The Road to Diamond, Day 162: The Incessant Rain

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 10, 2025 in children, collaborating, Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 9, 2025, Southboro, MA- It rained all day, from Williamsport, PA to here, in a suburb of New England’s second largest city, Worcester.

The small group of teens sent two of their number to greet me, as I was fixing my coffee, in the gas station convenience store. After exchanging pleasantries, the girls went back to their group and said something on the order of, “He’s safe”. This was Newtown, where, in December of 2014, 26 people died at the hands of a lone gunman-in the school where the people gathered in the store today would have been either pre-schoolers or kindergartners. It makes sense for them to, at some level, be checking strangers for signs of either compassion or hostility. The incessant rain of fear falls even now.

A couple of workmen, still in their work uniforms, came into the laundromat where I was washing and drying my clothes, this evening. They spoke little English, but it didn’t matter to me. We were all just humans, tending to what we have been given. We were all okay with each other’s presence. It will ever be so, with me anyway. Yet, 3.5 hours away, at Delaney Hall, NJ, the sitting mayor of Newark was arrested, for having been inside a Federal detention center and protesting the random detention of people suspected of being in this country illegally. The incessant rain of distrust falls, all around us, as the rule of law is questioned.

There is no relief from the physical rain, while it does its work of cleansing and replenishing our water supply. It can bother some, while comforting others, but it will continue until it’s done with its work. There can be relief, from the rains of fear and distrust, if one takes the time to get to know those who might initially strike that fear or distrust. The caveats are that we always need to be aware of our surroundings-and take responsibility for our own safety and well-being.

The kids mentioned above might have been sizing me up to be mugged-except that they weren’t. Ditto with the two young men who had just knocked off work. Four people, in the past ten years, have had ill intentions towards me. Each one, initially, came across as friendly. The difference was that they quickly dropped their guises and variously had their hands out for money or, in one case, decided that physical assault was in order. I caught on in time, and saved life, limb and resources. Intuition and discernment are better than blanket suspicion and fear.

As I lay me down to sleep, it’s still raining outside and might still be, tomorrow. It will not be raining fear and suspicion in my heart.

The Road to Diamond, Day 161: The Long Repair Job

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 9, 2025 in children, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 8, 2025, Williamsport, PA- From the time I got onto I-80, in Mishawaka to the time I left the road, at the junction with U.S. 15, fifteen miles south of this headquarters city for Little League Baseball, there was virtually nonstop road construction. It resulted in closed lanes, almost every 15-20 miles or so, for a length of 2-3 miles for each segment.

I am told this is one of the major projects that is being funded by Build Back Better, the program that some say is a “left-wing, Green New Deal” boondoggle. Note that this work is focused on shoring up the concrete median, between eastbound and westbound lanes of the Interstate Highway, and fixing guardrails. While it was initiated by Progressives, a better roadway system is in the best interests of anyone who drives, both commercial and recreational. Stopping the work now, or even soon, would not save much, if anything, and would leave remaining fixes undone. While it is inconvenient for those of us driving now, it is best to get the work done before schools let out and families hit the road.

Most of the day was highway-bound. I came upon Ridgeway Inn, just south of downtown Williamsport, around 8 :30 pm. This lovely little motel is managed remotely, but apparently by someone who is close enough that major issues could be addressed readily. Williamsport itself is a clean and, in places, somewhat upscale community, with a strong tourist base that derives from its association with Little League Baseball. Several years ago, one of my nephews was on Saugus, MA’s Little League championship team, which faced against a team from Japan, in the Little League World Series. The Japanese boys won, but Saugus has named a public athletic field as World Series Field. It’s right across a lea from my boyhood home.

For this, and the general ambiance of the city, Willliamsport is another Pennsylvania city that has a place in my heart-along with Bedford, Wilkes-Barre, Exton, Oley and Clarion, to say nothing of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and York.

The Road to Diamond, Day 160: Windy City Calmness

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 7, 2025 in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 7, 2025, Mishawaka- As I walked around the outside of the Baha’i House of Worship, in Wilmette, about 40 miles north of the Chicago Loop, it struck me that the air was a bit cool and the wind brisk. About halfway through my walk, the wind died down and I felt a lot more comfortable. Maybe it was just a matter of acclimation. The atmosphere inside the Temple was warm, and made more so by quiet prayer, said for all who are important in my life, and those who have gone on.

The day started in earnest with a drive up I-39, to the small city of Rochelle, and a satisfying lunch of soup and sandwich, at Sunrise Family Restaurant. The kids were all in school, of course, so the families were mostly people my age or older. The wait staff knew many of the patrons, giving the place a comforting ambiance. I was also treated very well.

