Meetings With Multidimensional Beings

Searching for our "place" in the universe

As we let go of our prejudice, as we let go of our separateness, we accept all people as our family, we step beyond the belief that we are alone and open to other possibilities. To this end, I invite all of us who have experienced paranormal or metaphysical phenomenon to come on "out of the closet".
I invite you to consider this to be a forum where we can share and open the door to more parallel worlds.

 If you have not experienced anything like what I'm about to describe, may this be a pivotal moment in which you open a door to new possibilities. So, strap yourself in as you're in for a ride.

One evening, as my wife Rebecka and I were enjoying the sunset along the Lost Coast, we noticed a very stange phenomenon above our heads. About 12' up we saw something that I likened to a freeway of transparent brown, little creatures, zooming along in both directions, some from the ocean, heading in and some from the woods heading to the ocean.  We stood dumbfounded. I reached up to see if I could feel them, communicate with them, anything. I couldn't. We wondered "who, what, how, why"?!!!  To this day we don't have answers to these questions.

I believe that we have all experienced phenomenon that didn't relate to anything that we had known before. Perhaps you were too spooked by it to tell another soul. Perhaps you were afraid of how you would be percieved by those with whom you might share your experiences. Yet, as we open ourselves to this phenomena we expand our consciousness. The laws of physics, the tenets of religion, even what some would call "logic"  melt away.

And now I'd like to share some more stories of events that have blown my mind:

One evening while Rebecka and I were sitting in our cabin watching t.v., we noticed a kind of white mist rising from behind the wood stove and floating acros the room to the closet. We were speechless and awed by this. Experiences like these continue to remind us of the vastness of the unknown.

In 1995, a few days after Valentime's Day, as Rebecka and I were returning to love after an argument, the Mylar Valentines Day heart shaped balloon that I had given her, began to float across the room. It floated directly all 20' across the cabin to right above Rebecka's head and then it dropped to directly in front of her heart!!!    She believed that her deceased mother (of 21 years) was expressing her love for her through this phenomenon.

Back in 1989, my first wife and I lived on Orcas Island. We had a beautiful home overlooking Puget Sound.  Up until this particular event, I had always slept through the night. Although, I awoke about 3am, and went downstairs to the deck. As I stood there, I was drawn to look out across the Sound towards Victoria B.C., to a beautiful, warm, and very colorful light.  I knew that this light was conscious, alive. In a split second, it was over my head!!! It had just traveled what I guestimated to be about 40 miles in a split second! I stood there in a deep peace, enraptured by the beauty of this "being". I was aware that it was aware of me and that it was a highly evolved being.  After a few minutes it disappeared. It wasn't a slow flying away, it just literally disappeared; "poof"!   This was a very evocative and intimate experience.

Once in an exquisite drum circle, I experienced myself and all of us as thought free; as One Mind, which by itself was a very profound experience; quite intense. In the middle of the circle, I saw a warm green light. I knew this light to be an integral part of the high frequency we had reached in our alignment of consciousness. I knew this light to be conscious. Once we stopped, I spoke to the woman next to me about this light. She had seen it as well. Waay Cool!

 

One day, while hiking with a friend at Point Reyes, we left the trail and headed up a hillside. We sat in a grassy field, enjoying the Sun's warmth. Sitting there, I was filled with a profound sweetness and love. Looking down to the field across the trail, I saw a very tall, somewhat transparent Jesus, standing, arms out, loving us. My friend immediately said "Look, there's Jesus"! I experienced what I had heard other's describe as being a "child of God". I felt completely at peace, knowing that every thought, every word, even every breath were in perfect accord with all Life.

The very next day, she and I were at her place, sitting in her yard. We were still basking in the "after glow" of being in Jesus' presence. I looked across her yard, only to see The Buddha!!! He was sitting in lotus position in a tree. He looked different than Jesus had in that I saw no body. I saw a tracing of what I deemed to be his body. I felt a great power surge through my being.

