The Ole' Bird

In a recent correspondence with a new friend on the island, I ioncluded an account of an outrageous experience that I had with Ram Dass... here is an excerpt from the email... enjoy!

Some time ago, I was talking with Ram Dass about how, living in Haiku, I had yet to meet anyone under the age of 40. Haiku is known for it's hippie culture and wiser residence. I was just simply wondering if there were any younger people on the island since my experiences only brought me to the elder crowd. This was right before I started working at Flatbread in Paia, after which I had met plenty of younger people that liked to stay out late at night and crash on the beaches at sunrise.

After I made the "not enough young people" comment, Ram Dass shifted in his demeanor slightly (he had a stroke about 12 years ago which confined him to a wheel chair-so a shift in his demeanor is very noticeable compared to his normal contented slouch) and responded with a jokingly upset tone, "What's wrong with old people? I still got it! Hmmmm?" I was forced to explain what I meant but realized, after looking at RD, that the damage was done and any other comment would only dig my grave deeper. I quickly changed the subject and we shared some static-free space together the rest of the morning.

A few days later, the topic came up again in the car on the way to the beach. I was telling one of RD's friends that I had finally met younger people and that it was rather refreshing. Right when I realized how bad that sounded, I was welcomed with the most sincere and perfect looking middle finger I had ever encountered face-to-face. I met the finger with a totally shocked smile as I realized that it was attached to Ram Dass, a being that I had always associated with peaceful spiritual ecstasy and bliss, and now the proud conjurer of the most solid bird I had ever seen. I was then assured by RD's friend that I had officially been accepted into the group and that this was my knighting ceremony. After the shock and laughter wore off in the car I felt honored and humbled as I revisited the fact that I had just been flipped off by Ram Dass; spiritual healer and bringer of enlightenment-sometimes in pleasently informal forms.

Cyclic Constants

Ram Dass looks up at the sky, manifests a deep cycle of breathing and declares, "a good day to talk about death." He smiles and continues his climb up his elevator to his room. This phrase leaves me in a mild blur. My eyes dart all over the sky probing for the trigger for his haunting statement. I look out to the ocean, no tsunamis there. I look for dark shadows in the sky that would provoke a prophecy about impending doom but see only fresh brush strokes of light and fire spread out over the canvas held up by the clouds. My eyes settle on the luminescent art and a grin sprouts over my face. I dive deep into thought and ponder why this breathtaking portrait gave RD such a powerful peace.

The wind selects a color and uses the palm brushes to paint the sky. Each evening the sun bleeds an orange wash which wipes the canvas black, left sprinkled with diamonds. Every morning the ink is spread out for the wind to create again, recycling old ideas and bringing in new. The paint doesn't always dry before the piece is hung for display. Oils and inks dyed orange and pink dip low and sprinkle out over the ground, mixing with the ocean, and sustaining the plants. The face of the waves is painted to mirror the sky as they attempt to stretch and blend into the stratosphere. Moses and Mogli ride on the golden sea, cruising over puddles of magenta and turquoise.

The earth shakes beneath the sand. Most of the island remains calm as the seismic forces swim through the crust playfully without interrupting the harmonies established on land. Only the fingertips of trees feel any difference. This "quake" is not caused by the convergence of tectonic plates, but created by the collaboration of the rhythmic harmonies of djembe drums being wildly thrashed. The drums form a circle in the sand as men and women gather, stripping themselves of their shackles, unbinding themselves from the fabric of society. Howling at the black sky, these beings produce movements and shapes that their bodies have been eagerly awaiting to release. Finally set free, the wild spirits of the crowd grow into a chaotic celebration of the cycles of light and darkness.

a snack to munch on

Hey alright, I'm not quite ready for the next post. Some recent developments are abound that I'm excited to share but more time is necessary in order to present the events properly. Being here now sure does take a bit of preparation :) So here's something to tease the mind and wet the whistle...

The white powder rains from the air and gathers on the ground, covering my shoes. "That's called a blizzard, you don't want those in Hawai'i brudah," Ke'ao explains to me with a smile. The frustration shows through my face as the dough shakes white flour all over the kitchen. I have caused quite a mess tossing the floppy lopsided pizza gak into the air in my feeble attempt to prepare a flat breaded pie. Everyone laughs as I throw away my 99th attempt at making a perfectly rounded solid stage for the toppings to perform. 100th time's a charm. I mix some alcohol in my blood which helps to take off the edge as the haze of the night takes over. I sleep praying only that I not dream of snow.

The alarm clock pierces my skull. Groggy, I smack the sleep button to shut it up. A rude awakening to be sure. FIVE AM??!??! Who the... why am I up so early??? Do I have somewhere to be? RD doesn't even get up for three more hours and it's not my morning to make breakfast! What the fire truck... WAIT, WAIT WAIT wait wait wait wait... I take a deep breath. I inhale, I can feel the oxy-jon rushing down my trachea filling my alveoli with a sweet refreshing sea breeze scent... I exhale with a soft and elongated sigh, as I stretch and get up slowly. My bag is already packed and my board is already raised on the mast of the Chrylser. Moses you ole' devil, I totally forgot we had a date this morning. I get in the cab and plug in the tunes. With the windows down and the sun casting an orange glow, I cruise down Hana Highway, the Pacific Ocean by my side... What a good day to surf (this truly is one of my wildest dreams coming true).

Alright there you go, it's all I got for now. Mahalo & Namaste