on wednesday i was hanging out at the little farm stand in the song and spirit driveway with the farmer, Crickety Jim. i'd helped harvest some of the fine produce still fourishing in the garden. tomatoes, kale, collards, yellow wax beans, and some of the last summer squash were available. i noticed a young man riding his bike down the sidewalk and i called out to him, "Fresh produce for sale!" he came over and we started chatting. pretty soon i was thinking maybe this is the reason i hung around here so long, so i could meet this guy.
his name is alexander and he is a musician who works at a coffee shop called commonwealth in birmingham, just north of berkley. he lives just a little west of song and spirit and was taking a route he does not normally ride when i spotted him. we immediately reflected the wonder, wisdom, and joy back and forth in such a way that encouraged us to keep connecting. he invited me to go for a bike ride with him. i invited him to join us for dinner.
we sat for dinner late in the evening with a small band of superheroes and a couple guest who had not yet identified themselves as such. EpochAlypse, Laughing Moon, Resilient Heart, and i, Hoop Rider joined hands with our friends around the circular table and said a blessing. there are few things i cherish more than coming together to share nourishing food.
the friend of resilient heart mentioned he is going to school for illustration and i decided to share my zine of drawings with him. this is the one i book called feel here too that i made a few years ago. i was still carrying the last copy so that i could share it with people i meet. this guy really liked the images and asked if i was selling it. i decided that YES i could, and asked for five dollars for it. since he didn't have the money on him alex, our new musician friend, paid for it. it was decided that the book would remain in the song and spirit library. that felt really nice.
through this exchange i made it known that i was in need of funds as i continued traveling. i really don't need much, but i like to have some money around for purchasing food and contributing to fuel costs when i rideshare. epochalypse felt a desire to help, and laid 20 dollars on the table! i then felt inspired to give him one of the hoop bracelets i made. i told him it represents 'the oneness and our responsibility to honor that.' he feels this meaning deeply and he accepted the gift solemnly.
i was going to leave for chicago the morning after our going away dinner, but since i wasn't packed up and ready until 2:30pm i decided to stay another night. this gave me the opportunity to ride over to the place of my new friend alex, who was taking apart a roasted chicken and starting his first ever batch of chicken stock. when he told me about it the night before i was really wishing i could get in on it!
i mentioned to alex that i was thinking of asking him if he wanted to take a trip to chicago... as i was looking for a ride. he said he was thinking it might work out to go see his brother. he had a day off work and no plans friday... so it seemed meant to be. amazing!
i found out on the drive over that his brother had actually flown to detroit friday to be there for their other brother's birthday the following day. by the time alex had contacted him he could not refund the ticket. so alex made the trip just to give me a ride and spend the day with me. i am so grateful for this. i gave him money for gas, the salve i still had from greenstring farm, and one of the hoop bracelets. his thoughts about the bracelet, written to me in an e-mail, are very poignant:
"Again, it was such an honor to spend the dying moment with you. It has deepened my love and appreciation for mankind. I personally feel that the bracelet does that. Reminds you that you have always been whole. The reminder and answer is right in front of you. Just look inside the washer and you will see the wholeness of your skin. How deep can you get inside your skin till you see the nothingness which is the wholeness?"
alex encouraged me to start a kickstarter campaign to help me share the story of this HOOP TOUR. he captured some pictures and video with his 'oracle'(i-phone). i've gone back and forth over whether to use kickstarter so many times. i think i am going to do it, when the time is right. that may be when i plant my feet back in washington state.
please check out his story about meditating on 9/11 and look for his upcoming campaign on kickstarter to raise money for his first full-length album
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