Pebble On The Tongue*
“The longest journey is the journey inwards …
quest for the source of (one’s) being.”
Dag Hammarskjold, fr. Markings
Almost 59 years ago, Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations, his plane on fire, plummeted into the jungle near the Zambia-Congo border, losing his life while on a peacemaking mission.
His poet-friend, W.H. Auden, later quoted him as once saying,
In our age, the road to holiness
passes through the world of action.
Or, given Hammarskjold’s story, his pursuits and journeys, and given our times:
Stillness goes out to meet the fury of war.
Folded midst the leaves of a book taken from the wreckage they found a copy of his oath of office, a touchstone carried with him on his travels.
*Travelers in desert country have found that a pebble on the tongue eases the discomfort of a parched mouth. (It also fosters a bent toward listening.) This ‘Pebble’ feature in ‘Traipse’ will periodically offer memorable citations and images about travel.
Well done. Hope the move went well.
Hi, Tim! And now the taxing journey through the wilderness of Covid19. Let the byword be patience in hope, and kindness toward all. Gracias! JPL
Thank you for this remembrance of an extraordinary man, and a reminder that peacemaking will be an imperative as long as we find ourselves at war….
I’m in your debt, Tim, for these lines that have followed me for five decades. And proven true.
JPL
Like the pebble on the tongue.
Hey, Monica! We should all have one, right??? No matter what the traverse we’re attempting! Thanks for writing in. JPL
Thanks, Jonathan. Hammarskjold richly deserves to be remembered. He set the bar very high for his successors.
While working in Ndola more than 14 years ago now, we took the time to go to the Dag Hammarskjold memorial just off the main Ndola-Kitwe Rd. For some reason we well remembered when his plane crashed and it was gratifying to find his memorial well looked after with a knowledgeable Zambian guide to tell us the story! His book “Markings” was in my library for years. With all the moves, who knows where it is now. Thanks for sharing such a unique story.