The Beatles

I just finished watching a Paul McCartney special on PBS, and found myself weeping through parts of the show, without really knowing why....just spontaneous tears for memories of the 60's, and my childhood, and the Beatles, and John's death, and how much I owed him-and them-for all the good vibes they gave to the world. I was born in '56, so don't know exactly how much of my memory of the 60's was because of the great music and how much was simply the idealistic reverie of my youth, but I can't help thinking that Beatle music has been the Bach and Mozart of my lifetime-probably the century- and will live on long after any of us fortunate enough to have experienced it are gone. My older brother and sister saw them live at JFK stadium, at the height of Beatlemania,('66?) and no doubt have some old black and white photos laying around that they took from the bleachers. I personally can recall waiting for the new singles to come out and singing them with friends of mine as we walked around our town. If nothing else, the 60's were a time when idealism-in civil rights and space flight and music-was genuinely embraced, and people honestly believed that the world could be a better place. In hindsight I can see that all was not rosy in America, but as a kid the Vietnam war and the riots in the major cities and all that did not intrude upon my little world. When the Beatles broke up John advised everyone that the 'dream was over', but it really was a great dream, so I'm glad that their positive music lives on to inspire a whole new generation.

Spirituality and Science

This will be a long entry, so bear with me...It might be meaningful to someone... To begin, here is a journal entry I made on March 3rd, 1993:
" I passed my walk in a trance of sorts, conversing with what could be described as my 'soul'-the soul of 'me'-convinced at the time and with all certainty that this was my 'spirit', that part of me in eternity, separate from my humanity as though a separate person, wholly calm and rational and quite patient with the hundred questions 'I' asked of 'it', not wishing to relinquish it's serenity and seeking to know it's source. This 'spirit' called itself my soul as of only One soul-a part of the eternal that was manifested in my present physical form-and revealed with 'God' as the source, the 'cement' of all souls, the Oversoul of sorts, the timeless, formless spiriuality in which all souls passed while occasionally touching as needed the temporal existence of material reality. I asked why I did not always 'feel' it's presence, to which it replied that I forget to ask or hadn't always the need. As I had recently been reminded of pain from some seven years earlier, I suspected that this internal 'power' had been rekindled as a 'shield' against a similiar loss of identity, although whether a figment of my imagination or an 'external' spirit was of no consequence to me at that moment. Neither was I feeling anxious or emotional at that point in my life, and my daily walk had started normally when I had exited my car. At length I became mesmerized by this serene state for a full hour and a half as I sauntered over several miles. At one point I asked if the 'answers' it gave were not merely repetitions of things I had read in some book of religion, to which it replied that these answers were similar because other persons had had comparable experiences and also had written them down. At the time I was convinced of the 'truth' of that answer, so 'real' was the experience. I asked if 'souls' were reincarnated, and if insects and the like had 'souls', to which 'it' answered 'yes', and referred to a fly that was crawling on the snow. Part of the insects 'soul' was human once but preferred being an insect because an insect does not feel pain nor joy as a human does, only a more routine existence. I asked why people fight wars, etc, to which it replied that some people ignore their soul/spirit in materialistic pursuits-just as I and most people ignored and forgot our higher parts in our day to day lives. Despite the many kinds of humans-some more cognizant of 'ethereal' ideas than others- avoidance or ignorance did not diminish the 'reality' of spirit- pursuit of material knowledge was noble while in the living state, but that all returned to 'spirit/soul' in the end. 'It' said that there was no Time, that whether a soul passed one human lifetime or twenty as a tree, it was nothing to it and one was simply back where one started. The 'spirit' reported that there were a "few other planets with intelligent life", but unlikely to be contacted within the existence of Earth. When I asked about some selfish practices I had been conscious of within myself, it replied without judgement that they were mere 'human quirks' of This lifetime and simply to temper them with love and respect for others...This conversation was so real that four hours later I was puzzled as to it's meaning. When I first became aware of the 'duality' of my personality my immediate reaction was 'I am Not insane' and at no time thereafter did I not accept the absolute Truth of the phenomenon as at least being the final source of my identity as 'Me'-my 'soul' as opposed to my 'brain', with the distinction at the time as somehow being real and Important. I broke contact hesitantly, so contented was it's influence, although this 'spirit' assured me that it was always there whenever I wished or needed. It was, in effect, my main 'angel', my direct line to the 'spirtual' levels if I wished to keep them open."
