Ford City, Pennsylvania
Credit Goes to the Media
The Leader Times and the Butler Eagle came through with good articles
about the walk celebrating and honouring 50 years since our guru,
Srila Prabhupada, came to the area. During that time, he spoke at St.
Fidelis Monastery in nearby Herman. Now it is a school for boys. The
three of us walked by it before the sun peaked over the horizon. Once
the sun revealed who the three people were, especially the
saffron-robed one, the honking and stopping of motorists began.
Home-owners and restauranteers came out to greet us because of the
attention brought on by the media. A staff of a dozen or so people
from a popular Italian eating villa stood in line to offer
congratulations. I was touched. And of course, everyone wants to get
in on a photograph with a monk - that’s a rarity.
A family from Florida drove all the way up to join us for a three-day
experience on an American pilgrimage. The only thing was that our one
mile venture at the end of my day’s trek turned out to be a happy but
dragged-out stretch due to the minute or two of ‘connecting’ that
people wanted.
Off the feet and into the vehicle, we zipped for an evening happening
at an art gallery in Pittsburgh. In this former
steeltown-now-gone-soft-
kirtan and I talked from 5.18 of the Gita. It was day number 2 for
evening chanting in Pittsburgh. These were perfect endings to perfect
days.
I recall one gentleman who, during the day, had taken his Great Dane
Rotweiller for a walk down a quiet trail, saw me, and stopped to talk.
Later, he was well-informed on what I was doing through the media. He
mentioned that next to his home there once was a monastery. It
appears the monastic order may be on the decline in America, being
that it was the second time for this kind of story in one day.
The man’s dog demanded attention so he received my petting under the
snout. After the chat, the man admitted that we both had to part from
each other, so he turned to his dog and said, “Okay, the man has to go
to work now.” When I heard that, it struck me that this is my job.
At the same time I realized I enjoy very much my work (pilgrimage). I
would rather consider it play.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km
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