Thursday, August 24, 2006
The best part of Rovaniemi, aside from meeting the Big Man himself, was undoubtedly the reindeer. It is actually a funny story why I had to go to Rovaniemi as long as I was in Finland. See, many years ago I read a book called the ‘Gift of Acabar’ by Og Mandino. He is a lesser known author though his book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” about Jesus and his teachings did very well some decades ago. I stumbled across ‘Gift of Acabar’ and fell in love with the precious fable about a little boy who discovered he could talk with a star that fell from the sky and landed in a tree in his little village. The star shared the wisdom of the ages with the little boy in a creed it called The Credenda. The Credenda, along with Desiderata, has long been one of my favorite creeds. This little boy lived in a small village in a place called Lapland where there were more reindeer than people and the people had a tremendous love and respect for the animal that provided their warmth, food, clothing, and means of survival. Now in a very logical way, I concluded since the author made up the talking star, he made up Lapland as well. Would there really be a land called Lapland of all things?! And of course I knew reindeer weren’t real – that is part of the Santa fable. I had seen the “real reindeer” in Christmas displays at the mall but honestly thought they did some kind of weird breeding thing with normal deer to create the different antlers. I know. I’m blonde.
So I spent fifteen years of my adult life believing Lapland was a made-up land in a fable. Then I met someone from Lapland. Of course I thought she was pulling my leg and started laughing. “No, Sherry,” she said somberly, “I really am from Lapland. Those are my ancestors. Why are you laughing?” I looked at her incredulously. “Lapland?” “Yes, Lapland.” “But of course there aren’t reindeer there?!” I declared. “Of course there are reindeer there,” she said. “There are more reindeer than people.” “You mean reindeer are real?!” I cried.
She assured me the reindeer and Lapland and all the things in the book were true, except maybe the talking star. See I always related to Rudolph because the kids wouldn’t let me play reindeer games either (though I still haven’t found my red nose). I swore one day I would go see the reindeer and stand in the very real make-believe land of Lapland. Thursday I did.
I paid the rather absurd $70.00 and boarded a riverboat for a ride down the Kemijoki river beneath the Jätkänkynttilä bridge where the eternal flame burns for the city and onward to the reindeer farm. We walked across planks set above the marshes and emerged in a settlement with wigwams and hand constructed huts of different shapes and sizes. We were greeted by a Laplander in traditional Lapland clothing who took us into one of the wigwams for a ceremony around the fire. He performed a “bleeding” ceremony on us – faking that he was cutting our throats and removing the stress-filled blood so that we wouldn’t bring our Western stress to their tranquil lands – and marked us from the fire so that when we returned as reindeer in our next life he would recognize us and take care of us. Then we shared a bit of Reindeer Horn Powder – Lapland’s answer to Viagra. The ceremony was a bit silly but cute.
After, he let us loose in the reindeer pin. You can tell from the look on my face in some of the pictures I was giddy as a school girl. There were two couples from Spain that I ended up talking to a bit. Frank and Rachel were so kind, as were the others, and offered to take pictures of me. I could barely say yes I was so excited running from reindeer to reindeer petting them and shooting pictures at the same time. Their antlers are so cool and completely covered in fur! The reindeer themselves are soft and the baby was actually nuzzling me to pet on her. I could have stayed and played with them all day, but they dragged us off to the house to have coffee and cake before taking the river boat back to town.
Now I have to read “The Gift of Acabar’ again - now that I know it is all true. Maybe even the talking star is true, who knows. Following is ‘The Credenda,’ the words of wisdom the star shared with the little boy. If you are interested in reading the book, there is a link on my site to buy it through Amazon – I get a couple of pennies if you do. Go check out the pics too – I look cute with my next life reindeer antler marks.
Credenda
Turn away from the crowd & its fruitless pursuit of fame & gold. Never look back as you close your door to the sorry tumult of greed & ambition. Wipe away your tears of failure & misfortune. Lay aside your heavy load & rest until your heart is still. Be at peace. Already it is later than you think, for your earthly life, at best, is only the blink of an eye between two eternities. Be unafraid. Nothing here can harm you except yourself. Do that which you dread & cherish those victories with pride. Concentrate your energy. To be everywhere is to be nowhere. Be jealous of your time, since it is your greatest treasure. Reconsider your goals. Before you set your heart too much on anything, examine how happy they are who already possess what you desire. Love your family & count your blessings. Reflect on how eagerly they would be sought if you did not have them. Put aside your impossible dreams & complete the task at hand no matter how distateful. All great achievements come from working and waiting. Be patient. God’s delays are never God’s denials. Hold fast. Know that your paymaster is always near. What you sow, good or evil, that you will reap. Never blame your condition on others. You are what you are through your choice alone. Learn to live with honest poverty, if you must, & turn to more important matters than transporting gold to your grave. Never meet trouble halfway. Anxiety is the rust of life; when you add tomorrow’s burdens to today’s their weight becomes unbearable. Avoid the mourner’s bench & give thanks, instead, for your defeats. You would not receive them if you did not need them. Always learn from others. He who teaches himself has a fool for a master. Be careful. Do not overload your conscience. Conduct your life as if it were spent in an arena filled with tattlers. Avoid boasting. If you see anything in you that puffs you with pride look closer & you will find more than enough to make you humble. Be wise. Realize that all men are not created equal, for there is no equality in nature, yet no man was ever born whose work was not born with him. Work every day as if it were your first, yet tenderly treat the lives you touch as if they will all end at midnight. Love everyone, even those who deny you, for hate is a luxury you cannot afford. Seek out those in need. Learn that he who delivers with one hand will always gather with two. Be of good cheer. Above all, remember that very little is needed to make a happy life. Look up. Reach out. Cling simply to God & journey quietly on your pathway to forever with charity & a smile. When you depart it will be said by all that your legacy was a better world than the one you found.
Og Mandino Gift of Acabar
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