"Fountain of Youth" by Bodhi Smith

Jul 22, 2022

"fountain of youth" is a re-release of an impression created ​close to eleven years ago ​back in ​august​ of 201​1​…to this day, it remains as one of my own personal favorite photos which i've ever taken…

"​the fountain of
youth lies inside.
search not outside.
instead look within, for
it's always here in
the you that's 
part of youth​" 
 
​"i​n the fountain of youth, love is the water and enthusiasm is the power​" ​​― ​debasish, mridha
 
"like the kingdom of heaven, the fountain of youth is within us; if we seek it elsewhere, old shall we grow in the search" ― henry wadsworth longfellow
 
​"n​utritional excellence is the only real fountain of youth​" ​― ​joel fuhrman, d​isease-​p​roof ​y​our ​c​hild
 
​"l​augh, ​i​ tell you
​a​nd you will turn back
​t​he hands of time.

​s​mile, ​i​ tell you
​a​nd you will reflect
​t​he face of the divine.

​s​ing, ​i​ tell you
​a​nd all the angels will sing with you!

​c​ry, ​i​ tell you
​a​nd the reflections found in your pool of tears -
​w​ill remind you of the lessons of today and yesterday
​t​o guide you through the fears of tomorrow.”
― suzy kassem, rise up and salute the sun​
 
​"​he's writing his memoirs and losing his hearing, but he don't care what most people say. through eighty six years of perpetual motion, if he likes you, he'll smile and he'll say: jimmy, some of it's magic, and some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way" ― ​jimmy buffett, he went to paris
 
​​"there is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. ​w​hen you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age​" ​―​ ​sophia loren, academy award winning italian actress
 
"​this is the truth:
​​​​you can always be found 
inside your youth​" 
 
"i'm trying to practice the clear wisdom i'm writing here. i want to extend my life and discover the fountain of youth each day...and i'm on my path right now trying to live my life to achieve just that" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
 
"i​n a time of cynicism dressed as realism, when it feels like the world might be falling apart around us, ​i​ believe there is reason to be hopeful, optimistic, and idealistic​...s​ocially, politically, and personally, ​i​'ve felt many defeats, but come back to the reali​z​ation that this is our world to make. ​c​onsider the many victories, small and large, that have been going on around us these last couple of years. ​t​here's a lot left to do, but we should feel hopeful that we are the ones who can do it, and we can do whatever we want​" ― ​taylor rice, lead singer of local natives​

this is an anthe​nt​ic song that seems to address reinvention​ by revisiting our youth...it also ​speaks to the importance of encouraging and admiring the youth, who inspire the best kind of change​, a kind of optimism that shows up throughout the song's lyrics​...so, this tune is another perfect accompaniment for my impression and blog today, for multiple reasons​, as well as having the same title as my impression today​... "​fountain of youth" by local natives​ ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...

"i think we better listen to these kids. we can't keep pretending we know what we're doing. i can't keep pretending i'm afraid. if you'll sit and listen, i'll tell you a secret: we can do whatever we want; we can say whatever we mean...i have waited so long, mrs. president. matriarchs and teddy boys, play in houses on the lake. how can we quit drugs if you're gonna watch like that? give me five good reasons you trust us with our future. we can do whatever we want; we can say whatever we mean. and if we don't care, then who cares? we've been dreaming of you, drinking from fountains of youth. and if we don't change, then who will change? we've been dreaming of you, drinking from fountains of youth. i think we better listen to these kids. i can't keep pretending that i'm still asleep. i can't keep pretending i'm afraid...i was too stoned to call you, but i thought that you'd say: we can do whatever we want; we can say whatever we mean. and if we don't care, then who cares? we've been dreaming of you, drinking from fountains of youth. and if we don't change, then who will change? we've been dreaming of you, drinking from fountains of youth. we can do whatever we want; we can say whatever we mean. we can do whatever we want; we can say whatever we mean" ― ​local natives, fountain of youth
 
"​no need to seek the fountain of youth. because ​​just like in the lesson of the wizard of oz, ​​you will find out the thing your sought​ you had all along" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
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MEANING
"anything goes when age is not a factor...listen to what your body is telling you, we all literally have the fountain of youth inside of us, it's literally in our blood, we just need to get in tune with it by being in the right frame of mind and body" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
 
spanish explorer ponce de leon was famously fabled to be looking for the fountain of youth, and some believe in 1515 he found it in florida close to what is now st. augustine...and ever since then, many people have been seeking the same thing...trying to find a pathway back to being young again and feeling young as their bodies age and get older each year...
 
i have been on a lovely trip 2415 miles from my home in caifornia to visit friends and relatives in northeastern ohio this past week...and i've been profoundly inspired to write this blog today by ray (my ex-father-in-law)...
 
ray is a lively 91 years old, and i do mean lively. he literally runs circles around people who are more than twenty years younger than him. he's a kind man of deep faith and believes deeply in the power of forgiveness and charity to others. ray's a widower who lost his soulmate and wife of 75 years in 2020 (yes, they were married 75 years!)...but he does not let that or anything else keep him down, and again i mean this literally and figuratively...
 
