Day one

Just completed the first day of the Seminar seeing many old friends and having some great reunions. It certainly makes me aware how important these annual trips are, as the friendships, although at a distance, are real and easily renewed.

The major speaker from South Carolina was in fine form as I have heard her speak before, but today her stories were diverting and her delivery impeccable, promising more to come in the next two days. Her story in Minnesota of entering a wolves lair and being attacked by one of the wolves who had sensed her deer-antler buttons on her jacket, was as amusing as it was informative. A. is certainly a feisty lady. However the laurels of the day's speakers went assuredly to a Melbourne friend, also A, who related the last thirty years of his interesting life, most of it in the US, where he had contracted HIV thirty years ago and lived to tell the tale, albeit in a spiritual context. His life in San Francisco in the late seventies and early eighties had coincided with the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic and he became an active worker with his dying friends. He was also a good friend of the openly gay and subsequently murdered Senator Harvey Milk so his activities were also in the political arena. Meeting with the famed 'On Death and Dying' author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross gave him more insight into the dying process and a keener desire to discover more about his spirituality. 

Eventually in 1984 he came across the teachings of ECKANKAR and embraced them fully, never looking back. He also spoke without notes, as did the major speaker, and it showed how important is the manner of presentation to engage the audience, a skill which they both had in spades. He received a large and very warm ovation from an appreciative audience who had been invited to share some intimate moments,  and who doubtless emerged wiser from the talk. A's attitude had been similar to mine and in no way did he allow any negativity to impede his progress, neither physical nor spiritual. After all, every experience, however physical it may be, has a spiritual element, and when it involves a life-changing event there are important lessons to be learned. 

On speaking with room-mate Murali later, I was alerted to an interesting incident which happened to me this morning, on mistaking a couple of my pills and not looking for the significance in this quite strange and unusual oversight. There are reasons for all things however trivial they may seem at the time, and this is now something I will pursue next week when I go to Gosford to catch up with my previous doctor, who hopefully will be available for a talk. After all she is also a Kiwi who was not initially keen that I move to her forsaken islands and who will no doubt be interested in an update about me, and her native country.

Life has its funny twists and turns, and I am interested to see the outcome next week, it may be just what I am looking for to start my new year, on a new regime. We'll see. Now for a good night's sleep and more talks tomorrow.