The next few days, I walked on heavenly clouds. I felt that I was completely loved and  that every nuance of my being was in perfect order with Life. Every step...every thought!  Truly, it was Heaven.

I end this by recalling the bumper sticker that was on my truck. The one that when she saw it, my new girlfriend (who later became my wife) had the validation that I was "the one". The bumper sticker read; "Allow For The Possibility". May we all melt the "boxes" in which we have placed ourselves and be Free.

What Redwoods Have To Teach Us

In our search for a long, healthy and harmonious life, the redwood provides a nearly  perfect example..

Longevity
The Redwood tree has been around longer than any other tree on the planet. They existed as long as 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. These trees, while growing to a diameter of 22' grow to as much as 367' tall, with a life span between 600 and 2000 years!
The redwood is the only known species in which some of them have exactly the same DNA today as redwoods that existed 150 million years ago! Every other species has changes in its DNA from generation to generation. Perhaps the redwood reached a near perfect way of existing in harmony, needing little more evolution.

Health, Stability, and Community
The root system, although descending only 8'-13', travels laterally as much as 150'. It combines with the surrounding redwood root systems to create a kind of mesh network. This network is a remarkable system that creates a strong foundation for the trees. They literally support each other. The nutrients sucked up by the roots of one redwood are shared with all the trees throughout the network. No tree is without food.
When a redwood dies, the roots from the dead tree continue to provide nutrition and foundational support for the community. Usefulness beyond death. Because of the tannins in their bark, disease and insect damage are virtually unknown to redwoods and only the hottest of fires can damage them.

Redwoods have a remarkable ability to regenerate and multiply. While most species regenerate through sexual reproduction, the redwood also reproduces from stumps, downed root systems, and redwood burls.
Traveling up these giants, you find that the redwood sustains many micro-climates, or communities of animals and birds. Since many of these species never leave their chosen elevation, we are often unaware of their existence..

Just being in the presence of these giants inspires awe. The knowledge of how incredibly efficient they are while living so harmoniously, inspires me to reflect on our human existence and how we can learn from their example.  I find it  ironic that while redwoods go nowhere and seem to do nothing at all, they accomplish so much. We on the other hand, are busy all the time. Busy with what?  I believe that we all want to feel a sense of belonging; of "family" or "tribe". We spend our lives in search of our place in this world. A place where we can contribute in a creative and deeply satisfying way, while feeling loved and appreciated.

Yet, we live very isolated lives. We sleep apart, we live apart, we travel apart. Although we have neighbors, we may not know them and for the most part, we don't share our lives with them. Although we travel in huge groups, we're all in our own metal boxes, in our own little world.

Living in Harmony
In the late 70's I lived in an ashram. I had discovered an idyllic community. We didn't need large homes with lots of stuff, because we shared everything ( a huge divergence from a culture where "possession is 9/10's of the law").  We shared meals. This made the shopping, the preparation, and the clean up quite easy. Our meals, although fresh and organic, came to about .80 per meal! It was an environment where for little buck, we got a huge bang. There was a free box, where items were left when no longer needed for the next person. A stellar example of environmental stewardship, this life style left a very small environmental footprint, while making a very positive impact on it's community.

I lived quite happily. I got three squares a day. I lived with my friends. The activities that I enjoyed were right there and always free. I had nothing in my way to clutter what was really important for me. I lived on a stipend of $100/ month and was able to save money!  I lived a slower, deeply fulfilling life.
An idyllic life. Although, one that not many Americans might embrace today. So, how can we translate this to our present day lifestyle?

Fruit Gleaning
 Some years ago, I created a support network in my neighborhood for fruit sharing. I documented all the fruit trees and when the fruit ripened, I contacted my neighbors to arrange a day and time when they could pick the fruit. I discovered a huge bounty. From this experience, I believe that within any given neighborhood, there may well be enough fruit trees to supply most of the communities fruit needs. Added benefits being that we get to know our neighbors, utilize the local bounty (rather than having it go to waste), along with providing a very sustainable service for our planet.

