Peace of Mind… (blog)

Today was the day I had the opportunity to speak at the homeless shelter in Nevada County. It’s interesting, but as we (Kelli Came with me and took the video in this post) approached the building, I was feeling a bit disjointed, because my knee is still not cooperating, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. So, just before I began, I took a couple of deep breaths, closed my eyes and asked my Spirit Guides to help me speak from my heart.

I gave some background and shared why I felt the need to do the Walk. Next, I invited questions/conversation:

After the questions, I went around the room and invited each person to draw a card from the 1conversation for Peace deck. When everyone had drawn a card, I asked if anyone wanted to share their question and the answer to it, and soon, several people were engaged in the conversation and talking about Peace. These are two of the people who shared.

I am so grateful to have spent time with these folks this afternoon. One of the young men in the room leaned over to me as he drew his card and said, “I so believe in what you’re doing. Thank you.”. Another woman shared about finding Peace through walking, and said “I totally get you”. One of the men was making comments under his breath about manifesting and Walking for Peace being b******t, and… he drew a card, and put it back, and drew another card, and put it back, and drew another card, and kept it. A beautiful moment from a day in the life of this Peace Walker.

 

My dear friend Vicie Evans picked me up early this morning to go to breakfast. We enjoyed talking about lots of subjects, one of which was choosing to look at the bright side of things. Vicie told me today that the morning that I stepped off, she felt as if I was going to be walking forever  – and that she reads my blog posts every day. What a cool way to be connected around Peace! Vicie and I have been friends for several years, and we’ve always enjoyed our breakfasts together. Today was no exception. Thanks, Vicie.

As I waited for Vicie to pick me up, my friend Jackie Brown texted me to see if she could purchase a set of the 1conversation for Peace cards. We met, and talked a bit, and Jackie shared that she is planning on using the cards With people in an event that she is leading soon. I was thrilled that she thought of the cards, and asked her if she would take pictures when the event happens, so that I can post it here. Here’s a neat connection/ripple…Jackie was introduced to the cards by two women who hosted me on nights three and four of the Walk, and here we are, some time down the road, and now she’s going to introduce a whole new group of folks to them. This is a great way to start/continue the conversations for Peace.

UNABASHED PROMO HERE: You too, can purchase cards by clicking on the 1conversation for Peace option on the PayPal menu in the sidebar.

Later in the day, I had occasion to ask for a ride back to Kelli’s house from a meeting, and Kara Mitchell volunteered. We had an amazing conversation that went from one topic to another. One of the things that Kara said was that although she’s not an avid reader, one of the books she has read was “Peace Pilgrim – In Her Own Words”. Kara then said that the Walk for Peace has actually prompted her to read Peace Pilgrim’s book again. Thank you for sharing one of the ways you have been moved by the Walk, Kara. Sometime during the day, I pulled up my Facebook account and saw a message from my cousin Holly Pipione Stamper. The message, which was in response to last night’s post about elephants, read:

I don’t know if you know this or not, but our grandmothers did this little thing where they would mail a little token back and forth to one another. They would keep it for a year and then mail it back for the other to keep for a year. The token? A very tiny glass elephant.

The words filled me with gratitude for the connection to my paternal grandmother, Mary, who loved elephants and to my Aunt Dita, her sister.

What an amazing show of how we impact one another, and how beautifully the Walk for Peace is being both personified and passed forward through others. The Walk for Peace continues…

Last week, I was in a phone conversation with three women and I spoke with them about my recent deep and soul connected feelings toward elephants. I explained that although I have several animal totems, elephant is not one of them. Until now. As you may remember, several weeks ago, I took a picture of an elephant figurine at the top of a set of steps and posted it. Interestingly, I have consistently been with elephants in my dreams since then. Sometimes, I find myself walking among them – as if I am part of the traveling pack. Other times, a specific elephant unfurls its trunk, resting the end gently at my feet – in invitation to climb aboard. I am not aware of fear when I am with the elephants. And, I feel as if I know what the elephants are feeling and thinking.

No, I haven’t lost my marbles. I have mentioned before that I think all beings are connected through energy, and recently, the energetic connection to these immense creatures is present for me.

When I got up and got into my morning, my friend Kelli and talked about what I needed to do about my knee. I made several calls regarding the possibility of seeing the surgeon who performed my knee replacement in 2014, and I found out that he is no longer located close enough for me to have an appointment with. After a trip to the local urgent care, I came away with a hinged knee brace, anti-inflamatories and the suggestion that I “will know if I’m doing too much if it hurts”. I expect to be following up with an orthopedic specialist in short order if this brace doesn’t bring relief.

AND…the thing I find fascinating is, when I went into the room I was to be examined in, the picture at the top of this post was hanging in the room just above the examination table.

I believe elephant is now a totem for me, and I will spend some time researching the spiritual/symbolic meaning of elephants so that I can better understand their presence in my conscious and unconscious being.

