Recently I began approaching people who I know who have experienced awakenings. These days its not so hard; no trudging off to the Himalayas to find that rare person…
I approached my neighbor, when, one cool summers eve a few months prior, I realized, “Hey! You are talking like a person who has had an awakening!” “Oh,” my neighbor said, adding, “I have had this since I can remember…it has always been with me…” The timing was interesting because in the months that followed, my neighbor moved out of his house, and was one of the reasons why he was out in his yard, digging up plants to take to his new location. If we hadn’t had that illuminating conversation in the grass at the end of the day, I might have never even known. He would have just been this cool enigmatic artist-guy. I find it interesting how close a number of key people have been geographically to me…a teacher who helped me release so many blocks who offered classes just a few blocks away…and a body worker with just the right combination of energy and deep tissue work who was just as close as my teacher….and then Derek. And then, of course, there is Diane, who is the subject of one of my first interviews…
I approached Diane recently, who is an old family friend, who has had an interesting life experience with awakening. In the case of Diane, I was able to interview her and captured her words on audio, which I am now transcribing between bouts of grading projects from school. In a week or two I should have her interview completed and ready for posting.
My neighbor, Derek, is a different story, though. I sent him some canned questions a few months ago meant to evoke a range of possibilities. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to sit down with him and have a face to face. It turns out that it looks like we will have some of his writing direct from him as well as a face to face.
Coincidentally, I saw Derek recently in a totally random sort of way. He walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder in a local coffee shop. I had been wondering what he was up to and if he was going to get back with me on the material he said he was writing in response to the questions. He explained in our recent meeting that he was taking longer than expected to get his written material finished because my questions had led to an avalanche inside of him, he explained, and he didn’t want to send the material until he felt like he had completed it. He said that for some reason, my questions led him into a process that resulted in some unexpected realizations. And how cool is that? “Just keep on writing, Derek,” I assured him, ” I am happy to get it when you feel like you are ready” between the whoooshhh sounds of the espresso machine doing its thing. Derek is off to Peru for a few weeks and promises he will be back…..and he knows where I live.
If you are interested in sharing your perspective in an interview, please feel free to contact me at the address below. I don’t pay, but I am always grateful. Before posting I share the interview materials with any interviewee and if you have links to sites that you would like to share, these are always welcome. You can contact me at info@staffordartglass.com.
So now it is back to grading and getting through the end of a very busy semester at school!
Until later…
Waking The Infinite 