20,000 Years
Long ago and far away in time, our Valley of the San Luis Rey was a wondrous home to the Luiseno People. The land was a natural habitat, a beautiful and unspoiled world, for the people of this time. The flora and fauna has disappeared due to our present culture of displacement of the natural lifescape of yesteryear. The Valley vibrates with the State 76 Hwy day and night, the thunderous roar of Camp Pendelton jets and training artillery, the whine of the passenger jets high over head, leaving their polluted contrails drifting through the sky with the toxic particles drifting down on our modern culture of more.
Being one with the City of Oceanside CA seems like forever. My first visit when I was 3 years old sitting in a little rocking chair gazing out beyond the pier infused me with the mysteries of the Sea. A small child becoming one with nature imprinting for all time the beauty of the Ocean. The year was 1938. Our City, then was a small beach town off the beaten track.
Last week I was awakened by a flute song that was being played by Faustino Frederick. He was standing in front a large mural to be unveiled that tells the story of the Payomkawichum, People known as Luiseno. People of the Sea.
There were many people there to celebrate this event, but in the listening to the sweet sounds of the flute, my eyes closed and a vision of long ago emerged in my minds eye, of the way it was. Twenty Thousand years ago the Luiseno people were living in the San Rey Valley. The air was crystal clear, the trees were majestic, the river so pure you could drink it dipping your hands in the cool sweet liquid...
This reverie lasted moments but when in enthralled by the magic flute, it seemed like my time in this vision was beyond time. And so it was, the sounds of life of yesteryear gave way to the whispering crowd waiting for the speeches to end and the unveiling of the mural of history of 20,000 years.
The moment arrived, the coverings removed and there in a golden glow of painted history was a splendid visual art work. The artist is Gibran Isaias Lopez of Escondido. Happy clapping erupted and cries of wonder echoed though the crowd. It will be there in the Children section of the Library for all to see and learn about the the People of so long ago. They, the Luiseno, are still here today and enrich our lives everyday with their wisdom, knowledge of the San Luis Rey and the sweet music of long ago...20.000 years of harmony with Nature...
I love my City of Oceanside, but from time to time, I dream of the White Horse high on his hill above the 76 with his head turned towards the Sea ...
