Today always reminds me of very important life experiences. I had never really kept track of the events of dates such as today's until five years ago, when I began exploring beyond the limits of my comfort zone. Initially, I was skeptical of the results my journey would bring. The beginning of the journey was incredibly stressful, difficult, chaotic and confusing. If I hadn't continued to travel and see what the world appeared to be, I would have always remembered this day as the bringer of the saddest sights I've ever seen. I don't want to talk about them now. On supposedly random days these memories come back to me, yet they have no effect on my psyche. I've been thinking about them much more lately while I read and write about the beginning of my journey. Then, sometimes, when I'm walking on the street feeling high as a kite and listening to music, one of my favorite activities in the Universe City, or solemnly soberly contemplating life's mysteries in my place to be, the reality of the memories strike a chord deep within me, and I feel water running down the cheeks of my own usually smiley face. That's why writing this part of the book hasn't been fun. That being said, when I remember how that day progressed, even though I had seen people with such fates amidst life going on, I did meet kindness on the path that afternoon and evening, as those with very little space and almost nothing invited a fellow traveler and me into their one room home without furniture to prepare, cook and share food with us.
The patience and endurance I'd learned to develop my entire life to that point helped me to overcome the initial overwhelming waves of disgust I had felt with the world and myself for living here, and persisted on the path to find surprising hidden treasures of joy, beauty and kindness in the lives, landscapes and lessons around me. I was fortunate to find them in myself as well, mixed with balancing emotions and characteristics that keep away competitions of personality perfection. The world and its people helped me see these jewels inside me. This adventure of improvement takes time, effort, patience, curiosity, love, enthusiasm and courage
1 year after my first memorable December 4th, I had another important experience that was in some ways opposite of the previous year's, but in others merely a return to a familiar habitat. I had been living outside in the snow and single digit lows in the wintry deserts of the American Southwest for two weeks before hitchhiking three rides from the middle of national parks conserved within the conservative heart of America, to the living lights of dances and stages known as Las Vegas. I stayed with the boyfriend of a cousin of a friend, arranged by cell phone in my snowy tent the evening before, wondering what life had been like living indoors
The world woke me up indoors on 12/4. I was on a cot, with warmth, a shower, food, clean bathrooms, running water, people and TV awaiting me. We watched movies and football, indulged legal and illegal substances, ate heartily and laughed easily. At night we drove up and down the strip (after sobering up) without actually gambling anywhere, which was fine because I didn't have any money to gamble. We walked around Old Vegas to see the ordered chaos of people trying to win more money to reward their risky sacrifice of less money. As you can see, I was no longer in a third world country, yet I was in an environment both foreign and familiar to me. I didn't know at the time that it would be another flight with seasons of the ball as it adapts to please its shining sun before I was going to have the ultimate fun
A sun day worthy of the name three magic revolutions around the very same ago, I saw the greatest live performance I've ever seen in my life. I was privileged to see, listen and feel the masterful musician Hiromi moving rhythms of universal vibrations in front of wide-eyed imaginations enjoying soulful salivation at her composed creations and energizing improvisation. Although I had seen her play five times and even in the same venue as part of an international jazz festival three months before, this became the longest show with the largest audience I had ever been fortunate to see her dazzle. On top of that, I was enjoying living exactly seven months in Japan, having arrived only a couple months after their tsunami/earthquake. On this day I exceeded my previous record of living in foreign lands, the one that had begun with the first exploration into the worlds that appeared other but eventually played the roles of my father and my mother. 12/4/11 at the Tokyo International Forum gave me the best: Universality, Amazement, Wonder, Excitement, Mastery, Ecstasy, Inspiration, Joy, Admiration, Zest and Enthusiasm
You see, that is why I looked with brightness when I said, "Hi, world" this commencement of a day alive in the universe on the life giving ball with the sun, the water, the life and the love. As I traveled to the gathering where I help humans (and they help me) understand, communicate and share with our world, I decided to listen to some songs courtesy of Hiromi. Every song enlivened and moved me, especially the suite about Las Vegas on Place to Be. I wasn't ignoring the world's challenges. I was equipping myself with the inner strength, joy and determination to help and improve the people around me, as opposed to wanting to fight them, an emotion we all embody
