Happy Birthday to Me

I notice that Disneyland opened for business on this day in 1955.

Also that on this day in 1744 Elbridge Gerry the 5th Vice President of the United States, in 1776 John Jacob Astor fabulously successful capitalist, in 1899 James Cagney the actor, in 1917 Phyllis Diller the comedian, in 1935 Peter Schickele of NPR and JDPQ Bach fame, were all born.

As was I, sixty-one years ago.

I now feel fully established in my seventh decade.

And, my goodness, it is proving to be a busy one.

The love of my life and my beloved auntie, two wicked cats, a mess of fish, and I are happily ensconced in our little house in Pawtucket, although we are still some ways from being even nearly fully unpacked…

I have finished my first year occupying the amazing over the top pulpit that graces the First Unitarian Church of Providence. And I’m trying to avoid feeling smug for doing so swimmingly well in my career as a Unitarian Universalist minister. Although, I’m sure strictly to be useful, I do have friends who point out that this is rather more proof of good karma in a previous life than about anything I’ve obviously done in this one.

I’m excited by the years I’m facing in this job, Lots to do, no doubt. However, it feels a very good fit, with the needs that the congregation has and my own skill sets and inclinations matching like hand and glove. Well, mostly…

I have a distinct feeling that my work here can make a difference.

And that’s a very good thing.

And, last evening, at a gathering of some twenty leaders of the Boundless Way Zen sangha my co-teachers Melissa and David made a full report on their purchase of a building in trust for our Zen project. They’re taking an astonishing leap of faith in using most of their personal assets to create a bricks and mortar Zen center for us. This will allow our wide-spread project (we have nine sitting groups right now scattered around New England and are in negotiation with an existing group outside the region to join with us in our project) to have a physical anchor, a permanent place to hold our retreats, and a center for us to provide daily sitting, additional programing and training, including the increasingly needed possibility of residential training.

It feels like the Boundless Way has just crossed a major line in its development. There’s a birthday present! The best possible…

Again, I see here a confluence of a need in an area I deeply, deeply care about, and the opening of opportunities to serve using skill sets and attitudes that have flowered in my life.

Work I very much want to do, seem capable of doing, presenting.

I feel so blessed.

Of course who knows? The litany of where things can go wrong, well, it’s pretty long.

But I seem to have been gifted with some serious work to do.

And, I’m sixty-one. I’m aware how little time I have left. Tick, tick…

This life passes like a flash of lightning in a summer storm. It really is a bubble, floating in a stream.

Or, as that great Western sutra puts it…

So, off to some rowing…