GOD BLESS AMERICA &
WHEN THE FIRE & THE ROSE ARE ONE

9-20/6/17  :: A BLOG

 

Long flight to Miami, in daytime at least, the day catching up with us as we flew west, so still light on arrival, got our hired car and off we went south, Mishka driving, heading for the Keys...on the Gulf of Mexico side, sea there like a millpond, no waves whatsoever, but that's where we were at our hotel; but at least Mishka and son, Abechy - who joined us for this part of our time there - were out there on the other side, the Atlantic, for two fabulous scuba diving days - totally at home down there with the (often) brilliant fish, packed shoals, even a few small sharks - a world they love, unknown to me, but without envy (almost!)...

So that was where we were for six days preliminary to our committed seminar affair to come later in Santa Fe. For me there in Florida, in Key Largo, it was: read a bit, sun a bit, rest a bit, sit a bit, never quite getting the hang of it all there, constantly amazed at the way they dine there, it's mostly just FOOD, and on top of that, in the evenings, LOUD (and nonstop) music, easy for Abechy, who just had burgers more or less every time, mostly I was floored by what came (and in the din of sound), but at least the breakfasts were fine for me.

We had heard about Key West - Go see! - it's at the end of a long causeway, manmade mostly, so off we went south on it one late afternoon, but after an hour's drive or so our GPS informed us there were still nearly 65 miles to go so we just pulled into an earlier Key and had dinner - which was much like everywhere else down there, really. Of course, if you like burgers...

Then it was time to pack up and go, to drive back to Miami, hand back the car (easy this time), book ourselves in for our flight to Atlanta (and then on to Albuquerque), and also help son Abechy for his lone flight back to Zurich.

Not a long flight to Atlanta - supposedly. We arrived overhead - and there we stayed, for an hour or so - big storm in Atlanta, so no take-offs, no landings whatsoever there, so we were cruising, one amongst many aircraft - till the pilot announced we were running out of fuel and would have to go back - to the small airport in Tallahassee in Florida - to refuel. There - all out, for an hour. Then we were off again to Atlanta, arriving 3 hours late or more, so losing our connection to Albuquerque, as many many others did their own. It was now 21.30 and we joined a queue of about 50 to 60 people waiting in line at the Delta Trouble-Shooting counter - at first 4 people dealing with the applicants, then 3, then 2, finally by 2 am, only one - a hero. We were next! But all Delta rooms long gone so - go to shuttle service area, find your own hotel, maybe we reimburse you later. Atlanta is the biggest airport in America, dwarfs even Frankfurt here, so we had to trudge a good mile to find the shuttle area, there was a van, a man inside, a hotel name on the side,

could we go there, could he take us there? A phonecall and off we went, arriving at 03.30, asleep by 03.35...

The morning flight to Albuquerque was already full, so we had to wait till early afternoon, which suited us, of course. But the flight troubles for us were not yet over, coming into Albuquerque there was a very strong wind.

The pilot was about to put his wheels on the ground when a wing swung down, almost hit the ground - and in a flash he was up in the air again, thankfully, moved round, tried another approach, again the wind blowed dangerously so up again and down a third track to land, this time he came down at full speed, to counteract the strong wind - and we were down. Landed at last. I set off a big clap in the plane, shook the hands of the 2 pilots on disembarking. The seminar to start already later that day.

And there was Nekai to meet us, in a huge Ford - driving across from California alone, just to meet us and take care generally. And of course participate in the seminar.

At more or less the same time her daughter Taisha arrived by plane, so we were 4 for the next stage. First, the luggage. Not on the plane! But then we saw it, waiting for us, had been on board the morning plane, so we were off to Synergia, the ranch near Santa Fe where we have operated from the last 2 years... an hour's drive away.

So at last it all became familiar - the group room, and apart from 4 who came just for the Friday evening, all but 2 had been with us there before, mostly with WG names. These 2 newcomers got WG names at the end and silver necklaces too. I enjoyed the group a lot, all were so receptive and appreciative - and took, clearly, great steps. There were some with real body troubles, so there were some long individual sessions too. Then by 5 on Sunday we were through. One of those coming for just Friday evening brought me a message from an old Poona friend of mine - Chaitanya Hari aka Georg Deuter, a famous and marvellous musician of spiritual music - 60+ CDs so far - music I have played on and off in my seminars over the years. Mishka and I were driven to his remote and beautiful home by Nekai and and Taisha, and we spent an hour with him there - he was a bit fragile, just recovering from heart surgery - and that time together was very sweet, I enjoyed it very much - our first meeting since 2000 - and then we were part of a crowd, so this was special.

Then it was time for a group dinner with a dozen of the participants, a last night on the ranch and then via Nekai again, and Taisha, to the airport in Albuquerque - a drive of an hour or so, and a chanceless flight to Chicago, and then from there on our Swiss flight to Zurich  -where we arrived early to be met by Simitra and driven home. I had not managed to sleep at all on the flight back, Mishka managed a little, so I was a bit hazy on arrival, saw out the day by reading the English morning papers from departure day till now, and then we both crashed to bed pretty early on. Next day, Wednesday, I began tackling the post that had arrived in my absence, and finishing up with the usual home darshan here at home, called When You Meet the Beyond - which Sana had done (meeting the beyond) during that afternoon's SHEM Meditation, and Mecca had too, to a certain extent.

So now we were well & truly back, today a session with Edo, a little shopping in town, and now quite ready for the next seminar in Munich next weekend, plus Vienna the week after - and then the end of OPT5, the Summer Festival at Parimal, then off again with OPT6, and then the next leg of Love & Beauty, here at home. So pretty non-stop.

One last thing, to be announced on our website too: Tuesday's SASH is now suspended and will be replaced by anoter PEP evening, so PEPs now twice a week. Another weekly chance to catch the cosmic energy disease!

And finally, our thanks to those in America who helped so much to put on this event and graciously contributed to its great success for all, so, Nekai, Taisha, Mishra, Tairifa, Duija & Navina - feel thanked & blessed!

LOVEtoYouAll
Michael