Passages and Markers

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 11, 2016 in American Legion, Family, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual

September 10, 2016, Prescott- This was a day of gatherings and of paying attention to “urgent” messages. I have learned that the latter is usually a matter of perception. The former is how we survive and thrive, as a species.

I made my usual visit to the Prescott Farmer’s Market, buying a bit more than usual, so as to bolster the contents of my evening healthy shake. A trip over to a yard sale, organized by Baha’i friends, gave me a chance to pick up some books and other items that should capture the interest of the children in my care.

Then it was off to a memorial service for John A. Mortimer, about whom I wrote, two weeks ago. The chapel service was solemn and done with military honours. I found it touching and lovely. The gathering at our American Legion Post, afterwards, was packed, as befits his memory. One who fully lives, until the age of 96, is unlikely to be bid farewell, without fanfare.

John had the full send-off, and 87 or so people gave him all the love and respect he had earned.

The above was part of the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing, June 6, 2014.

Today is my mother’s birthday. No one has been, and is, more of an influence as to how I have turned out as an adult than Lila Mae Kusch Boivin. She it was, who kept after me to pay attention to my surroundings, to be proactive, to not use my affliction as a crutch, to not wait for an invitation to be of help to those around me. She it was, who did everything on my behalf- from getting after a hard-edged teacher and a know-it-all school counselor, when she felt they were failing to meet my needs, to seeing that I didn’t wallow in self-pity, on any one of a dozen occasions in my adult life, not the least, when my beloved wife passed to the next plane. On all the occasions when she thought I was tuning her out, it turns out that I was actually storing all that instruction, and have put it to full use, ever since. She it is, who is behind my survival and relative success.

She wants to live on, fully, and no one is more behind her on this, than yours truly. Happy 88th, dearest Mother. (My nephew is conveying our collective sentiments, in this photo of three years ago.)

Whose Truth?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on August 30, 2016 in Community, Matters of Faith, Service Activities, Spiritual, Striving

August 28, 2016, Prescott- I attended a couple of spiritual gatherings, this weekend. Last night, several faith leaders and community activists gathered at Scottsdale Baha’i Center. The purpose was a delayed Race Unity Day. The weather has cooled, just a tad, from June’s more extreme temperatures, thus making a late August version of “Juneteenth” more palatable to many.

The array of speakers was far more concerned with solving the ongoing problem of race relations, than in any semblance of showmanship or exclusive claim to truth. The gathering of about 100 people were able to engage in well-balanced discourse, without resorting to recrimination.

This evening, I joined a much smaller group, at an observance of Janmashtami,(Krishna’s Birthday), one of the key Hindu religious observances. It had been 32 years since I last attended any kind of Hindu gathering. Prescott’s small community is made up of white Americans- an anomaly, with the South Asian community here seeming to be mainly Christian and Muslim. They are no less fervent, though, than the multitudes of India and Nepal.

The swami, who hails from Sedona, is, like me, a child of the 1960’s. His inspiration to become Hindu came from the Beatles and others who flocked to the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I must say, he has done a fair amount of homework on the body of Hindu Scripture. Anyone who can cite the data of the created Universe that is listed in such detail ,as it is in the Bhagavad Gita, is worthy of profound respect.

There is, though, a common thread woven through all the religious traditions, from time immemorial. Each does build on those before it, as Man becomes more conscious of, and in tune with, his unique station on this Earthly plane. Truth, to me, did not stop with Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. It has not stopped with the Baha’i Faith. There will be other Spiritual Teachers, Avatars, Buddhas or whichever name one sees fit to apply to a Divine Messenger, and They will come when mankind needs them.

Truth, though, remains One- and none can claim a corner on its entirety. I was gratified to see that the swami and his community has sensed this, and dispelled some misgivings I was about to have, about their faith and its possible trend towards fundamentalism. I will be able to maintain the same dialogue with the Hindu community that I am still working to establish with devout Christians.

It was a fine, useful weekend.

Sensitivity

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on August 10, 2016 in children, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

August 9, 2016, Prescott- This is a fine “home stretch”, thus far. I have had dinner with a Young Republican, with a friend of three years and, on a couple of occasions, with several Baha’i friends, at various gatherings. I have started work again, helping special needs children in the schools, here in town- first at the high school, before being transferred to Grades 5 & 6, for the needs of the District. It’s gratifying to know that my skill set is valued at the higher levels. It hasn’t always been that way. I am getting settled financially, as well, and will be fine, especially as Autumn gets into full swing. Physically, my exercise routine is on track, and diet is healthy. The Fall hiking season is about a month away, and lightning will not be a deterrent to being on mountains. Most importantly, I have ditched the occasional tendency to lapse into conjecture and innuendo, when dealing with criticism or opposition. “Say what happened, and no more” has become my mantra.