One thing I have always found Peace and sheer joy in is the experience of synchronicity. You see, for this Peace Walker, while synchronicity may be all around me, I must be present to notice it. And for me, this presence is a way to Peace.

Today was filled with several different activities, and my knee felt fairly good all day. Late in the afternoon, Kelli, Rowdy, Chandler and I walked for two miles along a beautiful path I’d never been on before. We saw a few other walkers, a couple of bicyclists and even a snake along the way, and the dogs enjoyed every moment of the Walk. When we got back to the house, I iced and elevated my knee right away. I have to admit that I hurt more tonight than I did before we went out this afternoon, and I’m feeling frustrated by the slow progress.

For the most part, I have the ability to be fluid and open to change as it occurs, and tonight I’m struggling with that fluidity. I am feeling sad that I am not able in this moment to be physically Walking for Peace. My first thought when I sat to write tonight was to avoid the heaviness of my feelings, but I am aware that to avoid is to wrestle with myself and to lose my own inner Peace. For me, being willing to speak what I’m feeling allows me to be in presence with what is. Also, it allows me to let things flow through me, rather than to bottle them inside with resistance.

I am resting my knee tonight, and meditating – asking what I’m supposed to do and how things are supposed to look around the Walk.

My ask is that you keep holding the good thoughts and healing energy for my knee and the Walk as I navigate this unfamiliar territory.

 

Clearly, the Peace Pup has adapted to the temporary change in activity! This was the sum total of her activity this evening.

This morning opened with the application of a salve made and named specifically me by my friend, Becka Hood of Olde Souls. Becka and I are kindred spirits, and became closer after I got to stay with her (and her husband) on night two of the Walk. When Becka and I saw each other last week, she asked if she could make a salve for my knee to aid in healing. I said yes, and I received it at the benefit concert I attended last night. I have applied the salve a couple of times today, and I can definitely feel the warming properties of a number of the herbs in it.

Later this afternoon, I was gifted a massage! So, for an entire hour, I was in the hands of one of the most skilled body workers I know, Tammy Corkins. I explained to Tammy before the massage began that my knee needed attention, and I came away from the massage feeling as if my whole being had needed the attention it received.

Tonight, as I prepare for sleep, I feel relaxed and in this moment, pain free. I am so fortunate to have the blessing of friends and healers in my life. I am touched by the generosity I have experienced each and every day of the Walk.

I believe that in each gift received there is also a gift to give, and I look forward to doing just that as I continue the Walk for Peace.

 

This is my friend Joyce. I wanted Joyce to have a set of the 1conversation for Peace cards, and this morning, she got them! Joyce spends a great deal of time teaching non-violent communication in prisons, and when she speaks about it, I have the sense that this is part of Joyce’s life purpose. In early March when I spoke with Joyce about the Walk, she got really excited and was very supportive. It was a pleasure to catch up with Joyce this morning.

Shortly after, I sat in a meeting directly across from a man who was wearing this t-shirt. Interestingly, I found my self revolted by the image, and at the same time, very curious about the man wearing it. I was also aware of the assumptions that came into my mind simply based on the shirt this man had on. As I began to create a story about him based solely on my own ideas, I reminded myself that not only did I not know this man, but also that I didn’t know anything about him. When I stopped and let go of the ideas I was forming, I came back to an open mind/heart and wondered what we might have in common. I wondered too, how he felt when he looked at my shirt from his place across the table from me. After the meeting, I asked if I could photograph his shirt, and he agreed. I had hoped to engage him in conversation, but he turned and headed out the door.

Later in the day, I went for lunch at a little bistro called Valentina’s. After I had my meal, Valentina came and spoke to me, asking about the Walk for Peace. She had read a bit on Facebook, and was excited to ask me directly about the Walk. Valentina is a lovely, cheerful, charismatic woman, and I was thrilled to be in conversation with her.

This evening, I attended a benefit concert for my friend, Deb Foxen, who is having spinal surgery on Monday. There were lots of people there, and many of them approached me to thank me for doing the Walk. A good number of the people who I spoke with are folks I didn’t know before tonight, but who have been following the Walk through my blog. I was touched by the fact that people sought me out to thank me or to let me know they are interested. Later, as we conversed, Audrey, Ingrid and Pepper each agreed to pull a 1conversation for Peace card, and our discussion expanded from there. I invited the gals to take their cards and either keep them or pass them on – whichever felt most comfortable.

It’s funny, I hesitated wearing the Walk for Peace t-shirt to the benefit,  because I wanted the evening to be focused on Deb. And, as I was preparing to go, I decided to wear the Walk shirt after all. And you know, the very first thing Deb said to me was, “I’m so glad you’re here, and that you wore your Walk shirt”. Thanks, Deb.