March 2nd, 1993:
"I walk with my 'soul' for another hour this morning, probing it for its reality, and remain convinced at least of the reality of the Certainty of it's strength and serenty. It tells me that I am unconvinced simply because I am human and prone to rational explanations, that in the end I can not and will not deny it's enduring 'ethereal reality'. At death all return to the Source, the soul that is woven through materialism and communicates through sensations and impressions and, in a more limited sense, words. It tells me that our forgetting is one source of the purpose of being and of our questions. My questions about the origin of Matter were dismissed as having no relevance, for matter does not exist except as part of the whole Energy. Existence always was, and Is, 'timelessly'. When I asked if 'God' invented the Universe, it replied that God Is the Universe, and to deny the reality of 'God/soul/spirit' did not change the Reality of it. I recall the word "tentacles" as being used to describe how 'soul' touches and bridges the material world, so that the 'souls' of say, insects and humans do not differ so much as are conduits of the same non- material, eternal Unity- the 'One'- that infuses everything."
2007:
My interpretations of that experience, and other mystical experiences I have had since then, remain the foundation of all my faith, but there is never any knowing for certain. I mean, what distinqushes talking to angels from talking to devils but the benevolent nature of the message, and one does not need spiritual explanations for altruistic behaviors. I have read the science of Darwin and Einstein, and heard the arguments of Dawkins and Hitchens and many others, and I have read the Bible and the Koran and Buddhist texts and Life after Life books and all the rest. I have passed thousands of hours in solitary meditations and ripped myself apart to try to find the truth. In my youth I recall arguing that 'life is all chemicals', so I did not start out looking for spiritualism, rather my introspections led me in that direction. I call my self a skeptical optimist who finds his redemption in the reports of near death experiencers, whose stories of unconditional love and acceptance and Unity are closest to what I experienced. Transcendent sensations can no more be proven to be 'real' with logic and rational thought than an orgasm can be proven to be pleasureable. They are what the scientists call 'qualia' and I suspect will always be beyond our measurements. I could just as soon 'prove' that an electrode in the brain can elicit feelings similar to a candelight dinner, but that would not be the same experience. Nothing is ever all 'in the mind' if consciousness is continually being formed instant to instant from the inner And the outer realities. With no real boundaries at the quantum level it is all what I call a 'constructed illusion'-an evaporate of the instant-a human part of the Universal Intelligence...I rather believe that our finest measuring tool to intuit reality is consciousness itself -that is if we can avoid self delusion. Even atheism requires a profound faith in rationalism, and I have not observed that science and technology have been our saviors-at least not without the wisdom to apply them.
So what has any of this to do with the Ten Commandments? -Simply that because all thought is self affecting and influences how we live and what our societies become-as well as the pain or joy we cause one another, rules such as the commandments-religious curruptions aside- can offer ideals for making our lives a little more empathetic. I do not suscribe to particular religions, rather believe in the potential for good that resides in every human being. GOD in that sense is the Love we find within us and express in our actions. The common tenet "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", is not enough in a world where religious zealots and other sociopaths commit murder in the name of 'God'- as if that kind of hate and anger and negativity have anything to do with the benevolent, Positive energy of a truly Loving spirit. So I would add that one should also "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them"... Seen from that perspective few people would defend the murderous and oppressive behaviors we see in some cultures of this world. If a religion-or any human being- does not practice love and tolerance and peace, it has been distorted by ego and politics into something less, but it remains the responsibility of individuals to enlighten themselves to higher ideals.

Thanksgiving

All went well on Saturday...Here are just a few pics to convey the spirit of the day...Hope everyone had a nice holiday, and can look forward to a meaningful Christmas...