I am working with troubled children, once again. Their struggles are very much the same as mine, when I was those grades. Like me, they struggle, despite having loving parents. Like me, they need more listening and less “by the book” judgment. So, this I provide, to the best of my ability. I find myself vindicated by their amazing curiosity, awakening intellect and sensitivity to those around them, who are suffering.

It will be a full, energizing and revelatory year.

Various Shelters

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 23, 2016 in animal and plant life, Community, Hiking and Nature, Inner Struggles, Service Activities

June 23, 2016, Eagar, AZ- I have been helping to staff a Red Cross shelter, in this small eastern Arizona town, for the past two days. Those who are here, have come because of respiratory issues. The smoke from the Cedar Fire, a human-caused forest conflagration, has been more of a problem than the actual blaze. Few, if any, structures have been affected by the fire. The school where we are housed is well away from the blaze, of course, as is the school in the Painted Desert town of Holbrook, where a second shelter has been opened. The concerns now are smoke and flooding, once the monsoon rains come, in earnest. We got a foretaste of the latter, last night, when the parking lot outside our staff motel got about twenty minutes’ worth of shower activity.

The other day, in between beach visits in southern California, I spent about forty minutes walking in the western lagoon area of San Elijo Lagoon Natural Reserve, in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, north of San Diego. A brackish water lagoon is also a shelter. Both marine animals and desert mountain creatures find a safe haven. The lagoon is, however, a tenuous place of refuge. Given its location near various industrial areas, there is always a balance to be struck between the natural filtering that water plants offer and Man’s perceived need to generate waste, in the name of “prosperity”. Brackishness has a long way to go, in being appreciated for what it offers the balance of nature.

Thus, San Elijo’s lagoon is a vital educational tool. Here are some views of the western portion of this extraordinary refuge.

Thick vegetation is needed, to help filter out toxins.

Several channels converge in the lagoon, en route to the sea.

A lone egret was partaking of the solace, this morning.

The channel on the right has cut through to the ocean.

The Kumeyaay people, now also called Diegueno or Luiseno, had simple, temporary dwellings, when they came to the lagoon to gather fish, crustaceans and kelp.

Here is a view of the ocean-bound channel, from the Visitor Center’s second-floor observation deck.

The eastern section of San Elijo Lagoon Natural preserve lies east of Interstate 5, in the community of Encinitas. It’s an area best enjoyed in the coolness of Fall. I may well stop and investigate the emerging channels and their hillside source, come October.

There are no real external shelters from one’s own struggles. The only way, as was said in “The Empire Strikes Back”, is through. I have been my own worst foe, in so many situations, that the aforementioned option has become my default. There were two instances, in the past day or so, where my efforts at maintaining the shelter clashed with others, who were either not thinking things through, or were just worn out and seeking the path of least resistance. The only thing I could do, in both cases, was quietly continue what I was doing, for the benefit of the shelter clients, while not pushing the confrontation envelope. Our manager has confidence in my judgement. This is a continuation of what I experienced this past Spring, at Prescott High School. It’s refreshing, actually, and indicates I’m doing something right.

I am grateful for many shelters.

Stairstepping In Kodachrome Land, Part 3: A Zip Through The Cedars

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 8, 2016 in Hiking and Nature, Service Activities, Travel

June 3, 2016, Chinle, AZ- After leaving Nevada behind, I decided that the drive through the expanse of heaven that is southern Utah would have to be somewhat less than just. I have the Golden Circle on my radar screen for a full month of exploration- but not until next summer, at the very earliest, and maybe not until 2020. The pines, cedars and unparalleled canyons of southern Utah are treasures to be taken one inch at a time.

One caveat I share with most other drivers is: Don’t make a nuisance of yourself, by constantly and abruptly pulling to the side of the narrow road, to get that great photo. So, the scenes presented herein are few in number- focusing on two places: Navajo Lake/Duck Creek and Orderville Canyon. These two very different environments give a snippet of the variety in a relatively small area of Kane County.

I spent a few minutes in the commercial hub of Cedar City, just refueling and resting my Nissan. The traffic was already gearing up for a crowded weekend, hereabouts, so on up through Kolob Canyon it was. Navajo Lake lies in the rim country, above Zion National Park. There were about a dozen people at the overlook, so we took turns with photographs.