After a winding drive through the farmlands and older suburbs of west Chicagoland, I managed to get to the House of Worship around 3 pm. 90 minutes were more than enough time to accomplish the circumambulation, prayers-and purchasing a fresh copy of Baha’i Prayers. I let my friends here in Mishawaka know when leaving the parking lot of the Temple, and started the drive through Chicagoland, fully anticipating a long, slow slog.

Likely due to the fact that it is midweek, that drive took a mere fifty minutes, from Wilmette to the Skyway, which is just shy of the Indiana state line. Another hour, and I was here at my friends’ new house. The Windy City showed an unusual calm, along the south and east bound freeway. For whatever reason, though, the north and west bound roads were bumper to bumper. I’ve been in that situation, countless times, so experiencing the opposite was a blessing.

It is always nice to touch base with V and M.

The Road to Diamond, Day 159: Another Freeway Day

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 7, 2025 in collaborating, Community, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 6, 2025, El Paso, IL- Everyone, it seems, knows Doc. The grill cook at Penny’s Diner, in Wellington, KS, is congenial, relaxed and goes about his craft in a methodical manner-as if he’s been slinging hash browns, scrambling eggs and frying bacon since he was five. Maybe he has. My order, a short stack with bacon, took little doing, and set me just fine for five hours or so.

I left Wellington, a little after 9, and while I normally take I-44 to St. Louis and then up I-55 to Chicago, with my cousin in Avila, MO hard at work and thus better left alone, I chose the Kansas Turnpike to I-70, at Kansas City and then crossed Missouri in its mid-section. One meal stop at Emporia, KS (Braum’s is one of my guilt-free pleasures) and a couple of gas-ups along the way sufficed.

Tonight’s stage-setting for a visit to the Baha’i House of Worship, Wilmette involved NOT going over to Chicago and getting into the scrum on the city’s mess of freeways. Instead, I am on the far southwest corner of Chicagoland, near where it meets the Peoria metropolitan area.. El Paso was actually founded in the mid-19th Century, by a couple of railroad men. One of them, George Gibson, gave the place a Spanish touch because of the rail switching station here. El Paso’s claim to ill-fame came in 2022, when 100 cars managed to pile up on I-39.

I will be taking that freeway tomorrow, up to State Route 72, then to Hwy 68 and down I-94, a bit of exploration of west Chicagoland, but why not? For now, I am relaxed and just glad to not still be on the road, at 9:30 pm. Econolodge is a fine place for the evening.

The Road to Diamond, Day 158: Small Service Bookends

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 6, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 5, 2025, Wellington, KS- Cinco de Mayo was marked at Mama Fina’s, in Plains, Kansas. The unofficial holiday has nothing to do with the United States, per se, but does commemorate the victory of the Mexican people over French invaders, in 1862, at the Battle of Puebla. It is said that we just love a good excuse to party-which seems to be human nature, and doesn’t hurt anything, unless carried to excess. Serafina produces both mild and spicy Mexican fare. Her smothered burrito is of the former variety, but filled the bill for the evening. A local high school student was the server, and spoke of her experiences at the small county-wide school. She also shared that she prefers watching Netflix to being on her phone-as a live action “Peter Rabbit”, featuring a kung fu Peter, was on the wide screen-with its video off.

Earlier in the day, I drove from Socorro to Mountainaire, NM, and found a small deli- cafe, nestled inside B Street Market, the town’s grocery store. The proprietor served up a fine breakfast sandwich. While I was waiting, a lady came in and asked me whether there was any hot food available-so I pointed her in the cafe’s direction. Ten minutes later, there was another satisfied local customer for the deli-cafe.

The day rolled out nicely, and connection with a Zoom call, over the phone and Bluetooth, proceeded, intermittently but basically well, as I rolled through the High Plains of eastern New Mexico and the upper Texas Panhandle, on the way to Dalhart, Guymon and Liberal (KS). Covering four states in a day, even driving fairly straight roads, is a good effort.

Kansas is often treeless, but seldom featureless. The glaciers of the last Great Ice Age did not spare this area, especially in the region known as Flint Hills. The red soil evokes some of the lower hills of Sedona.

Red Hills of western Kansas (above and below)

I rolled in to Wellington, around 10 pm and chose Travelodge, looking ahead to tomorrow’s breakfast, as a Penny’s Diner branch was next door. This is one of those properties where two separate hotels are managed by one desk, so I went to the Baymont office to register. Back across the street, i found a man looking in the window of the former Travelodge office, and scratching his head. I called to him to go over across the street, and ended up repeating the instruction in Spanish. He was happy to have his confusion resolved to say the least.

