Passing Events
The early morning sky was beautiful with clouds and sun mixing so that greys and oranges were dancing together. The temperature has cooled a bit. It's 70 degrees fahrenheit at 7:30 a.m. and the high will not exceed 85 degree this day. Today is Monday.
It has been five days since I traversed the continent to find myself in a place that holds energy that reflects so many complexities. This is a city where all people come together in every passing moment. The evidence of this can be found just in walking the streets. Languages from all over the world can be heard, curiosity can be felt, conservative and liberal orientations can be seen, and the search to understand our world can be encountered in many places. These are passing events which, if taken in fully, can re-shape the orientation of a person and the future.
The experience of exchanging stories was part of the past weekend. And in the exchange, came several new encounters that illustrated how passing events really are the threads that make up life's journey. Those threads carry the memory of people, of events, and teachings while simultaneously revealing what the future may hold because one realizes the passing events are not in the past.
Is this confusing?
It might be confusing for some. For many, the understanding is that all of it is in the current moment - what many refer to as NOW. This is the only place where the reality of life can be experienced. Otherwise, there is only a memory (the past) and the unknown (the future). So if one is interested in shaping the future for there to be a better world, one must take seriously the task of understanding and awareness of self, the conditions we face, and the choices that are presented for what to do next. Living is colorful in more ways than one might imagine. Deep reflection is always a portal to understanding.
Yesterday, the experience of being with a new friend on a stage allowed another kind of reflection to happen. That experience was a kind of intimate yet public sharing and an opportunity to learn about how to become a part of the movement for peace, for compassion, for change that will bring each person back to humanity. It was a gift that came without ever asking or even imagining the gesture of invitation. It was a space of sacred hospitality with complete strangers - not of any tribe that might be familiar by race, ethnicity, religion, or any other form of "identity".
It was intimate and yet, set in a theater. It held a kind of energy that allowed for deep reflection, skepticism, and curiosity all at once. And, it felt sacred. A passing event, now a memory, and going forward - Who knows? For now, a feeling of deep gratitude for the life and path that has opened.