i went on a road trip today. there was no clear indication
that i would last night but then, at that divine hour, I was running
to the grocery store to buy water and salad mix. today I was to meet
my high school home room teacher of many years...the mother
of two children who kept rewinding Yellow Submarine many times
who are now at universities in Italy getting ready to get married
and wandering the country
wow...almost 18 years.
she looks the same, i look the same. time has served us well.
when I was in high school, her husband then was my math teacher
(this tall crazy white guy who I later found out was Tsalagi who taught
us geometry with hand strings and computer art)
He was also my first introudction into the Tsalagi language.
Over time, I baby-sat along with joining them at
Ketoowah ceremonies held monthly in NYC.
I mainly went to the new moon ceremonies, at the time Grandfather
took me in with the answering of some simple questions...he passed some
time after my arrival there. His apprentice took over and the other elder,
Grandfather Bill handled the language lessons.
for reasons, i left the circle to find myself and during those 15 or so
years, I fell out of touch with her, in touch with her...always with
years in between. i guess we both had things to do.
so now i'm in a car with two other women that i've just met today.
Older sisters living in Brooklyn. Oddly, we're all meeting each other
for the first time.
we got lost. Route 80. 611 north...no 611 south. river road....well we went
both directions of the river before we knew where we were at. during this time,
we watched a hawk in the sky, we glimpsed at a mountain which seemed
to have this extreme scar of rocks running across its face. we went from
city to forest to houses in colonial america. we talked.
we did finally arrive. my home room teacher...looks exactly as she did.
me the same with the exception of my strike coming into bloom.
we hugged and entered the house. it was packed with folks
i guess some coming further than us new yorkers. we had missed
prayers by and in the river but because the winds were blowing really
swiftly, they decided most of the ceremonies would be inside.
no sweat lodge today....it still worked out.
some in not much specifics: drumming. singing. prayers. more prayers.
tobacco, tears, bounding, reuniting. buffalo burgers.
it's hard being a vegan when there's buffalo burger.
the day opened me up to good dreaming again.
how dreams are wonderful when they are clear and bountiful
there was a moment to rest and my road trip big sisters took a walk
back to the river. i had been told to go to the river for the past year now
and this was like the river coming to me. two of us already had a
relationship to the river, to the numbers, pennies and candy.
the other did not.
so i just reminded them and some how, despite us not planning or
even having a moment to plan, we found candy and coins. enough
for each of us. and so we just prayed. we prayed hardcore.
not for ourselves but for everyone, each other and left anything
having to do with us...last. it's what praying should be about.
our coins and butterscotch flew in the air and kissed the delaware.
and then we hugged. for a long time.
by nightfall, all the stars were clearer than my time spent
in Jamaica. the dipper was huge. orion was as well.
i could not believe how wonderful i felt. how blessed
i was to have gone when it didn't look like i would
how wonderful
