Director's Message for May 2012

Dear Sacred Path Community,

My message this month is brief, yet heartfelt.  To begin, my Mother passed away on Thursday, April 26th.  She was such a light unto the world.  Not only was she a loyal friend to countless many for 92 years, a loving wife of 58 years, devoted mother for 65 years and beloved grandmother for 32 years, but also a remarkable human being who served her country selflessly during World War II.  She was the only official USO poster girl.  94 million posters with my mother’s picture on them went out to enlisted men stationed abroad, encouraging them to be safe and come home alive.  Margie traveled overseas with the Bond Cavalcade of Stars to entertain our troops.  She also visited hospitals to bring comfort to the wounded. Tributes to her are appearing in newspapers around the country, including the New York Times.  I’ve included some information about her if you’d like to know more about the Spiritual Warrior that I called Mom.

On another note, the April retreat was amazing in many ways.  Associate Directors Steve Branker and Dan Franklin have written about both the Call to Adventure/Rites of Passage and Sacred Path Men’s programs that ran simultaneously on the hill.  We’re including herewith a couple of brief videos as well as a clip from a talk I had with Standing Cloud, a Lakota Elder, and a clip from a 90 minute presentation I offered during a breakout session. 

We will now turn our attention to the 25th Annual Fall Sacred Path Men’s Retreat to be held next October (18th-21st).  This will be a significant milestone event in which we will commemorate and celebrate our 25 years of Men’s Work devoted to our Sacred Path Community.  Mark your calendars since I know you will want to join your brothers for this event.  Many familiar faces that have attended over the years have expressed to me that they will be there.

Our only other community program for men and women this year will feature Leonard Orr, who is returning to California in June (1st - 3rd).  Since the program he offered last year was so well received, we decided to expand it this year.  Leonard will give a talk on Friday night, June 1st, concerning important information for us on a personal as well as global level.  On Saturday, he will offer two separate seminars, and then on Sunday he will hold space for a Rebirthing Breathwork Workshop.  Read about the program in this newsletter, and if you register before Saturday of this coming week we will extend the early discount that was to end on May 5th.  The love that was present during Leonard’s visit last year was transformative.  Join your brothers and sisters in the love next month.

In the Spirit of brotherhood, Namaste...

Stephen

Two Videos with Dr. Stephen Johnson

Lakota Elder Standing Cloud speaks to Stephen Johnson. To view this video, click HERE

Dr, Stephen Johnson presents a brief resumé of the first four chapters of his book, "The Sacred Path." To view this video, click HERE

Three Events for Men and Women with Leonard Orr

I have invited Leonard Orr, my friend and mentor of 38 years, to return this June first and second to present three events for men and women at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino.  There will be a public presentation on Friday night followed by two seminars on Saturday.

Leonard is one of the elders of what we term today, “The New Age Movement.” As the founder of the conscious breathing movement, he has published more than 20 books in more than a dozen languages.  His International Rebirthing Movement has served over ten million people on six continents, and he is a pioneer in the field of how Physical Immortality can be actualized by us in practical ways. We can incorporate this knowledge into our lives today and begin to reverse the aging process and retain youthfulness and vitality.

Leonard is one of my most inspirational teachers and mentors. Our relationship commenced in the mid 70’s when I joined a group assisting him during the pioneering stage of his birthing the Conscious Connected Breathing Process (aka Rebirthing). Through this work I was privileged to co-found the Los Angeles Rebirthing Community. Leonard has many unique ideas and concepts that he will present throughout the three days that you can share with him.

I encourage you to not miss this opportunity. Leonard likes to suggest that learning and mastering the simple and pleasurable principles of spiritual purification can “be hazardous to your misery.” I can attest that my meeting and working with Leonard during the 70’s and 80’s made a tremendous difference in the quality of my life, both personally and professionally. He will awaken you to a higher realm of awareness regarding your true self, your relationships and your purpose for living on Earth at this most turbulent  yet transformational time.

We are alive today in the period that has been called the “Quickening,” also referred to as “The Great Awakening”  or “The Shift”, and each and every one of us is called to move beyond self-limiting thoughts, to expand our awareness and join the ranks of those who are enlisting to make a positive difference where it counts.

Along with such folk heroes as Ram Dass, Fritz Perls and Timothy Leary, who said of Leonard’s book, Breaking the Death Habit, “Leonard Orr’s book is the most realistic and practical one in the field of conquering death.”

There is no limit for enrollments for the Friday evening public presentation or the seminars on Saturday.

During the Friday Night Presentation Leonard will present on the importance of MASTERING ENERGY. He will also tell us that it’s the time to become proficient at the practice of tuning into our intuitive information as our eternal process. He states that, “The mind has 50,000 thoughts per day, the body has over 1 billion every second. The body is over 1000 times as smart as the mind.”

