Peace of Mind… (blog)

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been icing and resting a sore knee for the past couple of days. The surprising thing to me is that this is the knee I had replaced a year and a half ago, and I have not had any issues with it on the Walk to date. At any rate, my plan was to walk in the neighborhood this morning for a mile and see if it felt okay to head out. And…sometimes, our own plans aren’t the best plans. After speaking with my friends Carly and Sue (part of a group of people that I meet with every two weeks for support on everything from t-shirts to tears to fundraising to routes), I agreed to Sue’s suggestion to have it checked out. So, after calls to my health care plan provider, I made my way to the ER in Napa (they don’t have any Urgent Care Centers).

The great news is that there is nothing wrong structurally, and there is no infection. There is inflammation of the muscles around the knee. (In a non artificial joint it’s called a sprain). The doctor put me in an imobilizer for two to three days, and then I’m to see how it feels. If it feels stable, I will be ready to proceed. I have several strengthening exercises I will need to do each evening when I begin Walking again, but I should be good to go in short order.

The nurse who tended to me is originally from Ohio, and got very excited about the Walk for Peace. His Family is Mennonite – committed to nonviolence and pacifism. The couple of hours that I was in the ER were certainly made more Peaceful by the exchange with this particular nurse.In the meantime, I was feeling rather down that I wasn’t feeling better this morning, and both Sue and Carly had some good suggestions of what I could do while I’m not Walking. I’m going to go into town tomorrow and speak with a bookstore owner about doing an impromptu talk on Peace. And…since I’ll be in town, I’ll find a spot where I can sit with my leg up and meet people. I will do what I can to be in Peaceful energy, and to share it with others, just in a different way.

Thank you, Sue and Carly (and everyone who sent well wishes today) for your gentle insistence. This was the best course of action in service of the Walk for Peace.

Today was spent taking care of my knee by icing and resting. I’m planning on heading out tomorrow, but will honor what my knee tells me it needs. If I need to let it rest another day, I will.

I have decided to head West to Petaluma and North along 101 through California and into Oregon as I continue the Walk for Peace.

Tonight, I am grateful for the hospitality of my friend Colleen. I am also grateful for a conversation with my Dad about the route I’m going to take. In the mail this afternoon, I received sun screen products that my sister Dita ordered for me. I’m glad to have something that will protect my skin from the sun. Thanks, Dita! I had a nice conversation with my sister, Molly, and we talked about her coming to meet me along the Walk at some point during the summer.

I also feel a deep sense of gratitude for the ripple of Peace that each person who reads, shares, comments and forwards these blog posts helps to spread.

Together, we can grow the energy of change – the energy of Peace.

This picture and the one below were sent to me yesterday by my friend Becka and her granddaughter Corrinne. I stayed with Becka and her husband on day two, and Corrinne and I played for a long time that night. Here’s the thing that’s really cool about the pictures…Corrinne still asks about me and the Walk, and she and Becka drew this poster for me and sent me pictures. This is the ripple I believe is happening, but don’t always get to see. I feel that as more of us continue to discuss Peace in any form, the greater the energy of Peace will become.  Thank you Becka and Corrinne for the support and love, and keep having the conversations about Peace!

Chandler and I rested all day today. I’m icing a sore muscle in my artificial knee joint – here’s hoping it is better in the morning. It isn’t serious, just a little inconvenient.

The day with Colleen has been absolutely wonderful. There is a feeling of comfort here that makes this a really nice place to be resting. Thank you Colleen, I am grateful to call you friend.

 

Chandler was not quite ready to get up for the day today, so while I had a conversation over the phone with Linda Lombardo of Voice of Evolution Radio (look for a link to the podcast in a couple of days), Chandler caught up on her rest.

Later in the day, we made our way to Napa, and had an interview with the Napa County Register’s Howard Yune.

On the tail of the interview, I met a local fly fisherman named Richard. He very quickly hit it off with Chandler, and the photo is a clear indication of her interest in him. Richard said we need more Peace in the world, and said the “starting point has to be interaction on a one on one level.” He indicated that my commitment to Walking for Peace brings tears to his eyes.

I have arrived at my dear friend Colleen’s house, where I will rest for a couple of days. I’ve also asked my Dad to work with me in creating a “big picture” plan/map for where I’m heading. I have found that navigating this part by myself has been a bit difficult, and so, I asked for help. I expect to head North and East – having made the decision that going South and East mid-summer would not be sustainable for me or for Chandler.

