Cross Country Notes #7 Taking Out the Mad

Barry: We stood on the hill with the wind blowing furiously. Wooden tombstones with inscriptions such as "Pedro", or "John Smith shot 6 / 12 / 87", or "Pauper." Yes, there really is a Boot Hill and it’s in Nebraska. I can think of many places in the world that can use a boot hill or two.

Goldie: What touched me most was a small fence enclosed wooden headstone reading: "Miss Lilly and her infant child."

Barry: We ate some excellent Mexican food for dinner in a restaurant in the basement of a church in Sterling, Colorado...a railroad town. There was no sign outside saying there was a restaurant down there. Asked the hostess why not and her reply was "we’re famous here abouts." She was a very attentive waitress. The next morning having breakfast at a local pancake house I asked Goldie: "isn’t that the same waitress?" Goldie replied that it was probably the waitresses’ sister. The waitress also recognized us and came over and gave us the same excellent service. A resourceful woman.

Goldie: Working two jobs evening and morning like that....pretty and perky and as she put it, "stuck."

Barry: The sun is shining, and the sky is intensely blue. I feel rejuvenated and like a seed ready to germinate. It’s remarkably stimulating to me to be in such sunshine. We were in the Denver zoo today, surrounded by what seemed like every mother and her child this side of the Rockies.

Of course being in the zoo presents another opportunity for those Goldie puns and seeing huge South American fish swimming in a reef, she describes the scene as "un be reef able" and when we skip the long line to the polar bears she says we are "polarizing ourselves."

We stand outside a small glass tank containing a cuttlefish. It’s a cross between an octopus and a squid and apparently it is quite intelligent. About six inches long, it lies on the sand its color blending in with the background. Goldie begins to move around, hoping her bright hat will catch its attention. Then unbelievably, the cuttlefish mimics her doing all types of hovering maneuvers and begins to change color. This goes on for quite a while till the cuttlefish becomes bored and turns its back on us.

Goldie: It was like an intelligent hover craft - amazing!

Barry: Our hosts, rabbi Steve Booth and his wife Jan give us some insight into the many issues that are emerging following the shootings at Littleton. At dinner last night with my cousins Ben and Joan, one of the guests complained painfully that her local orthodox rabbi told her she was not practicing Judaism because she did not follow his exact understanding of Judaism. Then Jan told us about an awkward situation where the rabbi spoke with non-sectarian compassion at a public memorial service in Littleton, only to be followed by a preacher (Billy Graham Jr) who said there is only one route to salvation and that is through Jesus. We spent some time talking about the similarity between the two incidents. We were able to agree that while spirituality always is inclusive, religion often is exclusive.

Sadly, Littleton is very unlike Denver. Littleton is a fairly Christian fundamentalist town, and observers feel this tragedy is likely to drive them more into evangelical fundamentalism, which was part of the problem to begin with. Apparently its difficult for anyone who is different to live in that community. This is also the west, and guns are valued here.

Goldie: Went to shul with host, friend and colleague Rabbi Steve Booth today. Such a sweet service rich in music, spirit, meditative touches and a great Torah study contrasting Y2K issues and the value of taking sabbaticals. Led me to reflect on midwifing Barry through his fiftieth year not so long ago. What’s amazing is watching the unfolding of reflections and learnings in the subsequent years.

Goldie: While waiting for Steve to handle pastoral counseling needs of folks after services, I wandered the blocks surrounding the shul. Just around the corner was a tiny house with broken screens and a mailbox covered with Christmas messages. On the lawn sat a small girl. Also on the lawn were several small crosses. One in pink had the name "Rachel" printed on it in a child’s hand. Another had a crocheted piece on a string slipped over it...reading: "Prayer changes things."

I asked the little girl if it was her house. "Yes."

Did she help make the memorial crosses on the lawn? "Yes."

And who was Rachel? "My favorite cousin, she was like a big sister to me....I love her. I miss her."

How does prayer change things? "It takes out the mad and puts back the love."

Tomorrow we go hiking near Boulder and mentoring from Reb Zalman. Lots of love to all.