All posts by Lemfel

The attainment of the utmost beauty seems to have been the life work of those who laid out the grounds. Everywhere are blossoming trees, shrubs, and flowers blending in a symphony of color while birds flit through luxuriant foliage.

                 — A description of the coming civilization

Before the spring flowering is completely behind us, we want to share a few examples of Nature’s unusual outpouring of beauty this difficult year. It really seems as though She is trying to encourage and console us, well aware of the privation and travail so many are going through. And so the rains were generous, the flowers outstanding, the animals abundant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From our photographer in Northern California a few weeks ago:

Here are our resident ravens. (Not sure why the one was lying in the snow in this shot.)

These two have been around for quite some time and I have taught them that my “wolf whistle” means it’s dinnertime. They’ve taken the place of the dogs we lost not long ago when it comes to our table scraps. They typically raise four chicks a year and should be bringing them by soon. The babies are quite noisy, rambunctious, and act like typical teenagers

In a more recent letter to us, he writes:

This little guy decided to walk around our house looking for something to eat yesterday. He looks to be a pretty young bear, probably not over a year old. I was not that afraid, but was still happy to have a telephoto lens and keep a safe distance.

Here in Ramona one of Gateway’s neighbors says:

It’s the birthing season. We have a giant pomegranate tree right in front of our house that we call “the condominium” because so many critters – rabbits, squirrels and quail – live in it. And a turkey, along with her eight chicks has moved in. They appreciate the birdbath in the front yard, as you can see in the photo.

We see them 20 feet up in the eucalyptus trees. Never expected that.

 

The closeup shows the mother but you can’t tell that all eight of her young ones are huddling beneath her wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve caught sight of this same family strutting along our entry road and even on Gateway itself. They get around!

And from the midwest, a student writes:

As I walked through the Woodlake Nature Center today, I appreciated the most pleasant weather, blue sky with floating clouds, bright, shining sun, cool breeze rustling through the trees. Squirrels scampered as chirping birds flitted through the grasses or across the lake. Passing others enjoying the beauties of nature along the trail was nice, and I thought of the beneficence of God for providing this wonderful experience for me and others of His Creation. I felt grateful for this experience, this lovely setting, during this particular time.

“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” – John Kennedy

Racism is one of many challenges facing all of us now, and not far behind it is homelessness and the mental illness that often is part of this condition. How do Lemurians think about homeless people and relate to them? Two Lemurian Order members tackle this subject.

Encounter at Dunkin Doughnuts

As I sat on a bench outside Dunkin Donuts having my coffee, a very tired looking man plunked down next to me. He carried the characteristic plastic trash bag holding cans and bottles, which told me he was a “canner.” And from the look of him and the heft of his bag I could tell he wasn’t having a very profitable day.

I decided to strike up a conversation with him but he wasn’t in a very talkative mood, except for with himself. I asked him about the impact of the COVID-19 virus shutting down the redemption centers, and hadn’t they just re-opened recently? But very shortly he drifted back to the very active conversation he was having inside his own head. So I sat quietly eating my doughnut, trying not to eavesdrop as he carried on.

I felt an urge to do something for this man, perhaps offer him a doughnut or give him some money, but something told me to think carefully before acting. He was not asking anything of me, and though giving him money or buying him a meal might make me feel very good, I realized it could be perceived by him as offensive. My well-intended desire, driven solely by feeling, could easily do more harm than good.

I had done all I could think of for him, and that was to treat him like a regular guy and not wall him off as the vagrant one feels uncomfortable around and so often tries to avoid. I resisted the urge to do what would make me feel good about myself, and just wished him a good  day.

“Willie”

Each weekday morning I arrived at Penn Station in New York City with hundreds of other commuters. The homeless seemed ubiquitous, and every day for weeks one of them stood in the middle of the Penn Station concourse during the morning rush hour. Unshaven and slightly stooped as he leaned on his walker, the man I’ll call Willie wore shoulder length white hair, his stained clothes old and baggy. He stood fast in the face of the oncoming horde of commuters, yelling unintelligibly, causing them to divide on either side of him.

Each morning I hurried past Willie with indifference. I walled him off emotionally, assuming he had psychological challenges and was no more than a noisy object. Still, his presence troubled me. When I finally set aside my well-reasoned rationalization and was willing to be honest with myself, I realized the reason for my negative reaction was my fear of Willie.

As a Lemurian student, I was learning why I should try to treat all people with kindness, patience and tolerance. This is easy with family, friends, and others I get along with. The challenge for me is to extend this loving respect to people I don’t like, who rub me the wrong way or who I want to avoid. But the idea slowly crept into my mind that Willie, just like me, was a human being with problems. Gradually I began to study him. No longer was he just an object on the concourse. I could see him as a person with a hard life. Though I knew I should be careful approaching a stranger, I felt Willie was not a danger and one day, finally, I decided to greet him.

Next morning Willie was at his usual spot, yelling loudly. Gathering my courage I cut across the path of the commuters, came face to face with him and introduced myself. He stopped yelling. As people streamed around us, he told me of his life on the streets, how hard it was but how it was safer than living in the city’s shelters. He talked about being robbed and that he worried it would happen again. We spoke of his injured leg and the medical care he was receiving. When I asked why he yelled at us each morning, Willie said he was just trying to catch our attention. Since he wasn’t panhandling, maybe he just wanted to be noticed.

We talked until it was time for me to go. When I walked away, Willie was no longer the wildly yelling homeless man. He was a human being with feelings, fears, and problems. Just like me.

I still think of Willie and wonder if he remembers me.