Navajo Lake, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Dike across Navajo Lake, Dixie National Forest, Utah

The dike was built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, during the New Deal, to maintain constant water flow.

Navajo Lake, and nearby Duck Creek, were created by lava flow, which altered the course of the Virgin River, which created Zion Canyon. Below, are some scenes of the lava beds, around Duck Creek Visitor Center.

Lava bed at Duck Creek Visitor Center, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Lava bed, Duck Creek Visitor Center, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Duck Creek, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Orderville is one of the small farming towns that are a delight to visit, in the midst of southern Utah’s canyon country. It is also a jumping off point for those headed east, towards Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Park. Orderville has a gorgeous canyon of its own, though, and can easily enchant the visitor for 2-3 days.

Orderville Canyon, Utah

With the day growing short, I headed on east and south, through Page, AZ, on the southern shore of Lake Powell, across the Navajo Nation, to Kayenta and Chinle. At Tsegi, just west of Kayenta, I cam across a couple whose vehicle and trailer had overturned. The Indian Health Service worker who had stopped to help was having a hard time getting through to emergency services. I was able to call and get help en route. Good thing that neither person,nor their two dogs, were injured. Past Kayenta, a brush fire had broken out, south of Chilchinbeto, where I once worked. Once again, 911 was dialed from my phone, and a fire truck was dispatched.

That was the end of the day’s excitement. I enjoyed a relaxing meal at Junction Restaurant, in Chinle, before heading down to Native American Baha’i Institute, another 1 1/2 hours further southeast. It is time to change gears, and focus on spirituality for a day or so.

Nature’s Terror

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 8, 2016 in Assistance, Community, Service Activities

May 7. 2016, Prescott- Today is a rare kick-back day. I did saunter down to our Saturday market, which is now back in my neighbourhood, until October. The fresh produce will go into a Spring soup, once I pick up some organic meat at Trader Joe’s. I also met some of the market’s other regulars, from last year. It’s a lot more relaxed around here, than it was then.

Thinking of taking a short hike, I encountered rain that was serious enough to send me back inside. Studying maps and reading took up the time, instead. I have an inkling to go down to Prescott Valley, this evening, and join a group of friends who are attending a spiritual rock concert.

Our little Drum Circle thumped and chanted, last night, for, among other things, relief for Fort McMurray, Alberta. It is a city of about 85,000 people, now mostly evacuated, due to the worst forest fire in North America, since our own Indian Fire, of 2002. The fact that people were evacuated northward, then they ran out of food, is especially frightening. Now, they have to somehow be brought out of harm’s way, and there was no safe route, as of this morning. With all the tar sands nearby, the place may be extra incendiary.

I know that Canada, as a nation, is up to the horrific challenge- and as a North American, I will offer any support that the people request. This is why we do best not to quibble about the inconsequential.

Contradictions, and Such

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 24, 2016 in Service Activities, Social

April 23, 2016, Prescott- I didn’t write about Earth Day, yesterday, because I was exhausted, and besides, every day is Earth Day. Yes, I know, focus days are important; but still…..

We did an environmental activity today, at Bellemont Baha’i School, west of Flagstaff. I raked up about 75 pounds of pine needles, to create a safety zone around the campus’s buildings. On the way back, I came across an anti-environmental activity: A traffic jam, on a state highway, caused by a water truck driver who was “prepping for a construction project”- at 4 PM on Saturday.

Many people are concerned about fake “transgender” pedophiles, sneaking in women’s restrooms, behind real transgenders, so they can have at little girls. I remember the creeper in Primm, NV, who just walked right in, behind a 9-year-old girl- and killed her, with no pretense as to what he was. There is no substitute for a parent going into the rest room, with a child.

I have my fair share of contradictions, over these past 65 years. Safe to say, none of them has included injuring another human being. I am working on those contradictions, though, as most of the people in my life are working on theirs. Those who knew me when could tell you a few stories, and that’s okay. It is what we learn from our mistakesand what we do differently, going forward, that matter most.

I was pleased to meet the new husband of one of my woman friends, who told me, time and again, of her simple dream to be a good man’s wife. Things clicked for them, at Christmas time, and the match is an excellent one. I wish the same for my other single friends- both male and female. I know, firsthand, that there is nothing like having a good mate.

So, here it is, a month into Spring, and let’s just see how long it takes, before Phoenix and Palm Springs hit 100, and before Colorado goes a week without snow.