Photographs

Well, finally I have obtained a digital camera-a Panasonic model FS 70, seven mega pixel-which I bought at Big Lots for $99...As a kid I can remember using an old Kodak Brownie on which the viewfinder was a mirror contraption that you looked down into while composing the shot. To say that technology has progressed since then is an understatement. For a 'simple' point and shoot this camera represents amazing possibilities that simply did not exist 20 years ago. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and well, I reckon it's true.
As far as I can tell the Walkfit shoot went smoothly and everyone seemed pleased, with a probable release date of February '08... I've not heard much feedback from Los Angeles but I Know that they are busy with editing and other post production details. Personally, I was just winging it and tried to have fun while observing the whole process...If you've never been to the Mall of America and happen to pass through Minnesota, it is worth a look ;)
As for Life, Everyone is well in Warren... truly...We'll be having Thanksgiving on Saturday at my sister's house (ten of us), so I'll be cooking the turkey and some frozen pies, me mum will do the gravy and incidentals, and everyone seems to be looking forward to it...It's only the second time in almost thirty years that I have not had work and excessive distance keeping me from the table..which was a disgrace really, but not wholly of my choosing...so do y'all see why the book has been called Anti-Clock?

Autumn

Just finished a drive with me mum around Kinzua lake, which is about 8 miles from here, and the leaves are about as beautiful as I have ever seen them.Warren is in the heart of the mts. so everywhere you look is brilliant color-truly an under appreciated part of the nation... On the 22nd I leave for Minneapolis to work with Walkfit on a new infomercial that they are filming in the Mall of America...Should be fun to combine work and pleasure...Meanwhile I'm just workin/writin/readin & walkin in the nice October air :~)

Monday afternoon

Had a minor scare just now that I had either lost or had my wallet stolen, although fortunately I found it in an unlikely place after it had fallen out of a pack I was carrying. In the meantime I had called to cancel my credit card, which was no big deal because I rarely used it anyway. My phonecall of course was directed to India where a woman in a cubicle tried her best to mimic an American accent and took some information to freeze the account. I would have missed my drivers license and bank card the most, for I regularly go to Mac machines and would have needed the license to fly to Minnesota in two weeks. In any case replacing all that paper would have been a hassle and fortunately was not necessary.
As I think about them,outsourced phonecalls do not bother me, for I think that it is about time we Americans spread some of the wealth around, and workers in China and India and other countries finally are inching towards a middle class. $5,000 a year overseas is comparable to $40,000 here, and has lifted a lot of people out of poverty. In truth Americans had better prepare themselves for more shocks to come, for the next two decades are going to see increased outsourcing and competition for jobs and resources...Political and economic instability are not certain, but if the 2 billion people looking for a better way of life do not get it, wars and/or economic depression are always a possibility. Personally I think we all can downsize without affecting our quality of life, but it is hard to convince the typical citizen of that...

Healthcare, etc

There is a state hospital in Warren,and I sometimes pass groups of patients as they are chaperoned along the bike path on their daily walk. They display varying degrees of infirmity, both physical and mental, and show dispositions that range from exuberant to withdrawn. Most of them return my greetings or initiate their own with a spontaneity that shames me sometimes, for I am often distracted by my inner thoughts and see that so-called "normal" people are lost in music players and cell phones and other self absorptions. On the whole the patients display a connection to the present moment that is admirable to me. Perhaps my initial feelings of sympathy are unwarranted,yet whenever I witness people less fortunate than myself I invariably gives thanks for my blessings and apologize to my angels for whatever insolence I have shown over the years.
Modern medicine has enabled society to prolong the lives of people who might otherwise have died, and with all good intentions we have created a system in which illness and death have become enemies to be avoided at any cost. As the nation shifts its expectations toward government sponsored healthcare, I hope that our discussions include self responsibility and financial limitations to those people who show no accountability for their own bodies. Should obligatory compassion and monies be directed towards persons who do not assume the most rudimentary of personal self care?
I do not propose to have the answers, but will resent the imposition of government regulations that Force me to buy insurance to sustain a bloated healthcare system that indulges poor habits. Because I personally do not fear illness and death as many in this society seem to do, I perceive no honor in artificially extending life beyond what is dignified. Einstein once said, "It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly." No doubt he would be at odds with the pharmaceutically addicted majority, yet were waste and fraud to be controlled-and were people to assume personal responsibility- there would be plenty of money for affordable medicine. It seems to me that the crisis is not so dire as is the mismanagement and the pervasive sense of entitlement that afflicts both rich and poor... Meanwhile a half billion worldwide are dying of malnutrition as we demand heart transplants.
So I guess the caretakers out for a walk in the park with their patients have it right: Do what you can in your own space and take care of the people around you

