Saturday, 24 June 2017

Friday June 23, 2017

West of Vernal, Utah

Flowers and Trucks

I broke my walk into three parts today—night-time, morning and a blazing afternoon for an hour. I met Steven, seventy-five, who was shocked to see a monk in town. He has all the books of the popular Indian gurus. His collection also includes Aurobindo and Srila Prabhupada. He said, “Prabhupada emphasizes devotion.”

“That’s right!”

On Monday, our team will visit Steven, who lives in a rather isolated place. I’m looking forward to it.

I also met another Steven, the library operator in one of the local towns. Like many folks who stop to talk, he offered a ride, but suspected I was on a mission.

“I’ll come to see you in the library,” I said, “when we get to your town.”

In reality, everyone is in a car or a truck. Vernal has Hwy 40 running through it. There’s a passion in this place. What tempers the passion is the petunias potted all along the street. The town seems to take them very seriously. I was leap-frogging with the fellow who goes around in a truck watering those flowers with a hose. It was almost like a game. I had to dodge the squirt-hose.

Flowers usually make you smile, laugh or offer some comfort. Usually the more flowers planted in a city, the less crime there is.. Sounds too simplistic? Apparently it’s true.

I want to thank Jaya Gopal for sponsoring our room in the Days Inn. That was very devotional of you.

May the Source be with you!
21 miles

Editor’s Note: The Walking Monk will be live on Facebook at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, aka 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday June 26, 2017. Here’s the link. We hope you can join the event.


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