Today, events both past and present remind me how lucky I am to live the life that I live, and that there there is always much to be upset about. Sometimes these problems require specific solutions from qualified humans who have dedicated themselves to ending such struggles, respecting that we live our own lives and don't always know what's going on with everyone else everywhere else, and would have a much better time of things focusing on living and helping life live higher levels as we love our world. On top of that, there is also a general attitude that can be developed by individuals, i.e. you and me, to make the world better and more free every single day we get to be. All that involves is realizing just how much you have to be thankful for while having the unique, creative and imaginative opportunities that might be offered to you for your participation in the world. I hope this will help us transform the injustice we see into motivational energy to make US the best we can be. We don't have to display perfection, as our own judges or in the eyes of others, to achieve high quality, as we express our awe at the wondrous variety of infinity, but we should understand how lucky we are to experience the joy of life's beauty, as languages of others, my fathers and mothers have helped teach me to say "Thank U," "Yes," "Gracias," "Si," "Merci" and "Oui" to this SEA of WE
The patience and endurance I'd learned to develop my entire life to that point helped me to overcome the initial overwhelming waves of disgust I had felt with the world and myself for living here, and persisted on the path to find surprising hidden treasures of joy, beauty and kindness in the lives, landscapes and lessons around me. I was fortunate to find them in myself as well, mixed with balancing emotions and characteristics that keep away competitions of personality perfection. The world and its people helped me see these jewels inside me. This adventure of improvement takes time, effort, patience, curiosity, love, enthusiasm and courage
1 year after my first memorable December 4th, I had another important experience that was in some ways opposite of the previous year's, but in others merely a return to a familiar habitat. I had been living outside in the snow and single digit lows in the wintry deserts of the American Southwest for two weeks before hitchhiking three rides from the middle of national parks conserved within the conservative heart of America, to the living lights of dances and stages known as Las Vegas. I stayed with the boyfriend of a cousin of a friend, arranged by cell phone in my snowy tent the evening before, wondering what life had been like living indoors
The world woke me up indoors on 12/4. I was on a cot, with warmth, a shower, food, clean bathrooms, running water, people and TV awaiting me. We watched movies and football, indulged legal and illegal substances, ate heartily and laughed easily. At night we drove up and down the strip (after sobering up) without actually gambling anywhere, which was fine because I didn't have any money to gamble. We walked around Old Vegas to see the ordered chaos of people trying to win more money to reward their risky sacrifice of less money. As you can see, I was no longer in a third world country, yet I was in an environment both foreign and familiar to me. I didn't know at the time that it would be another flight with seasons of the ball as it adapts to please its shining sun before I was going to have the ultimate fun
A sun day worthy of the name three magic revolutions around the very same ago, I saw the greatest live performance I've ever seen in my life. I was privileged to see, listen and feel the masterful musician Hiromi moving rhythms of universal vibrations in front of wide-eyed imaginations enjoying soulful salivation at her composed creations and energizing improvisation. Although I had seen her play five times and even in the same venue as part of an international jazz festival three months before, this became the longest show with the largest audience I had ever been fortunate to see her dazzle. On top of that, I was enjoying living exactly seven months in Japan, having arrived only a couple months after their tsunami/earthquake. On this day I exceeded my previous record of living in foreign lands, the one that had begun with the first exploration into the worlds that appeared other but eventually played the roles of my father and my mother. 12/4/11 at the Tokyo International Forum gave me the best: Universality, Amazement, Wonder, Excitement, Mastery, Ecstasy, Inspiration, Joy, Admiration, Zest and Enthusiasm
You see, that is why I looked with brightness when I said, "Hi, world" this commencement of a day alive in the universe on the life giving ball with the sun, the water, the life and the love. As I traveled to the gathering where I help humans (and they help me) understand, communicate and share with our world, I decided to listen to some songs courtesy of Hiromi. Every song enlivened and moved me, especially the suite about Las Vegas on Place to Be. I wasn't ignoring the world's challenges. I was equipping myself with the inner strength, joy and determination to help and improve the people around me, as opposed to wanting to fight them, an emotion we all embody
Today, events both past and present remind me how lucky I am to live the life that I live, and that there there is always much to be upset about. Sometimes these problems require specific solutions from qualified humans who have dedicated themselves to ending such struggles, respecting that we live our own lives and don't always know what's going on with everyone else everywhere else, and would have a much better time of things focusing on living and helping life live higher levels as we love our world. On top of that, there is also a general attitude that can be developed by individuals, i.e. you and me, to make the world better and more free every single day we get to be. All that involves is realizing just how much you have to be thankful for while having the unique, creative and imaginative opportunities that might be offered to you for your participation in the world. I hope this will help us transform the injustice we see into motivational energy to make US the best we can be. We don't have to display perfection, as our own judges or in the eyes of others, to achieve high quality, as we express our awe at the wondrous variety of infinity, but we should understand how lucky we are to experience the joy of life's beauty, as languages of others, my fathers and mothers have helped teach me to say "Thank U," "Yes," "Gracias," "Si," "Merci" and "Oui" to this SEA of WE
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