I’ve stolen away from the San Francisco group of perhaps twelve accomplished women and one lone man, at 8:30 at night to write to you.
I understand that the discussion has now REALLY gotten lively.
We’ve been listening to each other describe lives of tremendous challenge and transcendence, people stepping out in outrageous ways onto urban streets where bullets have been flying to say enough is enough in really novel and unforgettable ways. People finding new, herbal, spiritual cures for disabling human conditions. People overcoming years and years of abuse to establish themselves in new careers and new lives.
Others infusing new life into alternative communities that have become dogmatic, telling their truth into environments that have become closed to it and splitting the place open for fresh, new growth to arise.
Others exploring native spirituality or organic farming or helping the homeless, dedicated all. How inspiring it is to hear the stories.
And regularly I’ve been inviting people to send their stories in to the blog. One participant has even decided to do profiles on some of the people there. Some stories I just cannot tell you about because there are security issues involved but you’ll hear from these trailblazers soon enough – when it’s safe for their stories to be told.
What is the key to all of this? Well, if you ask me, the key is listening. These are not meetings at which some keynote speaker talks over top of many people just busting to share their stories. Nor are they meetings where people shuffle their feet unwilling to sit long enough to allow people to tell their stories.
We’ve had ten keynote speakers and everyone has brought a total thumbs-up “like” from all the participants and one a standing ovation. And everyone allowed each speaker the time they needed to say all that they wanted to.
There is lots and lots of heart being served up here, course after course, and all of us are filled with love.
Our original intent (Kathleen and I) was to take a day, even two, to just renew our love affair with San Francisco but I have a suspicion that that may not happen for all the conversations that need to be had arising out of all the conversations that have just been held.
Here I am in an adjacent room, listening to everyone laughing, “the dude” having left the room, and thinking to myself, some people in there have not worked for three years; others have jobs that barely allow them to make it, and yet everyone could not be in a better mood, such is the power of loving partnership, sacred connection, and united purpose.
So now that I’ve let you have a peek at the proceedings, maybe they’ll allow “the dude” to rejoin them and listen in as they connect and break the binds that tie. The isolation of lightworkers in another major city is hopefully ended for good.
Tomorrow, individual meetings with people and then perhaps a day in Frisco at the San Francisco Zen Center and Fisherman’s Wharf. Then on to Mt. Shasta.