Lessons from the Ice Man

In Bolzano Italy, there is a museum that houses the remains and belongings of an ancient man called affectionately by the Italians, "Frozen Fritz." Seriously, this Ice Man was discovered in 1991 by some hikers in the Austrian/Italian Alps.

The authorities thought that the man was from the last century at first, but further study shocked everyone. He was from the copper age.....5000 years before Christ. The museum displays all of his clothing and tools, well preserved in ice all of this time. They were even able to discern what his last meal was by evaluating the contents of his stomach.

His body is displayed through a tiny window where you can see tiny tattoo marks that correspond with meridians where acupuncture or other healing methods might have been done. It was awe inspiring to see how intricately his clothing and tools were constructed.

As I walked through and imagined what his life must have been like, I couldn't help but be moved by the brilliance and creativity that his people had, to live comfortably in the extreme conditions present at that time.

I couldn't help but reflect on the problems and issues facing me in my relationship landscape and how I can get discouraged when I feel stuck or that I have made a mistake. Beating myself up inside with thoughts like "I can't believe I list that, what an idiot." "I should know better." "Why can't I feel more connected to my man?" "I hate when he withdraws from me." Blah, Blah, Blah!

My internal landscape can be as frigid and uninhabitable as the Alps were for the Ice Man if I let it. Maybe I can borrow from his resilience and perseverance to warm myself up. I wonder if he took time to whine and complain. Somehow, I think he probably had his discouraging moments as he painstakingly braided plant fibers together so he could make twine to tie his bow together. His fingers were probably aching with cold as he poked the strips of sinew through tiny holes in the animal hide he made into his coat. I wonder if he wanted to quit.