Leonard will speak about spiritual psychology and metaphysical biology sharing the keys of personal mastery on all levels including energy, thought, and form.  He will present examples of total mastery of body, mind and spirit and how it can be achieved.  This is a great opportunity to invest yourself in an evening with one of the most gifted and significant teachers on the planet today as well as to participate with other men and women that are traversing a spiritual path toward an enlightened way of living our lives to the fullest.

This presentation commences at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 1st and we’ll adjourn between 9 and 9:30pm.  The cost for this event is $45.

The Saturday Morning Seminar will feature the topic of BALANCING MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL SUCCESS and will focus on what constitutes true success, including money and complimentary money systems, investing, financial independence and spiritual values.  Leonard will show you how you can double your income through doing high quality work.  He will also show participants how to make a living from the self-improvement business. Leonard will address how to heal career burnout with the intent of restoring a natural state of balance evidencing perfect, radiant and dynamic health.

This seminar commences at 9:00 am and concludes at 12 noon.  Lunch is provided from noon to 1pm.  The cost for this event is $85.

The Saturday Afternoon Seminar will feature the topic of Spiritual Purification and the Power of Rebirthing Breathwork.  Leonard believes that it is very important that people learn the science and art of cleaning and balancing their energy bodies which is the science of renewal and the ability to always sustain a healing effect on all conditions.

Rebirthing Breathwork is a powerful tool as a vehicle to journey into oneself and unlock cellular memory, original imprinting, and stored negative emotions to create openings for

fundamental transformation.  Leonard believes that, “Until the death urge, that we learned from our family tradition, is healed -- all healing is temporary.”

This seminar will cover personal law and how it impacts one’s personal system of beliefs. A personal law is the thought that controls our life more than any other thought and by definition it is the most valuable knowledge we can have about ourselves.

We will also cover the 8 major sources of human trauma producing unhappiness and failure.  Leonard will focus on birth trauma, the parental disapproval syndrome, the misuse of the human mind, the unconscious death urge, karma from past lives, school trauma, religion trauma,and senility.  You will take away from this seminar the basic principles for healing them.

This event commences after lunch at 1pm and concludes at 4 pm.  Lunch is included and is served at 12 noon.  The cost for this event is $85.

Note:  The fee for those wishing to attend both Saturday seminars is $150.

Range of fee options:

Friday evening presentation fee = $45

Saturday morning seminar fee (including lunch) = $85

Saturday afternoon seminar fee (including lunch) = $85

or, Saturday full-day program fee (including lunch) = $150

Cancellations before Friday, May 25th will allow a full refund minus a 10% processing fee. Cancellations after May 25th will allow a 50% refund of fee paid.

To download the flyer/registration, click HERE

Conscious Connected Breathing and Spiritual Purification

by Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D.

In 1974 I completed my Doctoral Dissertation and graduated from the University of Southern California with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.  The topic of my Dissertation was The Effects of Yoga Therapy on Self-Concept, Conflict Resolution and Emotional Adjustment.  The research was performed through the Kundalini Research Institute and I had significant results from my study evidencing the value of practicing Kundalini Yoga Therapy to support one’s personal well-being. 

I taught Hatha and Kundalini Yoga for about 5 years as an extension of my psychotherapy practice. Yoga is still very much a part of my life today.  Dr. Leo Buscaglia, Professor of Special Education and renowned lecturer on the topic of Love, had become an advisor, mentor and friend who sat on my doctoral committee. We had a mutual interest in Yoga and commenced our study together, taking classes on campus.

At the time I was also utilizing certain psychoactive plants and drugs to enhance the depth of my work selectively with some of my patients.  I was being mentored by Dr. Gary Fisher who was studying the effects of hallucinogens such as LSD in the treatment of severely disturbed patients.  He had written approximately 200 journal articles on the topic. 

In 1975 I met Leonard Orr at a Humanistic Psychology Conference held on the campus of UC Berkeley.  Leonard was exploring the power of conscious breathing and had coined the term Rebirthing due to his awareness that circular breathing could unlock the effects of traumatic events, including birth trauma, held in one’s cellular memory.  I was eager to experience the process and found it to be as powerfully effective in inducing an altered state of consciousness as the psychoactive elements I was working with at the time.  Rebirthing has also been referred to as Maha Yoga or supreme Yoga.

I went on to support Leonard in his pioneering work and along with two associates created Holistic Arts Productions and began to host Leonard’s Rebirthing Trainings in Los Angeles.  We established the Rebirthing LA Community and then hosted Sondra Ray’s Loving Relationship Training, becoming the LA training center for Leonard’s and Sondra’s work.  I joined the ranks of Certified Rebirthers and began offering my own workshops and trainings as well.

