Despite Destruction, There Is Healing To Come

We flew through the cool darkness of the tunnel. The end was distant. We couldn't see any sign of light from the exit. Our only illumination were the dim flashlights duct taped to our handle bars. The wet stone walls glistened as we rode past. Having gone over a mile we hoped to soon see the silhouette of daylight.

Riding the Route of the Hiawatha sums up my love of the Northwest. The American West has always been my heart's home. I live for treks across the mountain tops. I can never get enough of the serenity found among the thick pines.

The Route of the Hiawatha is a great summation of these attributes. This abandoned train route runs through Montana and North Idaho. Modernly a section has been converted to a bike ride that begins with a 1.6 mile long tunnel. In total it is 15 miles including 10 tunnels and 7 trestles. A bike ride I recommend to all.

In 1910, while they were building this route, the area suffered from one of the most devastating forest fires in US history. The fire burned 2.5 to 3 million acres. The cloud of smoke covered North America. For 5 days the darkness from the cloud required artificial light for everyone living between Butte, Montana and Watertown, New York. Some 2,000 miles apart. See the affected distance:

In the course of this fire many towns were destroyed, never to be rebuilt. Amid this can be found numerous stories of heroic Hiawatha workers who drove engines and box cars filled with people through flames to the safety of longer tunnels. Reportedly 600 lives were saved alone in this method. See the full history here.

There is a raging fire today causing catastrophic damage to people's lives. Our health is being devastated. Chronic illness, whether it be mental or physical, are becoming a norm. We are not healthy. The shift has been happening these past decades, and it is building to a peak. This is not how we are supposed to experience life.

The first casualties of this disaster fall in two categories:

1- Those with inherent health limitations.

2- Those subject to extreme situations/environments.

I am a perfect example of the first category. There is something within my body that creates a weakness. When you add bad foods and the lifestyles of our day my body gives way and I become ill. I have met many others who fall into this category.

The second category is of people who endure stressful and unhealthy environments, especially for long periods of time. When coupled with the hazards of our modern life they succumb to chronic illness.

Young mother's undergo strain on their health from pregnancy, delivery, and then constant stress from raising an infant. None can argue against the complications of this ongoing stressful environment. They endure constant and often increasing stress. Clearly their bodies are meant to survive bearing a child and then raising them. But now many of these young mothers are dealing with serious chronic illness. I believe the body could handle this previously, yet with the health hazards of today can not.

Another example in this second category are our modern soldiers. War throughout history has surely always included traumatic psychological duress. However there is a new epidemic on the rise among soldiers.  Total soldier deaths in the 8 year Operation Iraqi Freedom were estimated at 4,424. In 2012 alone the estimated suicide for veterans was 6,500.

I predict that in the not so distant future there will be a third category of people becoming ill. Everyone else. I surmise that the prolonged exposure to these negative influences will bring about chronic illness to all who do not free themselves from it.

We can escape this disaster. There is a way out. There is a future of health and happiness. It is because our bodies are meant to heal.

You don't "put out" a forest fire. Water and other methods to douse such a fire are insufficient. As firefighters know, you make a fire break, you separate the fire from its fuel. This is what we need to do with our health.

Our bodies have the means to "put out the fire" and recover. Our bodies are meant to heal and mend, give them the chance. Make that fire break in your life. Take out the daily, often hourly, influx of foods that fuel illness. Take away the negative lifestyle choices of our modern age. Let us heal from this devastation.

Despite the destruction seen is this image above the millions of acres around the Hiawatha have returned to vibrant life. I am a witness of this return:

Just as I am a witness of personal healing from chronic illness. There is hope because there is healing.

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