To Aikya on Mill Valley Concert

[Guest guest]

Aikya wrote:

 

In Mill Valley last Sunday from 4 to 7, the Marin satsang and the MA

Center community held a fundraising dinner concert and celebration

for hurricane survivors and evacuees. Some local talent including

some with national reputations performed and a delicious dinner was

provided...

Dear Aikya,

 

Thank you for such a wonderful bird's eye view of the katrina relief event

in Mill Valley. In some ways it sounded more like a celebration, and perhaps it

was, since as you indicated, much has been done for the evacuees, and their

energy had somewhat transformed from one of shock to one of happiness and

gratitude. All that the local satsang and others are doing for this group is ...

I find it difficult to locate the appropriate word ... magnificent. So much

outpouring of love and generosity and devotion.

 

When there are tragedies like this, some are quick to bring up karma, but

how do we know that the real purpose was for all of those who stepped forward to

help, that is was for their karma to assist these very lost souls? I loved

your descriptions of the music, even the part about the bass player who kept

ramping up his amp. LOL I'm glad the tech guys who control all of that finally

got it to where it was able to be heard as a whole. I have never heard of

Fred Hughes, but I think I may have to look him up on the internet. And of

course, I do know of Country Joe McDonald.

 

I think the big surprise for me was the appearance of the man who played the

dijeridoo. I LOVE that instrument. It is so otherworldly, and I have taken

many a shamanic journey listening to a tape with dijeridoo and drumming.

 

What a wonderful celebration, and I'm so glad Swami Dayamrita was able to be

there to help honor the evacuees and those who are helping them. And the

description of the Indian food was almost too much to bear. There is no Indian

restaurant here in Silver City, and I have been so hungry to have a taste of

Indian food ... it has been way too long. : )

 

Did anyone by chance tape the concert? I would happily buy a tape...another

way to raise some funds.

 

Please give my deepest thanks to all the people of the satsang for all they

are doing to help ... you folks just keep on going ... like the energizer

bunny. Did anyone take pictures? If so, could they be posted, if only

temporarily, on our Page?

 

I have one question. I have always thought of Mill Valley as a kind of

expensive place to live. How is housing for the evacuees being handled?

 

I have "adopted" one evacuee here in Silver City. I didn't know we had any

until I got the call to help. Apparently a local church group is helping out 10

evacuees ... a small number compared to other areas, I know. At first, I had

been warned that this evacuee was "needy," and I told the person of my

illness, but I would do what I can. Jennifer is a wonderful young person, kind

of

punk gothic in her appearance, with some of her dark hair dyed light purple.

 

As we are getting to know each other, it is becoming a very reciprocal

relationship. I have been working with Jennifer, who is currently living in a

Super 8 nearby, get some pr materials put together so she could hopefully start

to earn some money. She is also working at the local WalMart. Yesterday, she

came over to my trailer to print out the pr items she had created on her

computer (she is quite gifted artistically, especially with computer graphics

and

art). I almost laughed when I saw the look on her face as she walked through

the door. Our entire trailer could probably fit into her hotel room. LOL

 

But we got the printing done, and she was able to see that my energy

dissipates very quickly. So, where before she would keep me, on the phone, or

visiting with her in her hotel, for a long time, this time she just did what she

came to do and then thanked me and left. Before she left she said she was going

to get me the 1-800 number for the do not call list because I got a sale call

while she was here. I thought it was very sweet, and I thought, okay, young

girl getting help from "old" hippy lady wants to help out "old" hippy lady.

So our relationship is becoming more reciprocal. And I am actually beginning

to like Jennifer quite a bit. We are not so different, except in age. And I

guess, like many evacuees, she is planning to stay where she has relocated.

 

Anyway, thanks so much Aikya, for sharing the story and giving me a chance

to share mine.

Blessings , Jai Jai Ma ~ Linda

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Linda,

 

Housing in the entire Bay Area is ridiculously expensive. As I

charge along toward retirement, I wonder where I will go when my

income drops to 1/2 what it is now. I am not sure if any evacuees

are now living in Mill Valley or plan to go there. Oakland, which

is where all these folks are living now, has worked out a deal with

the landlords so that they can drop the rent for hurricane survivors

but then raise it back to market rates when/if the people move out.

We have rent control in Oakland so the landlords didn't want to drop

the rest and then have folks move back to Louisiana and they'd be

stuck with teeny increases from abnormally low rent on their

properties.

 

I'm happy to hear that the so-called "needy" woman whom you

befriended, a hurricane evacuee in Silver City, NM, has turned out

to be more empathetic than you expected her to be. You can't tell

about people from what someone else says. That's a big lesson I've

learned from writing to prisoners.

 

Aikya

 

Ammachi, nierika@a... wrote:

>

> Aikya wrote:

>

> In Mill Valley last Sunday from 4 to 7, the Marin satsang and the

MA

> Center community held a fundraising dinner concert and

celebration

> for hurricane survivors and evacuees. Some local talent

including

> some with national reputations performed and a delicious dinner

was

> provided...

> Dear Aikya,

>

> Thank you for such a wonderful bird's eye view of the katrina

relief event

> in Mill Valley. In some ways it sounded more like a celebration,

and perhaps it

> was, since as you indicated, much has been done for the evacuees,

and their