By Kaitlin Becker ~
I’ve talked previously about how the word “rimpa” comes from the Maasai word for paradise. What is paradise and how do you know when if you’ve found it?
Obviously, that’s a pretty hard question to answer – not in the least because paradise means different things to different people. Heck, I’ve got a different definition of paradise for different moods, so we aren’t going to go in-depth with that question, other than to say that when and if you do find a piece of your paradise you need to realize it and keep it safe.
I’m part of a noisy generation – we like our technology 24/7. We like to listen to music and silence and stillness can sometimes unsettle us – I’m a bit too analog in this digital age, but even I get caught up in the go go go of the busy world and forget to enjoy the moments of stillness. To take a moment and just breathe.
It was easier to forget the noise when I was at Rimpa. To allow the warm sun to make me feel like a cat and curl up for a nap, to go on adventures as I hiked after zebras and searched for birds strange plants, to be willing to try new things.
And when I came back , the noise – well, it overwhelmed me a bit and it made me realize how much I needed the experiences I had at Rimpa. Rimpa was a kind of paradise and it is being threatened by outside forces that seek to take away the stillness and add more noise. I shan’t get into the details, but it is important that you know that Rimpa is worth fighting for.
While at Rimpa I was trying to film my first try at a documentary…while on the Reserve one day following the grazing herd of Rimpa Estates cows, these two guys ran up to me. I don’t know if you’ve ever had two friendly dogs come running at you with tails wagging and smile on their faces seeking attention, but it does make trying to work pretty darn hard. But it didn’t bother me too much…you see dogs like these two definitely have a place in my paradise.
Do you think technology hinders our quest to find stillness?
Kaitlin Becker is a relative of the Rimpa family and was able to visit during the summer of 2016 in between completing her Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Central Missouri.