Babble

Greetings fellow cyberelectrons- I returned from the Allentown area on the 16th and have been busy all week painting and doing other minor repairs to a small motorhome that I bought from an old friend. At 34 years young it is in surprisingly good shape other than for the cosmetic effects of time, and it runs well. I do not expect to use it much-particularly at ten or eleven miles a gallon, but the price was right and I wanted the option of a rent free roof over my head for the future.
Earlier in the month I had taken a short vacation to Maine with my mother, sister, one of her daughters and one of my sons, which turned out to be a pleasant time for all of us, with rare 85 degree beach weather and of course the good food. My mother's sister and husband and one daughter-who also lived in the Kennybunk area for many years-accompanied us, so it was a family reunion of sorts and appreciated particularly by my mom, who loves the ocean and has many memories of New England. At her age she may not have another opportunity to visit...She is presently in the hospital recovering from a mild bout of pneumonia, but should be released today and in truth has probably benefited from the pampering of the nurses and their admonitions to eat and drink more. She sometimes overexerts herself and expects to keep going with scarcely more than a few mouthfuls of food, yet always seems to keep her spirits high and find the good in people....
The weather here in Warren has been spectacular this week, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70's...Upon returning from the east I was again struck by the compact, humble beauty of this town, set in the low mountains of western PA and purring along at a relaxed, rural pace which the populated areas to the east can no longer offer.Everything one needs is within walking distance, at least so long as one can walk a mile or two. If not,a bicycle path leads to the end of town and there are buses. The somewhat depressed economy and isolation are paradoxically the source of it's charm, so I envision tourism to the nearby Kinzua lake and the Allegheny forest as the primary opportunity for growth. This area truly is an undiscovered gem with beauty and allure exceeding the more famous Poconos.
I shall have to refocus my attention to the book after all these distractions, but the time away has been necessary for perspective and inspiration...I do not have writer's 'blocks' so much as grow weary from too many words and need to balance analytical thinking with simple, practical Living... so doing things like painting and changing oil and other everyday tasks-without Thinking- offers a Reality that the inner life lacks.

Words and Writing

Yesterday I was contacted by the PR firm of Joel and Charlotte Parker, whom Walkfit has hired to look into the possibility of using me as part of their promotions. In response to their request for personal information about me and to introduce myself as clearly as possible, I emailed the beginning draft of my book, which I figured would give them a quick synopsis of my personal thought processes. While rereading that early draft this morning, the need for certain revisions jumped off the pages like a twist in my gut, so I guess that is the risk of letting things be seen prematurely: there is no bringing them back. I prefer to write and re-write in solitude until I am satisfied that the words and sentences and rhythm are as coherent as I can make them. If other people do not like them after I am finished, at least I can defend them to myself. Now there is a rough draft out there, parts of which are embarrassing to me. At any rate the book is irrelevant to the Walkfit endorsement except in the sense that the insoles cured my sore feet and allowed me to do the walk pain free.
Of course writers are somewhat obsessive-neurotic even-about words, and take them far too seriously while at the same time realizing they are meaningless without the actions to support them. All the words in the world will not stop a war nor save a dying love. I personally have heard too many talking heads in my life not to be a little cynical of what anyone says until they back themselves up with their behaviors. And I long ago stopped writing letters to newspapers because they have seemed useless in affecting public actions, or the editors have butchered words in order to save space. I do not suppose that Van Gogh or Mozart would have appreciated if someone had erased their colors or omitted a few notes. But?...well..I like to write and feel obligated to my God to use that talent,so hopefully someone, somewhere, has been inspired by something I have said if I have said it well.

