Sunday, August 26, 2007

My Bags Are Packed

Well, not quite packed. However, the last purchases have been made. They included a compass at the camping goods store, and a bar of laundry soap at the supermarket. The clothing has been accumulating in a dresser drawer that has been set aside for that purpose since June. The boots have been trekking through the streets and subways for weeks.

Today we received our final itinerary (subject to change). Tomorrow I will pack. Tuesday, I head to the airport. If you want to trek along with me, it will need to be after the fact. There is no internet (or cell phone service) most of the way. I will be back with a blog when I return. In the meantime, here is our travel.

August 30 - Aaron Star Delhi Tour and lunch at the Imperial Hotel

Sep 01 - Rishikesh drive to Jankichatti, trek up to Yamunotri and back. (We will be leaving very early in the morning.)

Sep 02 - Trek Hanumanchatti to Seema

Sep 03 - Trek Seema to Dodital

Sep 04 - Trek Dodital to Sangamchatti (roadhead) and stay in a hotel nearby

Sep 05 - Drive 5 hrs to Gangotri and trek to Chirbasa.

Sep 06 - Chirbasa to Tapovan.

Sep 07 - Tapovan to Gangotri and drive further (possibly to Uttarkashi).

Sep 08 - Uttarkashi to Kedarnath Base

Sep 09 - Kedarnath hike up

Sep 10 - Kedarnath day

Sep 11 - Hike down - head to Riskikesh

Sept 12 - Stay in Rishikesh

Sep 13 - Rishikesh to Delhi then fly to New York

I am home September 14. Namaste.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Good Advice

Earlier this summer I had dinner with my good friends Susan and Sima. When I arrived Sima was already there, and we had a chance to talk before Susan arrived. One of the first questions she asked was, What do you have planned for after your return? She went on the explain that she and Susan always plan something for shortly after a major event; it is something that they find great pleasure in, so that they don’t have time to experience that post-event let-down.

My plans are far from clear, but it is good advice. I have begun thinking, what is my training goal after I return? I know I don’t want to just stop, and I know it will be difficult to maintain a regimen without a goal/objective. What is my next challenge? I don’t know; but, I do know to be open to recognizing it.

I really don’t have anything significant planned for after I return. It is definitely good advice. I just haven’t really figured it out yet. Suggestions are welcome.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

When the Student is Ready

When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

This Buddhist proverb is so true for me. I am not sure, yet, what I am ready for. At the same time, many teachers have appeared in my life in the last months. Today it is time to say, Thank you. Namaste.

Thank you. Namaste, to Aaron, my yoga teacher who has provided me with the spiritual guidance to find my way back to the path of my life. Thank you, also, for guiding the trek.

Thank you, Namaste, Paul, for walking with me as my step became sure and steady.

Thank you, Namaste, Michael, for your help in bringing this funky pizza called life into balance.

Thank you. Namaste, to the authors whose books have entered my path. Roger Housden, Thich Nhat Hanh, Swami Rama, Nando Parrado, your wisdom is beyond me, yet has helped to make me wiser.

Thank you. Namaste, to the students, the regents, and the staff of the Pont Foundation. Your commitment to, and belief in, a future of justice and social equity is an inspiration to what we can become. Thank you, also, for teaching me once again how blessed I am in this life.

Thank you. Namaste, to Mitchel, who patiently has guided me in my physical preparations for my trek.

Thank you, Namaste, Seth, for ensuring that I am mindful of the divine in each of us. Thank you, also, for my Buddha in blue jeans.

Thank you, Namaste, all my teachers, my families, my friends.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

The Preparation is the Journey

I know that at least a few of you missed me last week. I didn’t forget; I was fully engaged in what was one of my life’s truly peak experiences.

For the past year I have been mentoring for an organization known as The Point Foundation (www.pointfoundation.org). The mission of “Point” as it is known is to provide “financial support, mentoring and hope to meritorious students who are marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.” A few weeks ago I was invited to photograph the annual leadership conference. The Point scholars (this coming year there will be more than 80) come together with leaders from the organization and the LGBT community to explore and develop their own leadership.

The new scholars were provided a day of orientation on Friday. They were joined by returning scholars for an opening banquet that evening. The next two days were filled with working sessions, keynote addresses and relationship building. Throughout, I stood on tables and chairs, crawled on the floor, kneeled, leaned, and tip-toed to be as invisible as possible while taking almost 2,000 pictures. Now I am in the process of editing these, and compiling a portfolio for Point to use.

It was an amazing three days. The scholars range academically from incoming freshmen to Ph.D. MD, and law students. Their schools range from a small bible college in the Midwest to Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, and American University; both public and private institutions are included. There were gay men and lesbians, bisexual men and women, as well as transgender/transsexual female to male and male to female. Ethnicity, race, geographic origins, and religious traditions were broadly represented.

I put my camera down as I watched the new scholars participate in an icebreaker on Friday afternoon. I had already met some, and knew their stories. The tears came to my eyes as a half-dozen self-identified as having experienced homelessness. Twice as many acknowledged that they had gone more than a day without eating at some time in their lives because they could not afford food. Some have lost homes, and families, by being honest about their sexual identification. Some have experienced verbal and physical abuse: at home, in school, in their neighborhoods and in their communities. Some have been ostracized by the houses of worship in which they were raised.

As I listened to their stories, and observed the scholars, I realized that the preparations we make in life are our journeys. Each of these students brought their background into the conference, and for the duration of their time together explored ways in which they could draw from that background to lead into the future.

Perhaps the most amazing thing for me, however, is that their commitment to leadership is broad-based. It is not only in social justice for the LGBT community, it is in social justice for all. It is about leadership in politics, medicine, law, academics, corporate America, and in the arts. It is about leadership that serves all, not just their LGBT brothers and sisters. It is a dedication, a commitment, a passion for securing and improving not only our national, but also our global future. Yes, there is the idealism of youth. However, it is not an idealism grown of privilege, so much as one nurtured in pain. It is an idealism not of lessons learned as much as lessons experienced. It is a promise of hope for our collective future that I have not seen in a very long time.