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<div style="clear:both">j'aime la vie
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<div><i style="background-color: white; "><font color="#000080"><b>Yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today, participate. In all, Celebrate!</b></font></i></div>
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<div style="font-family:helvetica,arial;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Jaime Vergara <pinoypanda2031@aol.com><br>
To: editor <editor@saipantribune.com><br>
Sent: Sat, Aug 24, 2013 5:33 pm<br>
Subject: August 27<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_0cb1daf8-c3ce-44ac-81e9-6f1ca1de9084">
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:">At the center</span></b><span style="font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">The poetry sings to the tune of <i>Try to </i></span><i><span style="font-family:">Remember, </span></i><span style="font-family:">that famous Tom Jones song in the mid-60s that even
got the mellow voices of Nana Mouskouri, Andy Williams, Harry Belafonte, Ed
Ames, Roger Williams, the Brothers Four, the Kingston Trio, and the lively beat
of Gladys Knight and the Pips on vinyl. <i> </i>Jerry Orbach originally sang it on
Broadway’s <i>Fantastiks. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you
encounter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">the light at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">the final dawn </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">of worlds
converging.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When life's
illumined </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">by light at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">assured by
wisdom's </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">swift emerging.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When knowing's
ended </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">in light at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">and life's sacred
meaning </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">is in you
surging. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">Then at the center,
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">in blinding
encounter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">you be it.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">What does it mean to “be it” at the center? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">As it is in our Oral English in China, “encounter” is our primary pedagogical
mode. Now, encounter is not just saying “hello” to friends we meet, or wave at folks
on encounters in the street. Encounter
has more of the quality of a forceful bump that may occasion a radical shift in
consciousness, a reformulating of images, which, in science, is called a
paradigm shift.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">The lyrics of our song were penned by kindred spirits in the
70s. As we unwind into our exit out of
this page, we realize that sometimes, prose will have to give way to poetry so
readers can hear us sing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">There are five directions in the Chinese language: east, west, north,
south, and center. <i>Wu fang, </i>the center, qualitatively different from being in the
middle, <i>Zhong</i> in <i>Zhongguo</i> (country) and <i>Zhongguoren
</i>(people), is more akin to the stillness at the center of being that is our
focus this week. It is from this
position that one dares take the transcendent lucidity from the heights of
Olympus, to the immanent intensity of the depth and profound core of being on
this earth. It is the courage to care at
the center of the mystery of life itself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">As you can tell, we wax poetic on the subject. Now, back to our song.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you
encounter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">the peace at the
center </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">where earthly
hopes </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">are all
transcended.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When life's
unburdened </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">with peace at the
center </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">where worldly
cares </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">are all
suspended.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you're
delivered </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">to peace at the
center </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">for mortal foes </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">your hatred's
ended.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">Then at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">where no problems
enter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">you be it.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">There’s a lagoon shore bench not too far from the Oleai Center where
the FHB is located, and a ledge where planters are placed at Garapan Square,
where I spent late afternoons or early evenings humming my song. At the center is in the midst of ordinary
existence. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you
encounter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">the joy at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">your tingling
deeps </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">in animation.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you're
possessed </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">by the joy at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">all things
received </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">with
affirmation.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you are
speechless </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">in joy at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">all moments brim </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">with wild
vibration, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">Then at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">in wonder filled
rapture </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">you be it.
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">At the center, we encounter awe, we become awe-filled, and the
experience is awe-some.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you
encounter </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">the life at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">condemned to be </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">a dead man
waking,
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you are
boundless </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">with life at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">compelled to live
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">on water
waltzing,
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">When you are risen
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">to life at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">a man who is
ageless </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">with history
walking,
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">Then at the
center, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">while dancing
forever </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:">you be it.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:">No need to wonder. We are not
dying; we are being our encounter, and we are dancing!</span></div>
<br>
<div style="clear:both">Jaime Vergara<br>
<a href="mailto:pinoypanda2031@aol.com">pinoypanda2031@aol.com</a><br>
<div><i>yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!</i></div>
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