I arrived late to my internship at the Center for Action and Contemplation because my plane was canceled in Chicago, coming all the way from Warsaw from the Polish wedding – the end to 10 weeks of traveling. I met a women in line at the airport who let me sleep at her home. She had an infant and a husband. And she brought me back to the airport at 5am the next morning. She was my angel that night and I will repay her favor to someone else in that situation sometime.
When I arrived at the CAC and met my fellow interns, they told me they’d had a prayer for my safe arrival that night and I’m sure that aided in my rescue from the airport floor or an expensive last minute hotel.
Its funny how wonderful stories and sharing happen with people on planes. I’m reminded of my friend Diana’s story to me a year ago or so about a military man she sat next to on the plane. He was headed back to the battle fields for the 4th time, leaving a family behind. He just needed someone to talk to and she was present to his thoughts. He put her life in perspective.
On the next mornings flight from Chicago to Atlanta (talk about round-about trip back to Albuquerque), I sat next to a really cool girl my own age who was so open and interested in my couchsurfing experiences and time in Guatemala. At the end, she paid me a very wonderful complement by saying that she felt she had learned so much from sitting next to me and I had opened her mind.
Now, I’m in the process of unwinding my tightly coiled springs from the travels, from keeping track of schedules, from being stimulated by beautiful things and new people, and from protecting myself from painful or potentially harmful situations. Also I’m realizing now, from painful thoughts. Now, I’m in the process, this whole summer, of working on a contemplative mindset. Of being present. Of not ignoring painful things, but learning how to sit with them and let them teach me. Now, I’m learning how to do all this with a room mate and 6 other journiers sharing a house. Now, I’m meditating 20 minutes, twice a day, with this group. Already, a tremendous bond between us is forming.
The group is very very diverse. And I am grateful for its maturity. I am the youngest at 28. M. is 29 and the only male. T, C, K and CH are all between 45-49. R is 74 years old. 3 in the group are gay. 2 currently live in Australia. 1 is contemplating being a priest. 1 is half Maori, the indigenous group from New Zealand. 3 are members of AA, though all have been sober for at least 3 years. 1 is a nun. 1 is a mother. 5 play musical instruments or sing. 4 have been to New Mexico before and 3, including myself are in love with it! None of the labels matter.