives. Kathy remembered driving across from Highway 97 to Highway 5 through the Wells Gray country. She said much of it was narrow and there was great drop offs.
Those roads certainly build character.
They do. We went to Quesnel Lake and climbed to the top of Niagra Falls (there is one on that lake) and, when I looked back, it was impressive. My fear of heights is not as pronounced with trees protecting the fall. I would not have made it had been a bare climb.
Beautiful photo! You are lucky to have Kathy to drive you through such beautiful places. I’ve driven that road myself and pulled off at every possible spot so I could enjoy the view. What a beautiful place.
It is beautiful and I was grateful to see what I did.
I, too, love the stories that the mountains tell! 🙂
They are there when we are still and listen.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
AH, BUT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS AND MOUNTAIN GRANDEUR SPEAK VOLUMES! AS DOES THIS GLORIOUS POST!
Going to the Sun is terrifying.
It is.