Disaster Preparedness
 A few years back I organized a few "Map Your Neighborhood" evenings. This is a very effective disaster preparedness program that is free to communities across America. The fire department gave me flyers to give to my neighbors, with a date and time. I supplied the place and popped in a DVD. People arrived with the intention of collaborating around disaster preparedness. Yet while discussing the material, a beautiful thing happened. We got to know each other and actually enjoyed each others company.
We exchanged contact info, and agreed on locations where people would go in case of a disaster.
We made a list of those folks who have skills to assist in a disaster. We listed all the tools and equipment that might be necessary along with it's location. We coalesced into a team. Now I know these folks and feel so much safer and grateful for them. Many of them are now my friends. Through these experiences, my sense of belonging, and my satisfaction as a contributing member of our community deepened.
( If you want further information on this program just contact your local fire department.)

Sharing the "stuff of life"
Imagine, nearly every house has a book and video library. On any given block, there's probably enough to last one heck of a long time! The same goes for tools. In any given neighborhood, there are enough tools to fill a hardware store.

I recognize that all neighborhoods may have many of the services and goods that we often drive elsewhere to get. The benefits of this "localizing" is that we can spend less money, reuse products rather than purchase new ones, utilize local services, thereby supporting our very local economy, and give ourselves more leisure time as we have goods and services available within walking distance. Localizing in this way can further deepen our feelings of belonging and safety. Once established, we would be surrounded with people we know, associate with, and possibly have friendships with.

Through all these means we have the potential to slow our lives way down and deepen our "roots", while making a huge impact on our planets well being.
Peace, Sahar

On 9/11; The "State" Of Affairs

As we witness our government consider going to war, people the world over are questioning the value and morality of this, and if this is who we are.  As a way of holding this stunning moment, I'd like to share a story.

Humans Growing Up

In the 50's we were like children. We lived with "Father Knows Best", both in our lives and on t.v. The male authority was God and we accepted that. We might have felt angry, scared, or alone. But, for the most part, we tried to put on a happy face, to give the impression that all was always fine. In the 60's we grew into our "teenage years" and rebelled. No way were we going to go along like sheep and say "yes" to our governments desire to kill and oppress. It was a time of acting out our anger and fear that had been building throughout our "childhood".  During the 70s and 80s, we grew into "adulthood"; we were waking up. We started questioning others motives. Reality t.v. became a hit, along with talk shows that dug deep into peoples personal lives. Gossip had come out of the closet. We took a long look at people we thought were different from us and realized that they're not so different. They have the same feelings as us, the same needs as us.

As we grew up, we went from blaming others to questioning our choices and our very existence. For decades we had avoided politics, accepting that all politicians were corrupt and since we told ourselves that we were not, we let them do the "dirty work". But we realized that we had abandoned ourselves by letting others legislate our lives. Because we did not hold them accountable, the politicians enjoyed the freedom to legislate as they saw fit. Not needing to listen to "the people" they were in bed with those who would further their agenda, while receiving lots of $ to further their insider friends agendas.

In the 90s and early 2000s, we brought what had been expressed in the streets in the 60's to politics and corporate America. Today, we continue our search "down the rabbit hole". We are digging deeply to understand just how far we have gone in relinquishing our own freedom of choice. We see the deceit and oppression of those to whom we have abandoned our free will and we don't like it.

As we dig deeper into our search for Truth, we see just how complacent and in denial we have become.  We now are taking a good look at who we are. We are hearing "not in our name" bandied about these days. We are reclaiming the power that we had relinquished so many years (if not millennium) ago.

We are reviewing every aspect of life, with the underlying themes of justice and equality. Every aspect of our existence is being examined as never before. From equality to environmental stewardship, to the birth rite of each person to choose their path. Every issue that had been in the "closet" is now center stage. So, of course, we are in serious reflection over our governments desire to attack Syria, Is that who we are?

