The LAND itself was healing; the PEOPLE and the SOLITUDE. The picture above shows me with some Taoseno Indians on the front porch of their home in Taos Pueblo; they and many others accepted me with a kindness that was inexplicable.
Once I took a group of students to the Pueblos, and at one of them we attended a "rain dance" (they called it a "corn dance," as the rain leads to corn). One of our boys bought smoke bombs at a booth and proceeded to go around setting them off.
I was livid. This is these people's HOMES, I said. How would you like it of someone did this in YOUR yard?
As I rode my high-horse, a big--and I mean BIG--dancer (on a break from the heat) came over, sat down in the midst of our group, and asked where we were from. I told him, and then hastily apologized for my charge's behavior.
"No problem," he said. "We dance for the whole world. We're really glad you're here."
Wow.
Categories: Bio, Compassion, Gratitude, Peace, Spirituality, The West