Monday, January 31, 2011 — From sadness to joy

I know I said I wouldn't write tonight but I just have to share today with you.

This trip has definitely helped cheer me tremendously. But there are still moments when sadness and longing pay a visit. Usually nights and early mornings are the most vulnerable time. But being with this group of people and sharing thought processes, work, challenges, food and travel with them has helped me in a million ways.

Sarah Swett is a story teller. She writes novels and other genre and weaves tapestries. Our projects are all focussed on forms of story telling. She has been studying processes that are frequented by comics including the use of speech balloons and gutters between drawings. The "gutter talk" has become a metaphor for various sorts of things. It works all over the place. Because I also work in graphics, I'm quite used to thinking of them in relation to the space between columns or pages that are facing each other. Here, weavers are thinking of them and adding imagery to them in the space between small tapestries. Sarah's provocative discussions have led me to think of gutters on a larger scale and possibly another plane. They can just as easily be a specific period of time or a more general portion of stages in one's life. You don't have to accept this stretch of usage but at this time in my life, it works beautifully for me. Along these lines, I have begun to think of this whole trip as a special "gutter time" in my life. I am making decisions, planning projects, looking at realities and generally using this time to make resolutions as one would tend to do at the new year. It cleanses my mind and helps me to develop resolve. It's very possible I would not have been able to make such progress if it weren't for being with this extraordinary group, including Yael and Jean Pierre. Several friends have asked me if I might not like to think of going to a grief group. I hadn't reached the point where I was motivated to try that, but maybe that's exactly what this group is for me. This also may be a stretch to those of you who have chosen to attend such groups and for whom it has been helpful. But this seems to be just the ticket for me.

Getting back to today's jaunt, we drove to Punta Perula, checked out a current favorite little palapa resort that the next group is going to stay overnight at and then returned to the site of Chee Chee's restaurant on the beach. Some of the group walked from the resort to the restaurant after which we enjoyed their trademark ceviche ....... the best I've ever had. Then we ordered fish filet or shrimp or octopus and the like. I had shrimp with garlic and chile. It was hot but delicious. We finished up with three pieces of coffee flan for the group.

After good conversation and some visits with other patrons, we were treated to my second outstanding event of this trip. WHALES AGAIN! Right there in that bay, so close to us I couldn't believe it. Huge mamas, with ever playful babies. Too wonderful. It still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Imagine seeing whales that close two times in two weeks. I wonder if it could be the same group of traveling whales I saw down in Puerto Vallarta. Who knows?

When that show calmed down we decided to take a swim. Getting out beyond the little surf worked well holding onto a friend. Then fabulous swimming almost at the spot where the whales had been shortly before. Because I was slightly traumatized getting out a little too close to an eddy at Yelapa a few years ago, I am always a little nervous leaving the deep water for the beach. Four of us held hands and Yael looked back to pick a good time without a large sneaker and we made it back without a hitch. How good can it feel after such a salt water dip? Fantastic. We dressed and made our way home, appreciating all the sights along the way except for the occasional mindless passing cars. Pretty difficult not to think of this existence as just what the doctor ordered. I'm off to bed and feeling good. Love to you all.