I believe that we have chosen to recognize that we are one people, one family, in truth, one mind. We have chosen to awaken to this truth at this time, concordant with the massive changes we see everywhere on the planet.

The Catalyst For Change

The times in my life when I have awakened the most are the times when my survival was most at risk. In fact, to the degree that I was on the "edge" was to the degree that I recognized the beautiful gift that is my life, this world, and the people in it.

Beyond war, deceit, oppression, and our perceived differences is the very environment in which we live. The balance of our planets air, water, and soil has been trashed as we have abandoned ourselves. We are in a process of returning fully to being the stewards of our planet. As we are aligning in this one focus, greater creativity is being released. As we move seemingly closer to the "precipice" of environmental destruction. we are stepping out of our fear and isolation into Love. The call to return to our Oneness has never been louder and our aligning in Oneness has never been faster.

We are realizing our deepest dreams on the canvas of our planet.

In the "big picture", even our bodies and this planet are transitory. This will all cease to be at some point. That we are One in Consciousness; this is eternal. I believe that we are here to return to that awareness. I believe that we have chosen to use this "play field" of Earth to come Home. Welcome Home.

Still we see our human sisters, brothers, and our children being brutalized. This brings us to our knees. It breaks our hearts. What can we do, how can we "deal" with this reality?  Take every situation that occurs whether to someone close to you or with people elsewhere and make it personal to your life. Put your self in their shoes; both the perpetrators and the victims. "Walking" in their shoes, imagine what they may be experiencing and become clear as to what needs they are trying to get met. No matter which side of any conflict someone is on, in the end, they want love. The sooner we understand what is motivating them to their fight or flight stance, the sooner we have compassion for them.

Consider these lines from "The Rose";

"It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance.
It's the one who won't be taken who can not seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live."

Walking in the shoes of another, we understand their needs. The beauty of this is that by assisting them in getting their needs met, we find our needs met as well. If you want to receive compassion, offer it. Wherever and whomever they may be, walk in the shoes of all people. Discover the needs they are trying to get met and then go offer that very thing to someone near you.  This is one way to interpret "think globally, act locally".


 "Be the example you want to see in the world."
 ~Mahatma Gandhi

Sonoma's Hidden Gems; Gorgeous Creek Trails In The Middle Of Everything

Do you ever drive past those side paths with the yellow posts at their entrance, and wonder "What's down that-a-way"?  As it turns out, they are "Yellow Brick Roads" to some of the prettiest waterways around!

Seven years ago, a friend and I set out to explore a different creek trail each week. What we discovered was yet another reason why Sonoma County is considered one of the seven "must rides" that every cyclist should have on his/her bucket list, by Bicycling Magazine. As we explored, we noticed these trails alive with an abundance of birds. Many species make their homes along these waterways. We noticed the trails dense with foliage. We stopped often to sit and enjoy the immense beauty and sweet gurgling of the creeks (an activity that had previously been reserved for distant parks). We had found a local goldmine!


I love just how natural these trails are. Since many of them have not been maintained, they are very woodsy.

Previously, if I had wanted to visit a natural place with water and wild life, I thought that I would have to get in my car and drive for quite some time. Not necessary. These trails exist throughout Sonoma County, probably much closer than you think. From my house in Sebastopol, I can  find a bike path within a few blocks and reach a creek within a few minutes. If you live in Santa Rosa, you are also likely very close to one of these trails. Santa Rosa alone, has 35 miles of these creek trails. Rohnert Park has about 15 miles. In fact over the last few years, all cities in Sonoma County have been making their creek trails accessible.

As an alternate to cycling the roads, these trails (combined with the bike paths), create a whole new way of gettin' around. They don't follow roads; they often don't even parallel them. They crisscross in such a way as to allow cyclists and pedestrians many opportunities to include the creek's back-country feel on their daily commute, while potentially shortening their distance traveled! And surprisingly, these creek trails are in some of the most populous parts of our county! These alternate routes may be just the thing to more frequently get you out of your cars.

