fellow questers…

all those who wander are not lost… as the saying goes… in fact… it’s a great way to explore your ‘wild self’… your unconditional world… world without obligation… without schedule…a world of living… a world of exploration… a surefire path to experience… to engage… your fellow social animals without hesitation..

on this most recent ‘wild self’ wander.. i left from cole valley… a hamlet-like neighborhood in central san francisco… on a bus… without any real purpose but to ride until i felt compelled to get off…

my first departure was at the letterman complex in the presido… i wandered around.. meeting luke diaz… he was reading phillip zimbardo’s new book on the paradox of time…

then i walked toward the marina… again… no big plan but to walk around and feel attractive energy…in the marina… i met an elderly gentleman.. his name was victor… got the impression not too many people talked to victor… he just kept his head down as we talked… looking up periodically… he was sitting in front of the laundry mat… so i asked him if he was washing his clothes… he said ‘no’… my hips hurt.. so i have to rest… we chatted a bit longer… i said goodbye and walked away.. about 50 feet down the sidewalk… i turned around… to see myself in 50 years…

(below) victor sitting in the chair

after leaving victor and walking the marina… i jumped on another bus… my only rule during the whole wander was that i wouldn’t wait for a bus… keep walking until a bus pulls up was the idea…

eventually the next bus dropped my energy off in north beach… met an inspiring woman named marion maenner… she makes mandalas out of ocean materials… she’s the real deal.. art and spirit wise… heck.. she lived in a cave in india for three months with a yogi..

(below) marion in front of her mandala exhibits…

i worked my way up to china town and into union square… all on foot.. where i met a fascinating and courageous woman named emily palen.. no relation to sarah… playing the violin…

i’m always impressed when creators put their soul on display without the built in psychic prowess of a formalized venue… horns… people yelling.. whatever the case… she kept playing.. and oh… did she play well… i was so impressed….

(below) emily palen playing the violin in union square

after listening to emily… i walked to the n-judah line and trained home… nearly five hours after leaving for the wander… i arrived home…

looking back… it was a great day in san francisco… no plans… just plain living… being without condition is like being without time… and being without time is embracing the wilder aspects within…

alive,

gino

quester question:

share with me the last time you intentionally got lost and subsequently… what did you find… and  find out… along the way about you and your surroundings…