I’ll be posting while I’m in Napa, and engaging local folks in conversations for PEACE.

This morning, I met Niki and Maria in a fast food restaurant where I’d stopped to get some coffee and to post my route for the day. As we talked about the Walk and discussed some of the details about where I stay, how I walk everywhere, and how long I’ll be walking, I asked the gals what their plan was for the day. They indicated plans for a laid back day once they got lunch for “the kids”. I found out the kids are young teens, and I told the gals I thought it was nice of them to get lunch instead of having the kids walk to get it. Maria said the intersection where we were is extremely dangerous and that she’d never send her kids to walk there. I have to admit, it surprised me to hear her say that. It made me sad that that is part of the criteria for whether or not her kids can walk somewhere. As we gathered for our photograph, I thanked them for their candid comments, their curiosity and their great smiles.

I had the pleasure of walking the pedestrian pathway over the Carquinez Straight this morning. Although the sky was cloudy, the weather was actually lovely. Chandler began the day by walking the pathway in its entirety (1.6 miles). I’m guessing that the sun and the long walk this morning is what prompted her to nap under the buggy while I rested mid day.

I found the vibrancy of these roses an interesting contrast to the starkness of this stairway leading to a house that no longer exists.

In the late part of the day, I saw this sign with the mattress next to it. When I came upon the scene, there was a man lying on the mattress, singing. I approached him and talked for a bit about singing. I shared with him that singing is one way I find Peace in my life, and he heartily agreed. I asked if he rests here often, and he said no, but it looked comfortable, so he decided to try it. I found myself totally at ease in the moment, and wondered aloud if he would let me photograph him. He lept up and said , “no, no thank you ma’am. I don’t want no photos.” So, I took the photo with out him, and thanked him for the conversation. As I walked away, he took his place back on the mattress and I could hear him singing again as I continued down the road.

 

 

My hosts Lynn and Michael continued their amazing hospitality by taking me to breakfast this morning before I headed out with Chandler. AND…Michael gave me a hat to replace the one I lost somewhere along the road! Lynn has many different Peace signs around the house, including the Peace sign mug I got to have my coffee in. 

The photo above is of a sculpture I saw early on today. It appeared to be made of bits and pieces of scrap metal, and I thought it was quite clever.

The route for the Walk today took me on a road that had very little shoulder, and lots of traffic, so my energy was spent staying safe. I walked on a long, steady incline for a couple of hours past an oil refinery, and this is a photo of a sign that was posted every hundred feet or so on the fence. All in all, It wasn’t the loveliest portion of the Walk I’ve seen.

At the end of the day, I arrived at Melissa Salcido’s house – and was greeted  a great smile and a comfortable spot. Like Michael and Lynn, I had never met Melissa before, but I feel a sense of comfort here that is like being with family. Did I mention that Melissa is Lynn and Michael’s niece? I think the kindness and comfort runs in the family. On night one of the Walk, my friend Connie Salcido hosted me, and I felt the same way in her home.

Tonight, I am filled with gratitude for the reach out of folks to their friends and family, which have resulted in five nights of housing for this Peace Walker. I have met and been welcomed into the lives of people previously unknown to me, and I’ve had many amazing conversations about Peace.

This morning’s walk out of the hills of Richmond brought me through a neighborhood where this tree stood. I was fascinated by the strength of the trunk – curved so dramatically and balanced so beautifully so that the limbs could grow toward the light and the space they needed. I likened it to a sense of utter self care; reaching, stretching and grasping the very elements necessary not only to survive, but also to thrive.

Not more than a couple of miles into the Walk, Chandler met a fan in David. David and his brother own an auto repair shop, and when we walked by the entrance, David got really excited at seeing Chandler. We talked about the dachshunds he had as a child, and he just scratched and petted Chandler like they’d known each other for ever. I told David about our Walk, and he wanted to be sure we are safe as we travel. He also talked about the gift of companionship that animals are, and mentioned that I was lucky to have her. I, of course, couldn’t agree more!

Later in the day, I was approached by Michael and Lynn – the brother and sister-in-law of a good friend of mine (named Connie), who live in the area I was walking to. Lynn has been following the Walk on FB, and Connie has spoken to her family at different times about what I am doing, so when they saw I was in their city, Michael and Lynn came looking for me. We visited a bit, and agreed that we’d have supper together at the end of the walk day. I got their number, and continued to walk.