This morning began with an opportunity to be of service. I put in a little time helping Kelli and another gal, Bonnie, finish cleaning up Kelli’s yard. And, I stopped before I felt any pain in my knee and iced. Later in the afternoon, I walked Chandler, and my knee felt strong.

After several years of difficulty with my knee, I made the decision to have my knee replaced (September, 2014). The relief I found after the replacement, and the strength that I gained in my knee is something I feel grateful for every day. You can imagine then, how difficult it was for me when I stood up two and a half weeks ago and couldn’t walk without leaning on something. In all honesty, I catapulted between thoughts of “it’ll be fine tomorrow”, to “the knee joint is failing and it’s going to need surgery”, to “snap out of it and keep walking”. You see, my thoughts will snatch Peace away from me in an instant. And here is where the learning comes in…

When I am racing between thoughts, irritable, reactionary and quick to defend my actions, I am incapable of making a rational decision. This is why I have a community of friends, family and colleagues around me. They ask the questions that need asking. They encourage me to feel the feelings and to ask my body what it needs. They challenge me to look deeper than the surface. They help me to remember to take the actions that keep me present.

For me, Peace is restored only when I have stopped the chatter of my brain, connected to my body, and taken a moment to see the humor in the drama of my thoughts.

I often speak of presence as a way to Peace. For me, presence is the ability to be in my body, while noticing my thoughts. Presence is evident by the amount of energy I have. When I am present, there is enough energy for the task at hand, whatever it may be. Conversely, when I am caught up in thinking, I find myself overly tired, touchy and tense.

I’m sharing this today, because I awakened in a state, with my thoughts acting like an auger in an ever deepening hole. I’m grateful however, that I have a series of actions that ground me in my body. I took a few deep (full wave) breaths, meditated, chanted a bit, and focused on what my body needed to relax and come to a Peaceful place – ready to start the day.

For this Peace Walker a daily practice of breathing, meditating and chanting keeps the auger called thought at bay and the energy of Peace flowing freely through me.

Today was a quiet day for this Peace Walker. Chandler and I took a walk with the buggy and a walk without, and my knee continues to improve. I am continuing to ice and rest between walks, and want to be sure I’m at my best when I begin heading North.

I made several phone calls again today, and have been invited to speak at a local homeless shelter in a few days.

In addition to being my friend, Kelli Laton has been my host for the past week, and I continue to be humbled by her generosity.

Kelli has also been gracious enough to handle sending out the Walk for Peace T-shirts and the 1conversation for Peace cards when people make donations to the Walk via PayPal. The new order of shirts came, so today, I helped by preparing the packages that need to go out.

Thanks to all who have contributed to the Walk! Your generosity makes the Walk possible. And…for those of you who haven’t yet contributed, I invite you to consider making a donation.

In gratitude,

☮👣- Alexis

 

 

Today, Chandler and I took two walks. The first one was this morning with the buggy, and the second, this afternoon without it. In between the walks, I iced my knee, made several phone calls and looked at where I will go when I begin walking again. My knee feels good tonight, and I’m sure the new shoes are part of the reason.

After the second walk, Chandler stretched herself out as far as she could to cool off and rest…I call it her flat dog.

As we walked, we met Maura, who was out for her daily exercise. Chandler immediately went into happy, Peaceful dog mode and was happy to receive attention from Maura. We shared a few minutes of conversation with a sense of ease, sending one another off with a smile and a blessing.

At one point in the morning, my friend Honey Trabitz sent this photo of her pup with the caption “Leo thinks Peace walks are delicious”, which made me laugh out loud! Then, my friend Cindy Lawton posted this picture on my Facebook timeline of a “painted Peace” she saw on vacation.

This Peace walker received messages from friends and aquaintances today and was filled with the energy of Peace.

Thank you all…

Of all the things I carry with me or wear on my person during the Walk, perhaps the most important one is my shoes. Many folks have asked how many pairs of shoes I’ve been through during the Walk, and my answer has consistently been that I am on the first two pairs.

I explain that I have two pairs of shoes with me, and each day, I swap them out, so that I am not wearing the same pair two days in a row. This is a “trick” I learned years ago from my friend Robert Ward, to keep the feet from being “lazy”.  I took that idea to heart and it has always stood me in good stead.

As the days of Walking have passed, I have wondered if perhaps my shoes were starting to be less sturdy, and after a couple of conversations with people who hike and backpack regularly, it seemed as if this might well be part of why my knee is stressed. The photo below is one of the original pairs. I forgot to get a picture of the other original pair before tossing it into the trash.

So today, my friend Linda Kaul took me to look for new shoes. When I slipped on the first pair and laced them up, I understood immediately that my original shoes were, in fact, completely broken down. Tonight, I’m happy to say that I have two new pairs of shoes, both of which cradle my feet and support me well.

Here’s to better support, stronger knees, and a walk with the buggy tomorrow…