Sacred Breathing Sessions became central to the therapeutic work that I was facilitating through my psychotherapy practice, seminars, practicums and retreats.  Learning Leonard’s concepts regarding spiritual purification through the elements of earth, air, water and fire has served as a tremendous influence on my life personally and professionally. 

Rebirthing is essentially a conscious-connected breathing process that integrates body, mind and spirit, helping you to maintain a perpetual state of relaxation.  As you clean and balance your energy field, a profound sense of well-being is produced.  Effects on life are immediate.  As negative patterns held in the mind and body start to dissolve, you begin to experience your natural center.

The primary purpose of the process is to release restrictions in your breathing and resistance held throughout your body since birth.  The goal is to teach you to breathe energy as well as air.  Consciously breathing energy is the secret to deep relaxation and therefore plays a big part in a tension free and dis-ease free lifestyle. Over the years that I have taught people how to balance and clean their energy fields I have witnessed significant transformation and successful results in their lives.

I have found circular breathing sessions to be quite beneficial in treating patients who experience a lot of anxiety and are prone to panic attacks.  We have found that having approximately 10 one- to two-hour coached Mindful Breathing lessons can be just what the doctor ordered to transform your consciousness and put your life on the right track.

Steve Branker: A Review of The 12th Annual Call to Adventure

I had the distinct honor and privilege of shepherding this year’s 12^th annual Call to Adventure/Rites of Passage Retreat for Fathers and Sons, Boys and Mentors. Like it is so often said after a Retreat, this one was the best ever. We had about 30 participants, a terrific mixture including several Father and Son teams, Mentors and Mentees, youth and adult brothers. A special thank you goes to Richie Biren and his friends as well as Charlie Atkinson of the Millennium Oaks Institute for their generous support to provide financial scholarships and to make this Retreat a reality.

This year’s “Adventure” certainly lived up to the billing. As we began tracking the weather pattern prior to the Retreat, we knew that there was a good possibility of rain on Friday, when the Ropes Course is usually scheduled. Sure enough, on Friday morning the sky began to darken and the wind began to pick up. Phil Folsum and the crew from Fulcrum Adventures arrived to guide us through the Ropes Course experience. It was decided that as long as there was no lightning, the Ropes Course would proceed. Everyone gathered outdoors to begin some of the team-building exercises. The light drizzle and soft wind transformed into a solid downpour with strong winds. We all made our way down to the Ropes Course set-up and began the safety training session. Then, as spirit would have it, the clouds began drumming with loud thunder and the dark sky became bright with brilliant flashes of lightning. It was time to move everyone to the safety of the indoors to ride out the storm. The extraordinary men from Fulcrum guided us on a variety of team-building enrichment experiences designed to expand and strengthen leadership skills, interpersonal relationships and self confidence.

After lunch, the sky settled down and once again we went to the Ropes Course area. If you are not familiar with a Ropes Course, check out the Men’s Center website (http://www.menscenterlosangeles.com/events.html) for some videos from previous CTA Retreats. As the men and youth began to take part in the various aspects of the Ropes Course, once again the sky darkened, the winds and rain increased, and the temperature dropped, transforming the rain to hailstones. However, this did not deter the Participants. Instead of succumbing to the elements, they chose to continue with the experience. The group of youth and men grew even closer and more supportive of each other, thereby prevailing over the physically challenging course as well as the unpredictable weather elements. It was indeed quite an Adventure for all.

The next day, it was time to witness the Sweat Lodge (Inipi) experience. Justin “Bear” Annunziato began the ceremony with the lighting of the fire utilizing the “bow” method of using a stick, string and wood to create the initial fire. Most have not witnessed how to create a fire without a lighter or matches. It was quite intriguing. Then Bill Stover (Mahpia Naijin – Standing Cloud), a Lakota elder, shared some of his many experiences, insights and Tribal traditions. After the “stone people” were heated by the fire, it was time to enter into the Sweat Lodge. Water Pourer, Thomas Alvarez (Sungmani Tutankaska – White Wolf), led the youth and men through this experience. This was incredible as we shifted from the challenges of the wet and cold weather of the previous day into the heat of the Sweat Lodge. This Adventure served as a challenge to sit within the dark and heated confines of the “Lodge”. Like the challenges of the previous day, the youth and men pushed their own and collective limits. Their perseverance to move outside of the comfort level and into the “moment” was incredible.