Aging

While walking today, I thought that were my life not to have been written down or remembered by others, I might conclude that it had never occurred, so sparse is my recollection of it. Those things that I Do remember must be retrieved from a vague, faraway place that is shrouded as if by a mist or fog, and which require my deliberate attention to see clearly. What value then is a life which to it's main participant becomes mostly blank space? Certainly it is nothing specific that I have done or have not done, at least not in the order that I might value it, for often I have been reminded months or years later of the affect of something I had said or done that I had long forgotten or disregarded. Perhaps the only way to fill in the blank spaces is by soliciting the recollections of others and finding a collective value among all of them. Pictures and children and possessions offer physical proof that I have existed where my memory fails me, but when I think that most of human history has been lost or forgotten, it is hard to take too seriously anything I or anyone else has done. There is a collective amnesia to every generation -or entire civilizations -which appears unavoidable so that we repeat the same mistakes and successes as both individuals and societies. Being something of a spiritualist, or at least, a skeptical optimist, I tend to think that the value of a life is measured by the love and tolerance we learn and then return to the world. Not just to humanity, but to the Universe at large as it were. That is a difficult thing to do sometimes, although it appears that good intentions are as important as results...
While watching my 83 year young mother grow older, I have noticed that the blank spaces in her memory have lengthened and become more frequent, so that even five minutes ago may partially vanish from her awareness. Yet I am inspired by her continuing good spirit despite her ailments, so that she has become not a bitter old woman rather a bemused one, and remains able to laugh at her dwindling powers. Something truly good and wonderful has survived in her, and continues to bring value to both herself and those who know her. In that sense there have been no blank spaces and her failing memory is irrelevant to the kind heart she has always shown.

I am currently reading a book called 'The Winds of Change' which argues that civilizations have prospered and collapsed in conjunction with climate change, which may or may not be true. Certainly resource depletion profoundly affects the stability of a society, and sometimes the availability of those resources is affected by climate changes beyond human control. Yet the current debate over climate change is unlikely to change the eventual outcome, because neither individuals nor societies seem willing to alter their lifestyles until a crisis is upon them, and that crisis apparently will arrive despite the warning signs we have all witnessed. Maybe wisdom-or skyrocketing prices -will encourage a reduction in human consumption sufficient to avoid planet wide suffering, but so far most Americans are ignoring the issue in their personal habits, and at any rate, with other societies clamoring for the American lifestyle the breaking point will eventually be reached.
Other than living simply in my personal life, I do not worry much over such possibilities, nor dwell on pessimism, for I see a kind of inevitability to them in our human nature. The planet has endured major environmental catastrophes in the past, so either by our own hand or through some external force, Humans likely will become one more extinct species. If there is anything to conclude it is that it is a shame, simply a shame, that with our intelligence and foresight and capacity to do good we have chosen instead to live so vainly and selfishly. Rather than to have been honorable stewards of our world and lived to our highest potential, we have consistently chosen to waste our potential-not all of us of course, and not always intentionally-but often enough to have created our present predicament. So the population continues to grow, and the oil and the oceans and our other resources continue to be depleted, and so?...The juncture of all these global issues is coming within the lifetime of our children, whether we are ready or not