The Sonoma County creek trails are maintained by the Sonoma County Water Agency. Here's a link to their maps. http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/Documents/112807_CreeksTrails.pdf  As for those yellow bars that block the trails entrance's, The SoCo Water Agency has been replacing them and has plans to continue. But, no need to wait, even where the horizontal bars remain, there is usually access around the fence.

So, instead of leaving the area for a vacation, give yourself the gift of heading out your door and discovering more of the local county bounty.Contact Sahar at (707)824-1796 or Sahar@Sonic.net.

Check out my website at SaharPinkham.com

HOW TO HAVE A DEEPLY SATISFING RELATIONSHIP

If you want a relationship to succeed, you must be willing to let it completely fall apart.  

For a deeply satisfying relationship, we need to abandon all investment in our codependent ways. We limit our innate freedom by trying to be more appealing to others, so they will like/love us. We engage in  "strategies" so we don't have to feel our fear of rejection.
The closer we are to people, the more pain-filled our relationships tend to be. While in reality, what we want most for these people is their happiness. Just what we want for ourselves.  Ironic, ain't it?!
Usually, the closer we are to people the more emotionally invested in what they think and say about us.

Where are your "emotional hooks"?

Do any of the following statements apply to you?
"S/he'll never leave me because I pay the bills".
"If I reveal how much money I make, s/he'll want more".
"The kids need us to be together".
"I know his/her secrets. S/he'll stay with me because s/he can't bear the thought that I would reveal them".
"If I tell him/her the truth about (fill in the blank) she'll leave me".
"If I told him/her what I do with my free time,  I'd lose my freedom".
"Without me, s/he couldn't function".
If so, in which area of their life do you believe this to be the case?

Which statement do you identify with most? Write about recent times when you have had this thought; what you felt, thought, said and did. This may reveal to you how you limit your freedom in relationship.
Ironically, the strategies we believe will lead to a greater sense of security are the very ones that limit our freedom!!!
"Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

Helen Keller

False Security

We invest sooo much in what others think and say about us! I love the quote "What you think of me is none of my business". To not take personally how others perceive us is one of the biggest steps we take in being free. Ultimately, we need to take this a step further to "What I think of myself is none of my business". Many of the thoughts that we have about ourselves drive us to be small, to let others determine our choices, to be on guard; to strategize just to survive.

Yet, all thoughts can be seen as clouds in the sky. You see the clouds floating by and recognize that they may be all kinds of shapes. They may be dark and filled with storms. They may be beautiful; heavenly in fact. Although, they are just floating by. They are not you.

Before we were aware of thoughts in this way, they were subjective. We never questioned their validity or whether we could choose differently. Our thoughts dictated our words and actions. Yet, the more aware of them we become, the more objective they are, and the less control they have. Eventually they become "Like farts in a distant galaxy". A teacher of mine said this. He also said; "As you become aware of thoughts, don't try to change them, don't even try to minimize them. Just let them be."

We constantly resist our thoughts. We create all kinds of programs and religions to change our thoughts. Remember that what you resist, has power over you. Just let your thoughts be. Become aware of them and their motivation. As you do this you'll free yourself from their sway.

I think of this practice of developing an awareness of our thoughts as one of the two wings that allow the "bird of relationship" to fly. Have an open, relaxed awareness of your thoughts, while placing your focus on what you truly want; your bliss, what you love. This is the other wing

Creating a bridge

I think of Love as a bridge that can be built, extending from you to other people. Whatever you want from them, as long as you offer it, you'll experience it.
All the reasons that we enter relationship (ie getting certain needs met, being understood, being accepted, receiving compassion, friendship,), can  be boiled down to one one easy to remember reflection; "Have I built a bridge to this person"?  Have I walked in their "shoes"? Do I have compassion for them? Have I offered them compassion and empathy?  In other words, "Have I applied the Golden Rule?" Give unto others what you want to receive from them. 

