by Dolan Rushing
The Surrender to Life ’ s Uncertainty
Running is all I ’ ve ever known - from grief , shame , heartache , and anything else I couldn ' t handle . But this run would be for my life - this time it was from the life I knew , from my family , from the law , and even myself - and venturing into the great unknown unaccompanied at age 17 .
I am Dolan Rushing , a 20-year-old Eagle Scout , photographer , artist , musician , designer , minister , traveler , and creator . I love all things natural . From my food to my health to my body care products , I believe the Great Spirit provided everything we ' ve ever needed right here on Earth . I ' m holistically minded and have a passion for naturopathic wellness , clean eating , expressing creativity , and embracing the concept of mindful living . I am drawn to all things unusual , eclectic , and unfamiliar . “ Become familiar with the unfamiliar and unfamiliar with the familiar .” A passion for the exploration of undiscovered territory enthralls my heart . It ’ s part of the way I see the world ; an individual ’ s view of the world is unparalleled , so embrace yours . Only YOU can be YOU .
I was raised on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas - on the Triangle 7 Ranch , which borders Mertzon . The campestral lifestyle across this broad region is not a walk in the park . We were raising hundreds of heads of cattle along with many other animals . We raised them and ate many of them ourselves . The summers were hot , the winters were cold , and the work was hard .
Often , I got a much-needed break from this lifestyle and got to see other parts of the world . I was always traveling between my divorced parents . My mother would date a new man every few months and my dad would do the same with women . I formed attachments to these temporary motherly and fatherly figures , then I would wake up in the morning and they would be gone forever - insensibly carrying chunks of my heart with them . Both my parents loved to travel . Most of my childhood was spent this way , all over North America , Europe , and Oceania , we traveled . Having a second home in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico , I always considered the state of New Mexico the closest thing to “ home .” But … What is “ home ,” anyway ? The definition of “ home ” is up to the individual , and my “ home ” is wherever I happen to be in that moment , based on my non-stationary lifestyle . We ran - it was all we knew how to do .
Continued on page 8 Cenizo
Spring 2022
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