Summer

August has arrived, with a hot afternoon that would make swimming the wisest of pasttimes, although I-like most people-have been too busy and ingrained in my habits to swim. Instead, I have been working around the office moving old medical charts and trying to write the book in between my usual walk. Actually, I enjoy heat more than cold, and find something animalistic about dripping with sweat on a hot afternoon. It makes me feel alive and potent and better able to touch the primal instincts...in fact, it doesn't get any more Real than defecating out of doors while perspiring heavily as the blowflies come to feed. Such things strip away all the pretensions I have about being 'above' the so called animals- deeply personal and humbling. People sometimes complain of the hot or the cold after walking a short distance from their cars to a building, yet if they allowed themselves sufficient time to acclimate to the outdoors they might find it to be not so hot or cold as they first suspected. Thoreau used to say of his woodpile that it warmed him twice-once to cut the logs and again to burn them- so maybe we should occasionally raise or lower our inner thermostats rather than waste oil. I'm not sure at what age we lose our wisdom and sit in air conditioning rather than cool our feet in a pool or stream, but if resources are becoming as scarce as the scientists tell us, and the atmosphere really is warming, then those alternatives from our past are still there to enjoy.

Familiar Ground

GOOD EVENING all...I am presently back East near Allentown, PA, visiting friends and my sons, as well as retracing old walks...Most of my life was passed in this area, so there is a bit of nostalgia and reflection as I see all the old landscapes again, but I am uncertain as to whether I can still call here 'Home' or if that name now applies to Warren...I am in between homes I suppose, or have two homes now, and both hold special places in my memory. Walking along these roads it is like seeing the faces of friends I know intimately, for I have spent thousands of hours walking in solitude, and the land here possesses a beauty that is ingrained into my soul. The trees here have witnessed all the sorrows and joys that my life has fated me, so I pass among them with a humble gratitude which no other place has earned. I guess it's true that the heart is the cradle of home, and no place else I live or visit will ever have the long history of this area. Still there are many places that Could be home if my friends and family joined me to create new memories...In the end it is companionship and experiences shared that give a place meaning.
While on the walk my memories of home mostly concerned my two sons-not in the sense of specifically missing them-rather in me saying fatherly prayers that they both would find happiness in their lives. My tears on the road were in wishing-against all hope- that I could protect them from the pain that each of us Must experience in order to grow. My emotional state at such moments was elemental and connected with deep sympathy for our shared human condition. As Jackson Browne writes " Oh GOD, this is some shape I'm in, when the only thing that makes me cry is the kindness in my baby's eye."...so while on the road, living at that basic, physical level, my emotions were on the surface as well, and very simple. A song overheard on a passing radio could draw me into it with a power unknown in 'normal' life. In the end, there is no place to hide for any of us, and we are all connected in our needs.

Baseball

Good Afternoon folks...When the opportunity arose during the walk I enjoyed watching baseball games, and can remember several evenings when I pulled off my shoes after a long day and sat on the grass or in the bleachers to catch the local teams. The midwest communities were particularly enthusiastic about their Little Leagues, and people there possessed a healthy balance between cheering their favorite team, and appreciation for a well executed play. Which is to say that Sportsmanship was alive and well ... ;) Now that I have returned home I have watched some local playoff games, and saw a good game on the 14th that went into the bottom of the last inning, 2 out, 2 men on base, with a homerun that scored 3 and tied the game. After four extra innings that same team went on to win, again with 2 out and 2 men on in the bottom of the 11th inning. There's nothing like a close game between two good little league teams who have a real enthusiasm for playing- they put the pros to shame sometimes! I was never much good at B-ball, which is probably why I respect people who can instinctively put one over the fence or turn a double play... I am a humbled fan...

Took a 10 mile walk yesterday-just a loop near Warren-and thought that I had only done about 8 miles judging by my feet, which shows that one's physical conditioning stays intact if one exercises regularly. Because I am something of a minimalist, and tend to trust myself, I do not walk with a stick or heart monitor and other such gadgets. Nor do I carry water when walking casually, for I have found that drinking fluids beforehand is sufficient to sustain me for several hours. Two quarts will hydrate me for about ten miles even when carrying a backpack.... So what's the larger point? ....That people worry too much about technology and medical advice sometimes rather than simply getting off the couch and discovering what works for Them. With obesity approaching epidemic proportions, as well as asthma and diabetes on the rise, it is encumbent upon all of us to take responsibility for our own health and not expect others to pay the tab for our personal neglect. Simply walking a few miles a day will decrease your chance of aquiring type 2 diabetes by 50-60%!!! It'll help with weight loss and improve your mental state as well. How simple is that??!! Walk! ..and stop expecting other people to pay for health care costs and medicines that You could have prevented. If you don't like to walk, then bicycle, or swim, or golf without a cart, or shoot basketball... Do what you enjoy! But push yourself away from the computer and video game and Move!... and that's my sermon for today LOL...It really is sad to see so many Americans bringing so many ills upon themselves