These two wings (having awareness of how I am motivated by fear and leaning into what I want (love)) define the basic choice in relationship; to live from Love or fear. As we develop our "loving muscles" we choose fear less and less. Eventually we no longer choose fear.

My teacher Swami Muktananda said; "we recognize that there is only one choice, to love or fear. So we choose love because it feels better. We choose love enough that we no longer choose fear. We no longer consider fear as an option. At this point, we experience the 'choiceless choice' of choosing only Love."

"Through intense, deep meditation, you should get into that state which is beyond
thought, beyond change, beyond imagination, beyond differences and duality. Once you
have begun to get into that state and can stay there…you will see your own Self in
everyone around you. Then the flow of love from within you will be constant and
unbroken."    –Swami Muktananda"

THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUESTION; WHO AM I ....REALLY?

We continue to hear how we are in a time of shifting paradigms. A time in which we are recognizing our intrinsic connection to the Earth, each other, and all Life.  I believe that we are collectively on a course to answer the most important question of our lives; "who am I?"  How we answer this question is the basis for every choice we make; for every thought we have.

Although we may not be conscious of how at the most fundamental level of our being, we answer this question, it still determines every thought we have. Beneath the level of thought is what I call the "petri dish" of our existence. At this primal level of our being, we hold the existential belief of who we are. Out of this belief  we determine every choice we make.

Setting Our Course

As very young children we made significant decisions in relationship to the main authorities in our lives (generally, our parents). These decisions were based on the degree to which we were loved and accepted as the unique, naturally gifted and beautiful beings we are. Each decision was a "brush stroke" in the creation of a "picture" that we painted. This "picture"  became our own self image.

With parents who were in conflict we may have made decisions about how to behave in order to be safe. These decisions lead us away from our natural state of authenticity and spontaneity, to believing that we had to determine our life's course  based on perceived  circumstances. We shifted from an internally, freedom-based, pro-active reality to an externally based, re-active existence. Our natural state is experienced as "us as Life" or "us with Life", our reactive state is experienced as "us as separate from Life"; an existence of struggle, which is how most of  us live.

How to return to the freedom and spontaneity of our True Self?

Beyond (or behind) the perceived struggle there is an awareness that has always watched our thoughts and the drama of our lives. It's like a movie screen in a theater upon which the movie is projected. Although the movie is cast upon it, it remains free from what is projected upon it. The drama has all kinds of characters, activities and perspectives, yet the "screen" is none of these. This "witness" (as it is called in Eastern Mysticism) watches our thoughts, emotions and even our dreams.  I consider this "witness" our doorway to The Infinite Life

At age 15, I met an enlightened Being, Swami Muktananda. Three days into my visit with him I had the direct experience of my truest Self, beyond this still witness. I was joyfully chanting away, my arms swaying, my whole being uplifted. In an instant, the borders of my being dissolved; no body to confine me or separate me; no three-dimensional reality whatsoever.  Distance disappeared; no here, no there. Time dissolved; no sense of before or after. This experience was of an eternal Now and an Infinity without measure. This was accompanied by a Joy that had no bounds. Free of thought; completely still, I was not separate or alone. Only our minds conjure up the thought that we're alone.

Thought free, infinitely blissful, transcendent of everything, at one point I had the thought "this is great!"
At that very moment this experience began to "shrink". Over the next few hours I became more identified with my thoughts and body. Although, I remember being in the lunch line and still being so blissed out that I hugged a pillar next to me! Even the pillar was a part of the Oneness.

I learned that that experience is called "Satchitananda".  "Sat" means Existence Absolute. "Chit" means awareness of this Existence. "Ananda" is infinite bliss. Great! I now had a name for what I had identified as my truest Self.

How do we return to that experience?

