Hi All,
On The Road comes to you today from Dexter, MI even though it describes events near San Diego, CA. Sometimes, depending on traffic conditions, I find it hard to type while driving, so I save a story in my head for later telling. This is one of those stories.
There are two places near San Diego that are holy to Susan and me, Swami Yogananda's Self-Realization Fellowship Garden in Encinitas and Tory Pines State Reserve in La Jolla. Between the two is Del Mar, home of June Gottleib, Susan's beloved friend and Tapestry co-founder. When I meet June she's wearing a tennis skirt and holding a racket, but a bit stooped. "I didn't want to miss a week of tennis just because I hurt my back", she exclaims before hugging me hello. After leaving Ann Arbor to settle in California, June became a successful actress and model, and she has always been a picture of youth and vitality. I remember seeing her on a billboard for senior's once, all radiant and healthy. Now she was in full recovery mode from the ordeal having to place her beloved husband Jerry into assisted living. So today's mission will include visiting Jerry in his new digs. We both look forward to some healing time. We both need it.
The first stop is Lunch in Encinitas, and I'm starved. Luckily, Encinitis is only 10 minutes up the coast, so a quick change and we're off for a wonderfully hippie lunch at Swami's, across the road from the real swami's garden. Orion and Rosie wrap themselves around our feet as we bask in the glow of antique 60's energy while snarfing lentils and burritos. Life is Good, Life will Heal, Wholeness will Return.
Susan, June and I all cut a few of our spiritual teeth on "Autobiography of a Yogi", Yogananda's masterpiece". These gardens are another of his masterpieces. They are set at the summit of towering cliffs falling off sharply into the ocean. June and I stand at the precipice, spread our arms, and fly into the warm and fragrant breadth of the sea. We are filled with gratitude for this healing. We turn our attention to Susan, and immediately realize that the planned scattering her ashes over the edge of the cliff will never happen. I can just see a dozen meditators covered in ash. Instead, we'll sprinkle her into the garden's soil, to be joined with the plant spirits that frolic in this holy place. After a brief meditation on Susan's favorite bench, June scatters and I click.
Now we're off to Tory Pines. What wonderful friends Orion and Rosie are. On this day they will stay in their crates because they're not allowed in the human places, except for their human's lunch at Swami's. I wish I had their trust and patience.
At Tory Pines you drive along the ocean road before turning off at a parking lot to pay your fee for driving straight up a winding access road to the parking lots where foot trails lead one out to tall bluffs towering over the Pacific. Majestic and Rugged. Swami's garden is far more refined. Here is an energy vortex created by land, sea and sky in equal measure. Here is where Susan, June and Stan came to experience the magic of Gwen Jansma. They each pledged one of their four spiritual elements here. Earth, Water, Air and Fire. It was here that Gwen performed the public miracle of the Raven.
A young man in our group had selected for his spiritual name "Raven", and his spiritual element, air. Gwen's hand rested on his head as they stood at the edge of a canyon, their colorful robes and headdresses flapping in the wind. As Gwen pronounces the start of Raven's three year, three month, and three day long journey in the study of air, a raven swoops down out of the air and hovers motionless a few feet above Raven's head. There is noticeable gasping, but Gwen just grins and goes on with the ceremony. The raven takes his cue and flies off.
Susan, June and I planted our profusely decorated prayer arrows here, and it is here that we'll plant Susan's ashes. Actually, not plant, because there are people wearing official clothes all around and we are in a California eco-touristic shrine. Rather I'll attempt to release the ashes down into the canyon. A mistake, as I shortly find out.
As I attempt to create a waterfall of ash down the canyon, the ash, having its own will, flies straight up, defying gravity, forming a cloud, enveloping June who tries to snap the evidence as the cloud now climbs the mountainside on its way to nirvana.
The deed done we hike back to the car, but June gets lost when Stan gets lost when he stops to talk to a Plein Air artist who seeks his advise as to whether the tree shadows in the painting are too dark, which they aren't. And Stan finds June and they have their picture taken and June is definitely standing a lot straighter. Now it's off to see Jerry.
We drive to Carlsbad where I have already been earlier this morning to find Jerry sitting in his private living room inside what looks like a four star hotel surrounded by luxurious gardens. "Not too bad", he says, but I know from June that he's had to adapt his attitude to the inevitability of the situation. "Not shabby at all", I reply gazing out his window at the far away hills.
It's off to the dining room, Jerry's mealtime. An attendant wheels Jerry in a chair, June and I descend a wide spiraling staircase to a formal dining room with smartly dressed seniors dining on tablecloths. I'm glad I wore a shirt with a collar. As we descend the staircase in true Titanic style June confides that Jerry has not walked since he came here and she's worried. We order complementary coffee and converse with Jerry about the importance of walking. I'm suddenly feeling the strength in my legs, the vigor in my body, I can't wait to be On the Road again. A voice calls out over the quiet ambience, "Take off your hat". June points at me, I reach for the offending article and whisk it onto my lap. Now my physical strength is only matched by my extreme youth. "Thank you, God, Thank you".
Lots of youthful exuberance to you all,
Stan