Society

Three days back in the 'fake' world and I have discovered that my car-which has been mostly in storage for the past 14 months-has developed a disturbing engine rattle, which may mean major repairs. The garages are too busy to even look at it until July 3rd, so..welcome home to the madness...sigh...When I think of it in terms of working weeks simply to buy or fix a MACHINE...well, you can see why I question the sanity of my culture sometimes.. I have begun to revisit the book and will be working on that for the next year, in between helping my elderly mother and volunteering in the medical office, and the Walkfit gig.
Warren, PA is a small town-about 10,000-in the northwest Mts. of PA, somewhat isolated and economically struggling, but a friendly place to raise kids, with anything one needs within walking distance. The county was voted second best rural county in the nation by Progressive Farmer magazine, edged out by someplace in Kentucky that has better weather lol ...So, you know that you have arrived when Progressive Farmer recognizes your virtues! ...?

Home

Alrighty... I flew into Pittsburgh from LA on Tuesday the 19th, found that the connecting flight to Erie had been cancelled, so decided to walk most of the way home to Warren, PA...I arrived in town yesterday morning, the 24th..The extra 100 plus miles enabled me to re-visit the East coast, which in western Pennsylvania was hilly, with narrow, twisting roads, yet which also provided many more opportunities for water and food than the western states.

Before leaving Los Angeles, I had signed an agreement with Walkfit to promote their insoles, the details of which are still being finalized. As part of that human interest aspect, the local paper will be doing an interview with me tomorrow.

This is all new to me, but the exposure offers a win/win opportunity to promote the book I'm working on and hopefully to inspire people to begin that thing they've been dreaming about all their lives. I think the truth I wish to stress is the basic goodness of America...To witness the media focusing on the negative aspects of humanity is a travesty, for at root all thoughts and actions are self affecting, and without balance it is little wonder that so many people lose faith.

We are a good nation founded on high ideals, and it is up to each of us individually to manifest those ideals in our day to day existence. Personally, thousands of hours of walking and writing have provided me with a solid spiritual sense, and it was to those 'angels'-or whatever you wish to call your inner power-that I made the promise to do this walk. Before leaving I had humbly asked for the time, health and courage to begin it, although after a thousand miles I had added patience and perserverance and Water to the list. Many years ago I had imagined that wanting anything other than food,water, clothes, and a warm, dry place to sleep was the beginning of greed. I know now that Kindness-in the simple offering of water, or directions, or encouragement-is also a necessity. The latter can sustain one's spirit as much as those other needs can sustain the body. That is, keep your needs simple and your wants will be few....Well..I shall end there, for there is a baseball game I wish to attend, and I feel the desire to kick off my shoes for a day or two ;)

WORK IN PROGRESS...

Hi all..this website is a new creation with the patient help of a valuable friend,(Holdonlog.com) so please bear with me as I find the opportunity to get it up and running... At present I am finishing up some work and play in Los Angeles after finishing the cross country walk in Oceanside on June 8th, '07...My home base is in PA, so when I return there in a few days I'll have the time to post some writing here...While in California, I have been filmed by the makers of the 'Walkfit' insoles(Walkfit.com) for a commercial...( I wore cheap sneakers for the entire distance and can honestly say that their product cured some foot problems I had been having... the endorsement Is sincere)..and the LA station KTLA is filming a 'human interest' story later this morning..I want to thank all those people whom I met along the way who helped me with information, and water, and simple kindness..those small offerings were and Are vitally important when life is reduced to the essentials..I'll continue working on the book and stay in touch here as I settle back into 'real' life..Peace, Wes