I love to quote Joseph Campbell's pithy, poignant, phrase; "Follow Your Bliss". Like the bumper sticker says: "If it ain't fun, don't do it".  Following our bliss invites us to recognize what we love to do.
It invites us to reflect on where we're struggling in our lives and why we're perpetuating struggle.
Having this phrase as a  guiding light, my entire life has changed. I do work that I love, I live with people that I love, and have learned how to return to love when I have entered conflict.
Follow your bliss long enough, and your life becomes filled with inspiration and passion.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs.
Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Harold Thurman Whitman

                                                             What's Your Bliss?

 

By the way, I'm hosting an evening of chanting at my home/studio tomorrow evening and 

will be playing with Jaya Lakshmi next Tuesday evening (8/20), at The Dhyana Center. Peace.

Life After Car Ownership

Four years ago, my truck was totaled in an accident. The insurance company said the accident was my fault.  I was convinced that I was "innocent."  I've spent much of my life trying to convince myself that I'm innocent.

With the "death" of my beloved truck came the intuition that I was not going to "re-up" on the car ownership thang. That Life had something else in store for me.  This was to be the first time in 26 years (1/2 my years on the planet!) that I would not own a car!  And I have'nt gone back. 

A  freeing experience. 

As I let go of my attachment to my truck, I was able to listen more to Life's calling. I relaxed into the work that called to me, waaay more than about 1/2 of the work I had been engaged in at that time. Not having the truck (a symbol of my previous work) actually freed me up to lean more into my counseling practice, my music, and the groups that I facilitate. My real joys.

I just had to let go of being in the "driver seat" to recognize it.

I see how identified we are with our cars. The thought of being without our car can be quite scary. It's like loosing a limb. It's a huge symbol for freedom. The thought that we can go anywhere anytime we like is a sweet one. The car is a symbol of safety. If we need to get away from someone, we've got our car. An emergency? We're good. Homeless, we've got a roof.

Yet like relying only on the contents of a book to tell us about the Great Mystery, when we rely on "our" car as our "vehicle" for freedom and safety we can easily miss the direction Life is inviting us into. Letting go of my car was one of the most freeing invitations from Life that I've ever stepped into.

Opening to the Mystery

Just the other day, a friend of mine, who was heading to Santa Rosa, gave me a lift to an appointment I had.

I felt excitement at the mystery of how Life would carry me home. After my appointment, I had a wonderful, brisk walk for a couple miles. While on a route I had taken hundreds of times, who do I find on the side of the path but a djembe drummer, jamming with great passion, while listening to a metronome. As a djembe drummer myself, I was enthralled, listening to his great groove.
Now, I had never crossed path's with a drummer on this route, but what followed was a very inspired conversation and a ride in his comfy car to Sebastopol. Magical. If I had fallen back into the "known" of car ownership, I would not have been open to the Magical Mystery Tour.

Before letting go of my truck, when  planning a trip, I never considered the journey ("flower-smelling" and the like). The car was in the driveway. That was the journey. Done. Now, when I have somewhere to go, just by the very nature of not having the car in the driveway, I get excited as to how Life will provide, which in turn, opens me to recognizing when and how Life is inviting me to it's "Tour".

It's always a Grande Adventure!!!

In this day when we are becoming ever more aware of how we isolate ourselves, I see just how much car ownership can be another way that we do this. We're in a box, most often by ourselves.
I'm not promoting the end of cars. I'm inviting you to look at how your attachment to your car actually limits the thing that you identify it with; FREEDOM.

There are multitudinous ways to get around. I love carpooling. We save money (big time!), pollute less (way less), share costs (give a few bucks to the driver), hang out with friends (old or new), & help with directions. Remarkable, how when there is nothing else but you, the road, and a friend, just what can be shared.

I live near a bike path.  I ride a recumbent bike; it's more comfortable, faster, and safer than upright bikes. Believe it! I occasionally take a bus. I walk a lot. I do much of my work out of my home. All of this contributes to a slower, more peaceful life.

If you want to talk about the being car-free, give me a shout. My window's open.  Let's go for a walk.