ray's a happy man of perpetual motion, smiling more often than not and always staying active...he does not know the meaning of the word sedentary. ray golfs quite successfully a couple times a week (he played nine holes and shot a 44 the day before yesterday). he bowls on a couple more days, walks a couple miles every single day and is outside of his house more often than he is inside it...
 
ray visits people and is quite social, hanging out with golf buddies, bowling buddies, his close friends, his daughter and son-in-laws, and his grandchildren...he even helps in taking care of people, assisting those misfortunate ones who no longer really have anyone to help them with their everyday lives...
 
ray keeps his mind active when the evening winds down by doing crossword puzzles and jumbles in the newspaper and in puzzle books. he does not stress out about much of anything and takes things as they come. in the thirty years i've known him (he has always been like another father for me), i can remember only one time when i saw him upset with anything. he forgives people and feels everyone is redeemable and worthy of a second chance. he still has his driver's license and gets around town very nicely in his 2005 chevy...he lives alone now, and takes perfectly good care of himself. cooks and eats quite healthy, and maintains his home with cleaning, yardwork, laundry, and repairs...
 
i believe ray is in better physical shape with a sharper mind than most men twenty-five years younger than him. he has discovered the fountain of youth for real. i find ray as an inspiration, someone to look up to, a role model and example to aspire to be like...
 
you see...feeling young again is not only a state of mind, it's also a state of how your body handles the wear and tear of time...it is inside of each of us, and you seriously do not need the fantasy of finding the real fountain of youth to be young again...so how do you discover this state of mind and body? there are many paths i can identify (and these are in no particular order): 
 
  1. practicing and believing in some sort of a faith (mine is my belief in universal love)...
  2. taking care of your body with healthy habits, diet, staying active (opposite of sedentary), exercising, and stretching...
  3. not adding undue stress to your life from needless worrying, or setting deadlines, or rushing from point a to point b, or doing things you do not want to do...
  4. getting better in touch with nature by just getting outside more often...
  5. maintaining good lifestyle choices (not getting carried away in excess with vices like junk food, or too much sugar, or getting a suntan, or drinking alcohol, or smoking tobacco/marijuana, or overindulging in recreational drugs)...
  6. keeping you mind healthy with doing puzzles, learning new things, practicing in positive self-talk, and meditation... 
  7. doing things you genuinely love to do in your spare time...
  8. smiling, laughing, and playing more freely and abundantly in life...
  9. following a path of forgiveness to others...
 
personally, i feel the true fountain of youth is found by a combination of all of the above...i'm trying to practice the clear wisdom i'm writing here. i want to extend my life and discover the fountain of youth each day...and i'm on my path right now trying to live my life as similarly to ray as i can to achieve just that...
 
"this photo today is truly like a fountain of youth i could jump right into exactly like on the day when i took the picture...​when i look back at my older pictures, i'm transported back into time, back to younger days" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
 
this song is a classic ballad by an all-time favorite artist of mine, jimmy buffett​...​it reminds me of a man who has discovered the fountain of youth inside himself, just as ray has done...he lives his life, living out the cards he was dealt with no regrets, knowing that with all the ups and downs, it's been a really good life all the way​...a truly beautiful and inspiring song with a meaningful message... "​he went to paris" by jimmy buffett ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...

"he went to paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. he was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his own. warm summer breezes and french wines and cheeses put his ambitions at bay. summers and winters scattered like splinters and four or five years slipped away. he went to england, played the piano, and married an actress named kim. they had a fine life, she was a good wife, and bore him a young son named jim. and all of the answers to all of the questions locked in his attic one day. because he liked the quiet, clean country living, and twenty more years slipped away...well, the war took his baby, bombs killed his lady, and left him with only one eye. his body was battered, his whole world was shattered, and all he could do was just cry. while the tears were a' falling, he was recalling the answers he never found. so he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean, and left england without a sound. now he lives in the islands, fishes the pylons, and drinks his green label each day. he's writing his memoirs and losing his hearing, but he don't care what most people say. through eighty six years of perpetual motion, if he likes you, he'll smile and he'll say: jimmy, some of it's magic, and some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way...he went to Paris, looking for answers to questions that bothered him so" ― ​jimmy buffett, he went to paris
 
"​remember, that you is always a part of youth​" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
​"a​n inexhaustible imagination is the fountain of youth​"​ ― ​richelle e. goodrich, s​laying ​d​ragons
 
​"e​nthusiasm can keep the fountain of youth flowing​" ​― ​debasish, mridha
 
​"j​oy is the fountain of youth​" ​― ​amy leigh, mercree
 
"the fountain of youth resides in our memory. you will never outlive your shadow" ― lorin morgan-richards
 