Finally, from one budding antique, here is the real deal.

Ford sedan, circa 1920

Those Who Wait

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 5, 2016 in Education, Personal goals, Service Activities, Striving

April 4, 2016, Prescott- I got my photo loading device on the laptop fixed, this evening, so a hiking post, or two, is in the offing for tomorrow and Wednesday. Today, though, is a time for mentioning something unexpected.

I went to work at our intermediate school, this morning, only to be told my services were not needed there, due to the convoluted situation in which they found themselves. On a whim, I asked the secretary to call HR and see whether they had any other needs for the day. HR asked me to go to Prescott High School, and help in the Resource Center.

It turned out that the lead teacher there thought I was her new assistant, for the rest of the academic year. I said I would be available, about 90 % of the remaining time, given a few “word is my bond” obligations elsewhere. Both the teacher and the office manager seem fine with that, so I did my job today and will work three more days this week, and 4-5 days a week there, the rest of this month and all but five of the school days in May.

Those who wait, with open eyes and ears, can be rewarded.

My Life Thus Far: The Eighties

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 21, 2016 in Family, Personal Values, Service Activities, Spiritual, Travel

February 20, 2016, Prescott- Today was spent in spiritual study, and an hour or so will be so used, tomorrow afternoon. All of this was initiated by my beloved, and because of her, the decade of my thirties brought a whole new outlook on life. The 1980’s were one of the two best decades of this life, up to now.

1980-High Point: Meeting Penny (December 6)

Low Point: Scrambling to find housing in Flagstaff (September)

People in the heart: Penny Fellman, my future wife; my Flagstaff housemates, Mohammed Saeedi, Chris Lugenbuhl and Carol Vireday; the anonymous guys who gave me rides, to/from Oregon; my Mesa friends, the Lunts.

Places in the heart: Flagstaff; Durango; Zuni; San Diego; Laguna Beach; Redwood National Park; Hebo, OR; Portland; Eugene; Crater Lake; San Luis Obispo; Santa Barbara.

1981- High Point: My entry into the Baha’i Faith.

Low Point: Our temporary break-up.

People in the heart: Penny; the Cordova family; the Beausoleils; the Travises; Mishabae Mahoney; Hilde Mc Cormick; John Carrillo (my office mate and sounding board); my first nephew and niece, Chris and Marcy.

Places in the heart: Flagstaff; Tuba City; Dinnebito, AZ; Capitol Reef National Park; Natural Bridges National Monument; San Diego; Julian.

1982- High Points: Our wedding (June 6); our Baha’i Pilgrimage (June 16- 30).

Low Point: Getting organized into a household.

People in the heart: My wife; both Moms and Dads; the San Diego Baha’i Community; the Tong family; the staff of the Baha’i World Centre; the Baha’is of London; my mentor at Northland Pioneer College.

Places in the heart: Tuba City; San Diego; Julian; Dinnebito; Bedminster, NJ; Jerusalem; Haifa; Akko; Bethlehem; London; Canterbury; Saugus; Bedminster; Standoff, AB; Yellowstone National Park; Bozeman, MT.

1983- High Points: The Wildfire Conference, at De Pauw University; Baha’i teaching in southern New Mexico and Metro El Paso; my brother, Glenn’s wedding.

Low Point: My Nana died.

People in the heart: Penny ( and this goes without saying, until the day she passed); the Baha’is of Tuba City, Dinnebito, Jemez, Phoenix, Las Cruces, El Paso and Chicago; the Biernackes, of El Paso; my second niece, Melanie; my second nephew, Jeff.

Places in the heart: Tuba City; Dinnebito; Blue Canyon, AZ; Jemez Springs; Durango, CO; Silverton; Ouray; Great Sand Dunes National Park; Chama; Santa Fe; Albuquerque; Chicago; Baha’i House of Worship, Wilmette, IL; Greencastle, IN; Las Cruces; Berino, NM; El Paso; Fabens, TX; Andover, MA.

1984- High Points: Baha’i teaching in Guyana, Pine Ridge, SD and Macy, NE.

Low Point: The passing of Gordon Tong, our Baha’i friend and mentor.

People in the heart: Our Guyanese hosts; the people of Pine Ridge and of the Omaha Nation; our friends and our co-workers on the Navajo Nation; Elizabeth Dahe and her family; our hosts in Houston and Oklahoma; my third nephew, Nick.

Places in the heart: Tuba City; Burntwater, AZ; Houston; Ada, OK; Georgetown, Bath, Whim and Meten meer zorg, GY; New York; Macy, NE; Wanblee, Pine Ridge, and Martin, SD; Fort Collins, CO.