When I got to my ending point, I stopped for a cup of coffee. My back was to the door, and the buggy was pushed up under a table, and I was quietly sipping my coffee when I was approached by a young woman  who inquired as to whether I might know a woman named Connie. I said yes, and she introduced herself to me as Roxanne, Connie’s God daughter. She said Connie had shown her a picture of me, and that she recognized the back of my shirt. We talked very briefly, and with that, she was off – headed back to work.

Still following? Roxanne is Lynn and Michael’s daughter! The fun part is that neither Lynn and Michael nor Roxanne had any idea that I had seen the other! How fun is that?

Michael and Lynn and I had a really nice supper together, and they invited me to stay in their home tonight. Look for a picture of us tomorrow.

Peace.

The morning began with me and my host Rob Lewis lifting the buggy back over the handrail we’d lifted it over last night, followed by some light hearted conversation about the things we don’t ask our bodies to do anymore due to the desire to stay healthy. Rob and his wife Mary (whom I did not get to meet this time) are wonderful folks, and their home made me feel peaceful from the minute I got there.

Just after I left Rob, I looked up to see this little gal sitting atop the stairs of a house, and it reminded me of my paternal grandmother, who loved elephants. I stood for a moment, and was filled with memories of my grandma. Before I took the photo Is invited my grandma’s spirit to come with me on the Walk today.

I’d gotten about a mile and a half when I came upon a quaint little coffee shop where I got a mocha and had a lovely visit with Rebecca. We talked about the Walk and how I came to be doing it, as well as the transitions Rebecca is making in her own life. We also discussed the assumptions that separate us from one another and how we can change our own way of being to be more inclusive. Rebecca gave me several referrals for things to look up regarding possible community connections in different places, and I feel happy to have them. As we got ready to leave, we asked a gentleman to take some photos, and I gave Rebecca a set of the 1conversation for Peace cards. Later in the day I received this picture of the open deck with the first card she pulled.

About a mile later, my friend Allison came and met me for the second day in a row. We sat and visited for about an hour, and talked about all kinds of things. As she and her lab Daisy walked away, I was filled with gratitude for our friendship.I found another amazing plant – layers of orange, which I love, love, love!

And at day’s end, as I came over the top of a very steep road to the last quarter mile before arriving at my resting point for the evening, I saw the Peace sign in picture at the top of this post.

My hosts for this evening are Kristin and Steven. I was welcomed with smiles and warmth, and while Kristin had to go back to work for a bit, Steven and I had a lovely visit and shared a meal together. When Kristen returned, she and I visited a bit. Although we’ve only just met, there is a feeling of being home in this home.

Today was a very full day. I walked the first couple of miles, and then a friend of mine whom I haven’t seen in almost a year, came and met me for coffee. As I waited for Allison to arrive, a couple of women asked about the buggy and it was an opportunity to talk about the Walk a bit as well. They were in a hurry, but stayed long enough to offer me a place to stay tonight (I already had a place), and to get my website information. Then,  just before they crossed the street, one of the women said she has knows someone south of Portland who will be “thrilled to host” when Chandler and I get there. Kristen said she’d be in touch. Shortly after that, Allison arrived. We talked for quite a while – catching up as friends do. Then Allison, Daisy, Chandler and I headed out. When we parted for the day, Allison said she’d come and meet me to walk with me tomorrow again – what a treat! Look for our photo together tomorrow…

I took pictures of a few of the amazing flowers I saw along the route, and I am curious to know if anyone can identify the red one?

Later, as I walked through Berkeley, I came across the sign in the top photo. I thought it was an interesting commentary on second hand smoke.

Then I met a man named Nestor. He and I had a long talk about making positive changes in the world, and he thanked me for what I’m doing. I told him it is conversations like the one we had that I’m hoping to keep having and encouraging others to have. As we said our goodbyes, Nestor handed me some money and said, “since you’re walking, here’s what I can do.” I gave Nestor a hug and thanked him for his generosity. As he walked away, I realized I had forgotten to get a picture, but something inside me said to let this one be, so I did.

My last conversation today was with Ashley, Brian and Jessica. This trio was on Shattuck Ave., representing Amnesty International and soliciting funds to help aid Syrian refugees. We also got into a discussion about the Walk for Peace. Soon, they asked me questions, and thanked me for what I’m doing. I thanked them, too.

In between the conversations, I was aware of the ups and downs of the energy of a day like today – and I found myself taking some deep breaths and thoroughly enjoying the gentle Spring breeze.