Also, after working as artist in residence at Sol y Sombre the home of Charles and Beth Miller in Santa Fe New Mexico and Georgia O'keefee's last residence....the only other comparable position was to be 'artist in residence for planet Earth' so in full filling that position I feel that EVERY WHERE on the planet is MY HOME....so saying that I AM homeless in Iowa ....seems somewhat of a lie.
I left 'the family' behind and took off on my 'meditation about' the Mount Vernon homeless adventure. Several layers of clothes with a native pendleton black and brown designed 'gathering' blanket for real warmth.
The large hillside Mount Vernon Cemetery was close. The almost full moon and clear sky were a perfect backdrop for my first several hour meditation. I sat behind a large grave stone so no one would notice my presence. Seems so miraculous that so soon after a dramatic dialogue that I could be feeling so good again. Clearness of the sky matched my empty thoughts and emotions. Just Being ALIVE among the dead felt pretty soothing.
My meditation focused on being in the heart space, beautiful pure perfect love, I like to say. I had stayed within that space of ' We are all One' from the Bass Farm mediation combined with the original zygote being ONE cell to the now added third ONE heart meditation. The ONE love we all seem to share. It was a beautiful night, perfect.
When the time came to move...I moved. All wrapped up in my native wool warm blanket, I sat at the out door comfortable table and chairs of the First Street Community Center. I love Rick and Trude Elliott, the owners and creators of the MainStreet Community Center. Building community from the inside out is one of the most difficult arts of our time. I have been blessed to have lived in some amazing communities that are always in the process of attempting to improve on their art of community building. Marion Iowa my hometown. Carefree Arizona, Naples Florida, Lajolla California, Peace City, Aspen Colorado, Taos New Mexico and Beth Miller's Sol y Sombra in Santa Fe, and now Mount Vernon Iowa ...home of Cornell College my alma matter.
Edgar Helms is my favorite Cornell Alumni. He created Goodwill Industries in Boston in 1902. He was amazing, more on him later. His inspiration along another mile of my journey brings inspirational light to my path, always.
I was ready to move westward to the old Lincoln highway bridge crossing the double railroad tracks. A favorite pastime, decades ago, to be on the tiny wooden bridge while huge freight trains would pass inches below you. I got to experience two trains at once last night....a 'remember me' kind of experience. Then I walked over to the park on the entrance to town, I had never been there before and it was beginning to get cold and damp. I layered on the picnic table by the nearby fire pit. A fire would have been wonderful. I wasn't really prepared except for a bottle of water that I brought along. Several hours later...I got cold and decided to find a warm spot in town. Olin Hall was nearby, the dorm that I spent three years in while at Cornell. I found a first floor study type room that was warm with nice furniture and the most quiet space I have experienced in Mount Vernon. My meditation went on for several hours before I felt the pulse of early morning movement about town. I walked through town, people were starting to move about the dark town. I even encountered a group of four joggers and cars parked at the community center fitness center.
I went back to my old white home on hilltop drive and quietly made my way into 'my' second floor bed. It felt good. I lay awake meditating on my experiences and all I had learned about THE SELF, loving the self and the layers and layers of complex systems of symbolic characters screaming out or hiding away within the ideal self awaiting to be 'discovered.' or just re known .......I went straight into a short dream and was awakened quickly as it played out. Clear as ever was the transition into the morning hour.
It is amazing that we ever communicate with one another as the real communication takes place within the mufti-dimensional layers of unknown and known senses of being oneself. While the external superficial material layers of skin providing such a beautiful representation of the wholeness never seems touched nearly enough.
Life is so beautiful in its myriad diversity. Time to contemplate another night of meditation about town.
No comments:
Post a Comment