It was a fine thing, to be able to offer small services, in morning and evening.

The Road to Diamond, Day 157: Phalanxes

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 5, 2025 in animal and plant life, Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 4, 2025, Socorro, NM- All along my drive through the Gila Mountains of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico- and into the grassy foothills, they stood, alternately grazing and watching me, from the safety of the road’s edge. They were veritable phalanxes of elk, probably four dozen in all, from just outside Alpine, AZ to just south of Datil, NM.

The last pair, between Datil and Magdalena, were an adult cow and a juvenile bull, the latter of which tentatively decided to challenge Sportage for the road. As I turned the car to the left and gave him space, he decided that two tons of metal and fiberglass was more formidable, and moved backwards, sparing us both the grief of a collision.

There were near phalanxes of rabbits, also. Most of them scattered at the approach of the SUV. Only one ran under the car, and sadly met death. Rabbits being fodder for coyotes, I was pleasantly surprised to not see the canines out and about. Deer were also nowhere to be seen, though they tend to not compete with elk for forage.

This all took place after the second day of our Baha’i conference in Phoenix. We have discussed the matter of forming strong communities. The idea of a separate group of people setting the tone for the wider community only works to a limited extent. The community as a whole must be, and feel, included in decision-making-whether it be a matter of spiritual growth or material well-being. Further, there can be no separation, no us and them, in the process of community growth. The phalanx must be one.

It was thus a very full day, and I am most happy, relieved, at being in this comfortable room at Economy Inn. Socorro has had its struggles, but it is a nice town. I will rest well tonight.

The Road to Diamond, Day 151: Parties Large and Small

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 28, 2025 in Community, Historical, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

April 28, 2025- The wind was still a bit brisk, as is the norm for April here. There were eleven of us gathered, in a large park at Prescott Valley. The occasion was the celebration of the Ninth Day of the Ridvan Festival. The twelve-day festival marks Baha’ullah’s Announcement of His Mission to the world and His departure, along with His family and closest associates, from Baghdad to Istanbul (Constantinople). Day 9 was the most likely day of His revelation to His family, of the true nature of His being in the world. It was after that, when preparations for their departure began in earnest, to be concluded with the actual beginning of the journey northward on the Twelfth Day.

Many Baha’i gatherings during the work week are small, but no less festive. We had a bit of music and an intrepid dancer engaged the birds, who were not all that interested and flew off. As always, the food was plentiful and devotions, heartfelt.

Later, I helped serve dinner at the Monday evening Soup Kitchen. This gathering is no small party,with probably 80 people getting a full, well-prepared and varied meal. The camaraderie, among people who are not living in the best of circumstances, is still heartwarming. Here, they know they are wanted and cared for. Despite the still-cold nights, they are able to mostly find shelter and the left over food can go with them, for further meal security, as well as to other shelters in need of food security.

I was asked this afternoon where my next journey will take me. After a fairly large two-day conference in Phoenix, this coming weekend, the road goes north and east-to other gatherings large, small and in-between. It is the warmth that counts.

The Road to Diamond, Day 135: An Overdue Reunion

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 13, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

April 12, 2025- The cousins had not seen one another for forty years, though they have spoken by phone on several occasions. Their embrace was timeless and classical, reflecting the universality of family and of the human need for continuity.

Reunited — Bobot, Thelma and Celeste after dinner, with a “stealth selfie” of yours truly.

Coming from large families, on both sides, I thoroughly appreciated what was transpiring, in this well-appointed home, on Phoenix’s far south side. The Filipina cousins re-cemented routes that had never really been severed, over a delectable meal of chicken adobo and steamed kalabasa(squash). I will hopefully meet with some of my own cousins next month, though our parting has not been anywhere near as long.

The day began well, with visits to Prescott Farmers’ Market and Zeke’s Eatin’ Place. Each of my local friends were gracious and welcoming to Babot and Thelma. The visits afforded them free samosas and enough food from Zeke’s to keep them for another day or so.

We next drove down to Desert Rose Baha’i Institute, in Eloy. There was a great temperature difference between there and Prescott, so we kept our outdoor time to a minimum. The caretakers were busy with another matter, so after brief conversations with them,we conducted our own tour. I made what I thought was a comprehensive video, using my i-Phone, only to later find that it had somehow jammed and ended up recording nothing. (Note to self, next time use the camera. It doesn’t depend on cell towers.) I have photos from a January visit here, and Bobot took his own video, which I hope turned out better. In any case, my friends enjoyed this little bit of Baha’i property.

The last journey on my watch, from Eloy to Phoenix, was marred by neither dust storms nor heavy traffic. We found the house easily, and after showing my friends that the best way to get someone to let them in to a house was by pressing the doorbell, rather than relying solely on the phone, the joyful reunion was complete.

