Miss Gady's Class

I had been summoned to Miss Gady's sixth grade class just outside the city of Yakima Washington, a place I'd never been.

Tam, my agent, kindly suggested we drive their together, so I could meet her sister and her partner, and have an actual social get-together, replete with a meal cooked by someone else! I just couldn't think of a reason not to go, so off we went, up the Columbia River Gorge.

I drove the whole 3 hours there, which was good for me, as for years, Tret had done all the driving.

The day was beautiful, and the Columbia so huge ... my thoughts were of Lewis and Clark and their constant meals of salmon as they came roaring down off the Cascades, heading for the ocean and the end of their trip West.
I, too, feel like an adventurer, wandering my own wilderness these days, going beyond the pale (love that phrase!), and venturing into the dark, dark woods...

The next morning Tam and I were off to school to speak to these kids about writing, but mostly to listen to them, to their questions, to find out what they would be interested in from an old geezer like me, an unknown musician... so imagine my surprise when they knew all my songs by heart, knew alot about me, studied geography by studying my tour, studied poetry by studying my lyrics... Wow! It was a beautiful experience, and the kids were so beautiful.

Only because Miss Gady loved my work and brought it to them like a gift did they know about me... so, I felt like a gift, something I need to feel these days, to remind myself that the Universe gave me a huge gift to give back to the world. This sadness I am feeling, this hollow at the center is a part of that Universe, a part of that gift, but this day, the children of Miss Gady's class, and Miss Gady herself, gave that gift back to me.

They loaded me down with presents they had made for me including a 2-story bird house, which they made so "I wouldn't feel so lonely." Whew! You Just have to live long enough to have these gifts returned. Maybe it is loss that teaches us about giving, and why wouldn't it be that way? Ain't life funny? Ain't life grand, and so mysterious? Here's to the Mystery, which I have no wish to figure out, only live within and heed its Call.