"the fount the spaniard sought in vain
through all the land of flowers
leaps glittering from the sandy plain
our classic grove embowers;
here youth, unchanging, blooms and smiles,
here dwells eternal spring,
and warm from hope's elysian isles
the winds their perfume bring.
here every leaf is in the bud,
each singing throat in tune,
and bright o'er evening's silver flood
shines the young crescent moon.
what wonder age forgets his staff
and lays his glasses down,
and gray-haired grandsires look and laugh
as when their locks were brown!

with ears grown dull and eyes ​t​grown dim
they greet the joyous day
that calls them to the fountain's brim
to wash their years away.
what change has clothed the ancient sire
in sudden youth? for, to!
the judge, the doctor, and the squire
are jack and bill and joe!

and be his titles what they will,
in spite of manhood's claim
the graybeard is a school-boy still
and loves his school-boy name;
it calms the ruler's stormy breast
whom hurrying care pursues,
and brings a sense of peace and rest,
like slippers after shoes.–

and what are all the prizes won
to youth's enchanted view?
and what is all the man has done
to what the boy may do?
o blessed fount, whose waters flow
alike for sire and son,
that melts our winter's frost and snow
and makes all ages one!

i pledge the sparkling fountain's tide,
that flings its golden shower
with age to fill and youth to guide,
still fresh in morning flower
flow on with ever-widening stream,
in ever-brightening morn,–
our story's pride, our future's dream,
the hope of times unborn!" 
 
​"an inner joyousness, amounting to ecstasy, is the normal condition of the genius mind. ​any lack of that joyousness develops body-destroying toxins​...​t​hat inner ecstasy of the mind is the secret fountain of perpetual youth and strength in any​ ​man. ​he​ who finds it​,​ finds omnipotence and omniscience​"​ ― ​walter russell, t​he ​m​an ​w​ho ​t​apped the ​secrets of the ​universe​
 
​"w​hat study after study show is that meditation and mindfulness training profoundly affects every aspect of our lives—our bodies, minds, physical health, and our emotional and spiritual well-being. ​i​t’s not quite the fountain of youth, but it’s pretty close. ​w​hen you consider all the benefits of meditation—and more are being found every day—it’s not an exaggeration to call meditation a miracle drug​" ​― ​arianna huffington, thrive
 
​"he spent years looking for it. ​h​e crossed oceans, and he crossed deserts, and he went down into forgotten mines, miles under the earth. ​b​ut he found it on the top of a mountain. ​i​t took him ten years to climb that mountain. ​i​t ​​broke every bone in his body, it tore the skin off his hands, it made him lose his home, his name, his love. ​b​ut he climbed it. ​h​e found the fountain of youth, which he wanted to bring down to men​, o​nly he never came back​"​ ― any rand, atla​s shrugged​​
 
"drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well" ― the holy bible: proverbs 5:15

"let thy fountain of water be truly thine own; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth " ― the holy bible: proverbs 5:18
 
​"w​e have enough youth—how about a fountain of smart?​"​ ― ​anonymous, 1​01 ​b​est ​jokes
 
"​w​hen you come back inside my chest no matter how far ​i​'ve wandered off,​ i​ look around and see the way.​ a​t the end of my life, with just one breath left, if you come then, 'll sit up and ​drink from the fountain of youth​" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"feeling young again is not only a state of mind, it's also a state of how your body handles the wear and tear of time...it is inside of each of us, and you seriously do not need the fantasy of finding the real fountain of youth to be young again" ― bodhi, fountain of youth
 
​this image here is from my memorable first time ​to this beautiful spot in southwestern utah almost 11 years ago...the first time is always a very special time...
 
i've since revisited this spot on numerous occasions, taking both friends and clients back on this 9.5 mile roundtrip hike... i consider this hike as the single best hike in the united states, but these days due its popularity now in large part from social media promotions of this location, you ​need to have a little luck and​ secure hard to get permits via a lottery system​ to gain access into the slot canyon​...
 
this is a single frame photo of the upper pool in the keyhole section of the difficult and limited access north fork of left creek hike in the backcountry of zion national park​ on august 5th, 2011 at 9:11am mst...this picturesque slot canyon has been affectionately nicknamed "the subway" because it strongly resembles a subway tube in certain parts when photos are taken from the right perspective and point of view like in this image of mine taken the same day as the fountain of youth:
​
"Subway (Inbound)" by Bodhi Smith (2011)
 
​to get to this spot is a long and very strenuous hike (both ways--either the non rappelling bottom-up version or the top down rappelling version). it's filled with numerous river crossings and bouldering up and down...and to photograph the light at its best moments, you need to begin the hike at the trailhead a couple hours before sunrise, climbing down a 900 foot cliff in the dark and trail finding with headlamps to make the numerous river crossings marked only with cairns (rock stacks) on the primitive and undeveloped trail...​
 
but when the light shines in this canyon at the right hour, you will know why you came here, and the difficulty of the hike will all seem more than worth it...
 
camera settings​: ​(f​/8​@​1​4mm for ​8 ​seconds, iso-​100​)
 
and a final departing thank you to all my sponsors, for without their support, ​my beautiful impressions​ might never have happened...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photography
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhi, my diary
  
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters...   
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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