1985- High Point: Both sets of parents visiting.

Low Points: The deaths of three Navajo boys, in two separate accidents; our separation, while Penny was in Graduate School ( a month is a long time).

People in the heart: Our parents; Jeff and Helen Kiely; the Baha’is of Dinnebito and Ganado, AZ; my third niece, Kim; my fourth nephew, Matt.

Places in the heart: Tuba City; Flagstaff; Dinnebito; Polacca, AZ; Red Rock State Park, OK; Effingham, IL; Columbus, OH; Michigan City, IN; Wilmette and Evanston, IL; Grand Canyon; Lake Powell; Prescott; Montezuma’s Castle National Monument; Sedona; Phoenix.

1986- High Point: Our move to Jeju, South Korea, for Penny’s work, as Visiting Professor.

Low Point: My father’s passing.

People in the heart: Our parents; my siblings, our extended family; my fifth nephew, Curtis; our friends and co-workers in Arizona and in South Korea.

Places in the heart: Tuba City; Los Angeles; Seoul, Songtan and Jeju, South Korea; Saugus.

1987- High Point: My hiring as Visiting Professor, in Jeju.

Low Point: Having to leave Penny behind for a month, to get a work visa.

People in the heart: Our Korean colleagues, students and friends; three surviving parents; our siblings; our friends in Flagstaff.

Places in the heart: Jeju, Muan, Pusan and Seoul, South Korea; Los Angeles; Portland; Seattle; Butte; Madison, WS; Chicago; Wilmette, IL; Saugus; Bedminster; Greenville and Simpsonville, SC; New Orleans; Phoenix; Honolulu; Tokyo.

1988-High Point: The birth of our son, Aram (July 7).

Low Point: None, actually.

People in the heart: Aram (from this point on); the Baha’is of Jeju; Dr. Kim Chung Hak; our students; our hosts and friends in Taiwan; Penny’s parents (who flew to Korea for Aram’s birth).

Places in the heart: Jeju; Pusan; Tsaot’un, Chungli, Taich’ung and T’aipei, Taiwan;

1989- High Point: Bringing Aram to the United States, to meet our family.

Low Point: Feeling threatened, while visiting Maine.

People in the heart: Our extended family; our students; the Baha’is of Jeju and Seoul.

Places in the heart: Jeju; Anchorage; New York, Bedminster; Saugus; Lynn, MA; Eliot, ME.

So, while visiting Durango, in November, 1980, I had this inkling that I was ready to meet someone special. It didn’t happen that weekend, nor on my 30th birthday trip to San Diego. It was on an Anthropology class trip to Zuni, where Penny and I first connected. Turns out, she also had had a vision, while meditating on a mesa above her residence in Keams Canyon, AZ, where she was teaching at the time. The message said that she, too, would meet someone.

Our on again, off again, 18-month friendship became a marriage that lasted, physically, for 29 years. I believe in the eternity of marriage, and though she’s gone from Earth, we still connect, daily. We had our ups and downs, especially in the early years, but never went to bed angry with one another.

My entry into the Baha’i Faith helped me cast out the demon of alcohol dependency, and put me on a path to dealing with my larger demon, of self-doubt. Baha’u’llah has opened up many powerful channels within me- at least I feel them.

Aram’s arrival made me be responsible for someone other than the two of us. Raising him to adulthood was the only big task that God has ever given me. While I wasn’t the greatest father to have been given the bounty, I gave it a good, solid effort and he is an amazing young man.

We traveled a lot, the two of us, then the three of us, mostly in service to our Faith and to visit family. The Eighties were a decade of primarily air travel, though crowding into a Peugeot, and then a lorry (truck), in Guyana, was quite an adventure. Our Toyota Tercel got quite a workout, those four years we lived in Tuba City. It became a young lady’s first car, when we moved to Korea.

Pilgrimage to the Baha’i Holy Sites, in Haifa and Akko, Israel was the seminal defining point of the decade. Our marriage, and the birth of our son, six years later, were entirely safeguarded by our having begun life together, in this manner.

The Nineties would be a second amazing decade.

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A Sagittarian Seeker

Sharing a life of inner and outer journeys

Category Archives: Service Activities

Whose Truth?

Various Shelters

Stairstepping In Kodachrome Land, Part 3: A Zip Through The Cedars

Nature’s Terror

Those Who Wait

My Life Thus Far: The Eighties

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