I drove back to Home Base I, a bit tired, but happy that the week has been a fair success.

The Road to Diamond, Day 134: Twin Greetings and A Little Victory

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 11, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

April 11, 2025- Macy’s European Coffee Shop, a cornerstone of Flagstaff’s Near South Side, was quieter than usual, in late morning. I was pleased that the shop’s owner, Tim Macy, was present and able to meet Bobot and Thelma. They enjoyed-we enjoyed-a light breakfast and fine coffee. Under ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s watchful gaze, a spiritual bond between America and the Philippines extended to Flagstaff.

Eyes of the Master — Bobot, Thelma and the Master

Macy's European Coffee House 2 — Bobot and Thelma in front of Macy’s

The next stop was a persistent and generous pool: Montezuma Well remains the repository of a spring-fed stream, holding its own, despite an infusion of algae, along its rim. A limestone sinkhole that receives 1,500,000 gallons of water a day from the spring, it was a source of sustenance for the Southern Sinagua people, in the first millennium A.D./C.E., and is a source of inspiration for the people of the Upper Verde Valley today.

Montezuma's Well — Rim of Montezuma’s Well

What was sweetest about this visit is that, for the second day in a row, Thelma overcame her acrophobia and approached the rim, then walked down a flight of stone steps to the closest approach still available to the source spring. The counselor in me still celebrates people overcoming their fears.

MZW 2 — Thelma and Bobot near the source of Montezuma Well

Our small celebration of this step forward came at another of my favourite spots: Rafter Eleven. I have been going there, pretty much since Dawn Wasowicz opened the establishment. Dawn has developed the restaurant and tasting room, as a venue for local artists and a community gathering place, over the past eleven years. She was also pleased to meet my two friends and they found the ambiance-and their scones, quite pleasing as well.

A brief shopping trip (for Bobot) ended their last full day in northern Arizona. Tomorrow, we will stop at Farmers Market and Zeke’s, then head south, to Desert Rose Baha’i Institute, and back up to Phoenix, where I will bid my friends farewell, and they will enjoy some extended family time, before leaving for other parts of the U.S.

The Road to Diamond, Day 133: Mather Point

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 11, 2025 in animal and plant life, collaborating, Education, Entertainment, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

April 10, 2025, Williams, AZ- There is no one way to see the Grand Canyon. I have walked much of the Rim Trail, stood at high points with sheer drop-offs of 3,000 feet, hiked to the Colorado River and back,on the same day and in summer heat and visited ancillary spots, like the Confluence with the Little Colorado River or Havasupai Falls. I have taken meals in El Tovar Hotel’s dining room (with Penny and my parents) and eaten a grab and go sandwich at Hermit’s Rest snack bar. It is all what makes this place so indelible in the mind of anyone who has ever stood in The House of Stone and Light.

My visiting friends had never seen anything quite like the Grand Canyon. When we stood at Mather Point, in the noon transition, the sun was high overhead and they had to position themselves carefully, so as not to be photographed in shadow, as happened yesterday in Sedona’s Tlaquepaque. They were awestruck, for several minutes. Then they looked right and left,, and decided that walking in the relative heat would not reveal anything different from what they were already seeing. They asked to head back to the car.

This is what they saw.

Mather Point 1 — First view of the Grand Canyon

Mather Point 2 — Staying close, at Canyon’s edge

There is a unique collection of sandstone rocks, arranged at the approach to Mather. One of these is a menhir, evocative of Carnac or Stonehenge.

Mather's menhir — Bobot and Thelma meet a Standing Stone

It was lunch time, and being frugal sorts, my friends vetoed any meals in the Park itself. We opted for the simply-titled We Cook Pizza and Pasta, in nearby Tusayan, and shared a Classic Cheese pizza. It’s been a long time since I have actually enjoyed pizza with nothing more than cheese and tomato sauce. Simple was exquisite.

The day was not spent, so I took Bobot and Thelma to Bearizona, a park that lets people view wildlife, including apex predators, from their cars. The wolves and bears did not disappoint. There were also herbivores aplenty-mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, reindeer and bison. None of these are prey for their neighbours, who are fed meat provided by the staff. Here are some that we saw, carside.

The wolves were curious, but laid back.

Next, it was the black bears’ turn.

The Grizzlies have their own place, well-removed from the road.

Bearizona 6 — Grizzly bears at dinner time

Our dinner time came later, as I had a business matter in the interim. No worries-Goldie’s Diner was open until 9, so we ate lightly but well. This week, like most weeks, has been a whirlwind, and time well spent.