j'aime la vie Yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today, participate. In all, Celebrate! -----Original Message----- From: Jaime Vergara <pinoypanda2031@aol.com> To: editor <editor@saipantribune.com> Sent: Sat, Aug 24, 2013 5:36 pm Subject: August 28 At thecenter tranquil Set to the tune of Shenandoah, aka Across the Wide Missouri, thisother song appeals to a deeper cord than the mellow Try to Remember inyesterday’s musing. We used to residewithin the beltway on the Virginia side so we were always bombarded with newsfrom the Shenandoah Valley. The tuneitself almost became the State song but did not pass muster in the Legislature. It appears that the word “Shenandoah”referred to an Indian Chief, verboten to the Potomac’s gentility. The tune became popular to people of my generation with Jimmy Stewartin the 1965 movie Shenandoah, and the soundtrack of the Cinerama widescreen,How the West was Won! The traditional tune wandered far and wide - a Shenandoah Valley originsegued to a Civil War gray soldier pining for home by the Missouri River. Flatboat men of the river developed a chanty(pronounced shanty), a work song that is echoed down river, like inthe Mississippi’s Showboat familiar to many: "Tote that barge! Lift that bale!Git a little drunk, An' you land in jail... " We will not go into the Missouri pronunciation (Mi-zoor-i-eye to theIllini, and Mi-zoor-uh to Oklahom-uh) since that is not pertinent other than asan interesting aside. I thank colleagues of kindred spirit who penned the following lyrics soI do not have to. Universe, illumination, all unknown, absurd assurance Everywhere is found life's meaning, and I, I am the way at the center tranquil. Those of uswho grew up with the barefoot boy of Nazareth remember Johannine attribution tohis dialogue as having said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The admonition we got was more of the “go anddo likewise” tone, rather than the idolatrous adulation carried in the densemedieval traditions of most Christian denominations. There's no hope, yet all is hopeful, then no cares, there are no problems No enemies no earthly foes, and I, I am the struggle at the center tranquil. In theprologue of Nikos Kazantzakis’ early 1920s SpiritualExercises, it says: “We come from a dark abyss,we end in a dark abyss, and we call the luminous interval life.” Heady stuff. “As soon as we are born the return begins, atonce the setting forth and the coming back; we die in every moment. Because ofthis many have cried out: The goal of life is death! But as soon as we are bornwe begin the struggle to create, tocompose, to turn matter into life.…” Withthe imagery of the crimson line in an evolutionary ascent, the human spirit pushesthe struggle to turn matter into life Pulsing exhilaration, everything's become a blessing Embraced by joy a dance of rapture, and I, I am the stillness at the center tranquil. Parting wordsin religious rites I grew up with include the passing of peace. “The Peace of God is with you,” is echoedregularly in Christian mass and service of worship. Peace, of course, is the one that “passethunderstanding”! In contemporarypsychological therapy of stress management disciplines is “centering”, called“contemplative prayer” in the monastic tradition. It is the call for stillness to linger in oursouls. Gloriously condemned to die: life is new, a great resurgence Community with all the faithful and I, I am forever at the center tranquil. Kennedy wentfor outer space, where no one had gone before. Obama just launched an inventory on the content of what lies between ourears as today’s frontier of knowledge. Thisis long overdue. I know more about theconstellations as I do the fields of dreams and imaginations in my ownhead. But community is the lastfrontier. Though I am no longer in thebusiness of reforming the structures of oikos,a few dear friends are demonstrating with their own lives what is called Christian Resurgence Circles! Who has thechutzpah to say, I am the way, the struggle, and the stillness! As we have previously commented, we arepredisposed to condemn all forms of self-centeredness as egotistical. This is not, however, about the ego. It is the affirmation of one’ selfhood. And in community, I will be faithful to theend! At the centertranquil is no early evening walk in the park. It trudges the way – before, here, and after. It wrestles the struggle to be comprehensiveand inclusive of all directions including height and depth that is waged in thelifestyle of stillness, the freedom of my soul. Who shall live with me in thatland? It is a showboat,not a slow boat to China, at the center tranquil. Jaime Vergara pinoypanda2031@aol.com yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!