Day 119

Upon awakening to the news of three police officers shot and killed and three others injured in Baton Rouge, LA, I was feeling a deep heaviness in my heart, and I felt like I wanted to hide out and not be around people for the day.

However, I had made plans with a couple of people, and I wanted to keep my commitment to them. So, when it was time for us to go, I thought about it, and I decided to go and see what the day would bring.

I’ll backtrack long enough to say that in my time in recovery, one of the things I’ve learned is that sometimes, doing the opposite of what I want to do can bring about amazing results. Today was a perfect example.

My two friends and I went to an outdoor music event called Worldfest at the Nevada County fairgrounds. We spent the entire day outside, listening to music and conversing with people we knew and others we didn’t.

I met John first and when I saw his coveralls, I felt drawn to go over and speak with him. John, his best friend and their caregiver were sitting under the shade of a huge pine tree, enjoying one of the groups performing on the stage about 200 yards in front of them. We spent time talking about how perfect a day it was, and John asked what Walk for Peace means. I visited with the three of them, talking and sharing about the Walk and the need for Peace in the world, and stopping here and there to listen to the music. 

I asked John for a picture, and he happily obliged. And you know, as I walked away, I was feeling grateful for having said yes to the day.

Late in the afternoon, I saw this lovely gentleman and his daughter. I approached them and introduced myself. I said that I wanted to meet them because of the cool clothes they were wearing. The young lady explained that her daddy doesn’t want any more wars. I told her I didn’t want any more either, and that is why I am Walking for Peace. With their permission, I got these two pictures.

In addition to the people I’ve told you about, I met several other folks today. I talked to people all day, and invited them to come to the meeting I’m hosting to talk about Peace. (For those of you who don’t know, the meeting for Peace will be on Tuesday, 7/19 from 6:30-8:00 pm at Valentina’s Bistro – 841 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA.)

For this Peace Walker, the willingness to do something I’ve committed to, and not back out by making excuses, is one of the easiest ways for me to shift the perspective. My decision to feel the heaviness of the shooting in Baton Rouge, and to go out and be in community  in spite of it, turned my day around. The people I encountered and the community I experienced today remind me that Peace can sometimes come from unexpected places.