Monday, 13 June 2016

Monday, June 6th, 2016

Monday, June 6th, 2016
Orland, Indiana

I Don't Have To Go To The Gym

Ben, at age 77, told me-- as he was hauling and tossing the last of his firewood into the back of his pick-up-- "I do these physical things and I don't have to go to the gym."  He said it jovially after our mutual, short introduction while traffic was passing by.  The location was at a cemetery, west of Fremont, along Hwy. 120.  It was a maple tree that was chain-sawed down and Ben was called on to collect it.

He didn't expect to see a pedestrian coming.  We hit it off good and shared farm-pastimes (I was raised on one).

A second installment of dialogue happened with him and his wife, Judy, also 77, where by chance we had chosen - as our team's picnic site - the field right next to their home.  Judy introduced herself as being delightfully 'nosey.'  At this time we talked more along the lines of morality and spiritual things.

What a lovely, amiable couple they were!  I would have liked for them to join me, but that would not be realistic.

The Herald-Republic News sent a rep. and we met at the main juncture of highways 20 and 327-- in the heart of the town, Orland.  Patrick Redmonds had many questions about my routine, about life as a monk and what all that entails.  Some curious young folks came by in the middle of our talk and shot us (with a camera).  They were coming down the sidewalk as Patrick and I chatted.

"How do young people respond to you?"

"Let's see!  Try me out!"

And so I shared some points of Vedic truth, about identity-crisis and how we may view the physical body as a shell and the real person being the spirit within.

The day went by with the speed of lightening.  It can be an overwhelming experience.  Walking cuts time.

May the Source be with you!

19 miles


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