A Life Lesson From A Cliff
An ordinary stop teaching an unordinary lesson.
MARY
2/4/20263 min read
By 6:30 AM it was already 92 degrees in Needles, CA, and that was all the motivation we needed to get moving, and hit the road. So we did, and were in Ashfork, AZ, by noon. Our second hill on the journey was Flagstaff, AZ, located at the base of Humphrey’s Peak. Again the truck performed amazingly, and we decided to continue to Holbrook AZ.
Again we were making good time, so we thought we would make up for lost time, due to our early stoppage in Needles, CA, and add a few more miles. As I searched online for hotels in Gallop, NM, (the next large town), only expensive hotels located next to train tracks (remnants of old Highway 66) were being offered. Maybe there was a special reason for the prices, a special event, not sure but the value for our money wasn’t there. Not that we were watching our pennies, but we did have a budget we had to stay in, and for such a small town, their prices seemed a bit out of the norm. We decided to “not push forward” all the way to Gallup. Unfortunately we had just passed Holbrook and didn’t want to turn around, so we opted for the next hotel on the map, Sure Stay Best Western in Chambers, AZ. We have stayed at SureStay BW before, usually older hotels that have been renovated, and sure enough (no pun intended), this hotel fit the bill. If you would like to read the history about this hotel, and the highway that brought it to life, read Williams story blog, CLICK HERE.
Once we checked in, and were assigned our room on the second floor. The hotel, which was built or designed in the ‘60’s had a balcony on the outside that ran the gamut to all the room’s doors. Right as we got to our room, we were “dive bombed” by a Cliff Swallow. Looking up quickly, we realized there was a mud nest right under the eves, very close to our room. That in turn brought our attention to all the Swallows that were flying around the entire parking lot, dashing and darting past structures and each other, to complete their task at hand, either building a nest or feeding their young. There were easily a hundred of these very active, non-stopping birds focused on their task at hand.
Nature is amazing. Everywhere you look, nature, or living things make life work to continue living. Since the 1960 these birds have made their home in the eves of the hotel, raising generations of young, who continue their ancestors' pattern. Other structures that these innovative animals take advantage of are freeway overpasses, whose protective lip keeps moisture away from their mud nests, and extremely challenging for predators who eye their movements as attractive prey.
As we hike, drive, and make our way through our lives, focused on our task, pondering the challenges that we face, which sometimes we self-label as "impossible to accomplish”, and compared to nature and their challenges, we are one and the same. But somehow nature says, “so what if they built a hotel here, I’ll just build my nest on the hotel! Nature takes on the challenge and forges ahead, not giving up, not calling defeat.
Yes, I know that sometimes man has to intervene to help individuals or species from becoming endangered or extinct, (which is often caused by man, for example over fishing endangering sea turtles) to success stories of restored populations, as recently as sea turtles. But by and large, nature doesn’t give up life if it has anything to say about it.
A terrific lesson was learned that day as we stopped at this renovated but older hotel. As we paused, and marveled at the swallow’s ability of flight and tenacity. A lesson of survival, perseverance and reassurance that if you don’t give up, you’ll pass on to future generations the understanding that life goes on, and it will have challenges, but oh, the places you will go, and how beautiful life can be.
Reflection and Moving Forward
Adaptability is a quiet strength. The swifts don’t wait for perfect places — they build where they can and make it work.
Small reminders matter. A simple stop on the road can reset your perspective if you’re paying attention.
Forward doesn’t always mean fast. Sometimes it just means staying willing to adjust and continue.
“Sometimes the most ordinary stops leave you with the lessons you didn’t know you needed.”
A Life Lesson From a Cliff:
