Reflections
Since my days on Earth are coming to an end, i have been reflecting on the year... and Life.
2009 was a rockstar year in a lot of ways. I did more and lived more Life this year than in any before.
Jan/Feb. i co-guided a group of folks down to the jungle in Peru, one of whom had never used any type of entheogenic medicine EVER. and then i stayed and completed my 2nd full 7-session plant diet, making a new ally out of the plant "Renequia." Seventeen days... if i could start off every year this way, i would sooo win.
March. i made my 2nd pilgrimage to the Huichol Indians' sacred Peyote Fields... i learned WAY more this time around re: how to work with peyote than i knew after last year's first effort. Amazing, amazing, amazing. I still have three more trips down to complete my commitment to the Huichols. Here that, Jesus? I still have Unfinished Business(tm)! I can't come home yet!
April. I got funded by AISD to put in a labyrinth at an inner-city middle school near downtown Austin. This turned out to be my 'gateway' Community Art Project, as i had two teachers and a handful of 12-year olds as workers to help me. This reminds me... i need to go back out there while i still can!
May. returned to Flipside and the Austin burner family for my first "burner event" since Flipside 2007. Actually had a great time... rangered a lot, stayed sober and relatively out of trouble. was really handy when my campmate accidentally stabbed himself in the arm with a knife at 1:30am... Good Times!
June/Aug. Seriously committed myself to building Temple. 'nuff said. Also, got to play "single parent" to my 1-year old nephew and 5-year old niece. Scratched the last remaining itch of needing to have a child in this Lifetime... and not a moment too soon!
Aug/Sept. Twenty-two days in the desert. The theme this year was "Evolution" and making my first trip back since 2006, my participation has evolved, alright. Had crazy fun building Temple, rangered 40+ hours, got my green-dot training and pulled a few shifts in HQ. And got to play with a giant pile of coals. We totally DID IT. ;)
Oct. Had the privilege of playing "Ranger Lead" at Myschievia... the 'other' Texas regional. Holy Crapsticks, that was a bit of work. And non-stop rain and insane mud made this event one that may never be repeated. It was great to see The Freak burned... and i now have a core group of friends who are serious pyromaniacs. When folks can have educated conversations about home-made fireworks, mortars and "cool ways to make giant fires"... i know i've found my tribe. ;)
I guess that's a whole year's worth of shtuff... so i guess i wont be too sad that i didn't live to experience Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year's. I'm still holding out hope for Halloween, tho. Pretty please?
And i'm glad that i spent the year healing my relationship with money. =) Instead of doing stuff for a monetary reward, or deciding i couldn't because of perceived lack... i spent just about the whole year doing things "just because" - TONS of flat-out volunteer work, most of it relatively anonymously.
Jesus, if you let me stay out a little while longer... i sooo promise to do even better next year! Yes?
2009 was a rockstar year in a lot of ways. I did more and lived more Life this year than in any before.
Jan/Feb. i co-guided a group of folks down to the jungle in Peru, one of whom had never used any type of entheogenic medicine EVER. and then i stayed and completed my 2nd full 7-session plant diet, making a new ally out of the plant "Renequia." Seventeen days... if i could start off every year this way, i would sooo win.
March. i made my 2nd pilgrimage to the Huichol Indians' sacred Peyote Fields... i learned WAY more this time around re: how to work with peyote than i knew after last year's first effort. Amazing, amazing, amazing. I still have three more trips down to complete my commitment to the Huichols. Here that, Jesus? I still have Unfinished Business(tm)! I can't come home yet!
April. I got funded by AISD to put in a labyrinth at an inner-city middle school near downtown Austin. This turned out to be my 'gateway' Community Art Project, as i had two teachers and a handful of 12-year olds as workers to help me. This reminds me... i need to go back out there while i still can!
May. returned to Flipside and the Austin burner family for my first "burner event" since Flipside 2007. Actually had a great time... rangered a lot, stayed sober and relatively out of trouble. was really handy when my campmate accidentally stabbed himself in the arm with a knife at 1:30am... Good Times!
June/Aug. Seriously committed myself to building Temple. 'nuff said. Also, got to play "single parent" to my 1-year old nephew and 5-year old niece. Scratched the last remaining itch of needing to have a child in this Lifetime... and not a moment too soon!
Aug/Sept. Twenty-two days in the desert. The theme this year was "Evolution" and making my first trip back since 2006, my participation has evolved, alright. Had crazy fun building Temple, rangered 40+ hours, got my green-dot training and pulled a few shifts in HQ. And got to play with a giant pile of coals. We totally DID IT. ;)
Oct. Had the privilege of playing "Ranger Lead" at Myschievia... the 'other' Texas regional. Holy Crapsticks, that was a bit of work. And non-stop rain and insane mud made this event one that may never be repeated. It was great to see The Freak burned... and i now have a core group of friends who are serious pyromaniacs. When folks can have educated conversations about home-made fireworks, mortars and "cool ways to make giant fires"... i know i've found my tribe. ;)
I guess that's a whole year's worth of shtuff... so i guess i wont be too sad that i didn't live to experience Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year's. I'm still holding out hope for Halloween, tho. Pretty please?
And i'm glad that i spent the year healing my relationship with money. =) Instead of doing stuff for a monetary reward, or deciding i couldn't because of perceived lack... i spent just about the whole year doing things "just because" - TONS of flat-out volunteer work, most of it relatively anonymously.
Jesus, if you let me stay out a little while longer... i sooo promise to do even better next year! Yes?