Through the Lens of Ahtmahn

Sept. 01, 2016 - The Good Shepherd Center:
https://youtu.be/j_xLrYtHzdA

Twelve friends were to go their separate ways in life so they took advantage of their last day together and went to the beach.

Here, on this beach, lay a large piece of driftwood that held their attention.

Talk of casting away on the driftwood entered the conversation. But while it started as a joke it quickly turned into action. They pushed the driftwood into the water and all climbed aboard, casting away from land to let the water guide their new driftwood ship. They sat quietly, gazing in all directions, stunned silent by their decision.

When the first nighttime arrived they saw light coming from a part of the driftwood. Upon investigation they saw that it was coming from behind a small door, so they opened it and went inside. What they found was a large empty space rather than water. Shrouds of mist glowed in oscillate colors near the entryway.

One by one they giddily crawled into the opening and began hovering in midair, disintegrating into particulate matter and metamorphosing into various perceptions - sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

In this stew of new malleable awareness they began combining their natures together in order to create a composite of something they had not known before.

From that first night they christened the driftwood ship the Secret Societal Nomad, dubbed S.S. Nomad, for allowing them to travel to places they normally did not reach in the broad daylight... for allowing them to commune at night with adventures that they shared in deep silence during high noon.

As the driftwood ship passes through rivers, seas, and oceans it passes near the land many times. Many people have seen the S.S. Nomad but they do not know it because it only looks like driftwood wading through the water, its inhabitants living inside of it, disintegrating and reintegrating to be born again the next time they come out of the dead tree.

More often people hear the S.S. Nomad but cannot place the source of the sound. In rare instances people have recorded the passing ambience either on the fringe or in the depths of the nighttime.

Here, in an attempt to dispel the notion that the Nomad is folklore, you will find a collection of audiophiles cataloging the ephemeral and mysterious passing bys of the S.S. Nomad.