The next Adventure was spent in an exercise with Phil Jennings, who amongst other things in life, holds multi-level black-belt degrees in various martial arts disciplines. The use of martial arts is quite often associated with fighting or other aggressive actions. However, this is not always the case. Phil utilizes his expertise in demonstrating how to transform various methods of martial arts into developing inner strength, self-discipline and being “centered.” The use of this knowledge and techniques can then be transferred into success with schoolwork, resisting peer pressure, further development of self confidence and making “good” choices.

The term “choice” was a central theme throughout the Retreat. It’s utilized to demonstrate that each youth and man has the option and ability to choose what Path he wants to pursue with his life. Given whatever circumstances we are faced with, we still have the “choice” of what action to take or not to take. Many of the attendees (past and present) live within the inner city of Los Angeles. Most of us reading this Newsletter have no idea what this lifestyle is really like.  Of course there are news reports and movies, etc. that provide some portrayal. Having spent a significant amount of time with the inner city youth and men over the years as part of the Call to Adventure Retreat, I have become somewhat “educated” concerning their trials and tribulations. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was “sex, drugs and rock and roll.” In the past 10+ years within the inner city, it has become “money, crack-cocaine and guns.” The pressures that these young men face in everyday life are astounding. Instead of primarily dealing with such things as schoolwork and girlfriends, etc., they are dealing with whether or not they will come back alive after they walk out of their homes each day. A tradition that we have at the Retreat is to set aside a time where an individual can light a floating rose candle in honor and memory of a significant person that has passed away in the past year, then place it in a water bowl. Year after year, the young men take part in this ceremony, each lighting several candles in memory of their fathers, brothers, uncles and friends who have been killed in the streets of the inner city. It has generally become a commonplace way of life (or death) for them, including one former CTA youth who was killed while picking up his father to take him home from a party. It is very heart-wrenching for me and others who witness this experience. Fortunately, there are Mentors who have attended the Call to Adventure Retreat like Cameron, Marvo, JT, Tim, Vernon, Clyde, Jelani and Boomer, who have stepped forward within their communities to help guide the young men in making different “choices.” They have personally been through similar trials and tribulations and are now working diligently to make a difference in the lives of the youths at risk. These men, and others like them, are today’s modern-day heroes.           

This reminds me of a very short story: A father and his son were walking down the beach one day. As far as they could see along the beach were thousands of starfish lying on the sand and dying. The father could see that his son was becoming very distressed seeing all the starfish like this. As they progressed further down the beach, the son stopped, bent down, picked up one of the starfish, walked to the water’s edge and gently tossed it back into the sea. The father then said to his son, “there are too many starfish on the sand to pick up, throw into the sea and make any kind of difference.” The son then looked up at his father and replied, “it will make a difference to this one!”

And this is why I, Stephen Johnson, the staff of the Wisdom Counsel and the many others who comprise the Sacred Path Men’s Community continue to provide support for the Call to Adventure/Rites of Passage Retreat for Fathers and Sons, Boys and Mentors. My/our hope and prayer is that we are able to make a difference in the lives of more than just one “starfish”.

Namaste, 

Steve Branker

Impressions and Reflections on the Spring 2012 Sacred Path Mens' Retreat

By Dan Franklin, MFT

My impressions of the spring retreat are from the wonderful vantage point of being a long-time staff member of the counsel of men that puts these retreats together. A lot of work goes into the preparation as well as the trickster energy that allows all of us up on the mountain to be surprised and somehow changed by what happens to us there despite the best laid plans. What we don’t plan is often what turns out to be some of the highlights of the weekend. Funny how that works.

The weekend is designed to shift our consciousness to another place… more open… more alert… more aware… even a bit more courageous. Something extraordinary occurs in the process of men gathering to trust each other, to share, to reveal, re-charge and re-invigorate.  It is a booster shot well placed for those of us who just want to get away for a while, or need to ask a life-altering question, or simply enjoy the congeniality of hanging out with a bunch of really good guys.

Over the years (and I’ve attended more than I can count) it never fails to fascinate me how the mere commitment to change animates that process. We tend to get what we focus on in life, and three days on the mountain can put a lot of things into focus. 

This retreat held a slightly smaller group than usual, but it created an intimate connection as each man got to know everyone up there.  For starters, the setting is spectacular, high above the blue Pacific. As you stand on a hillside edge, it’s easy to imagine the Native American experience of scanning a pristine landscape and that same blue ocean for generations. The drumming, sweat lodges, the ceremonial flavor of the retreat, all do justice to the sacred grounds. In another way, the experience gives modern men who live in the cities by and large, and with busy stressful lives, a rare rendezvous with their natural outward-bound terrain and numerous vehicles for inner-bound exploration.

How bad can that be? That’s why we always confidently predict each retreat will be uniquely special… and they all are.  I’ve never been to two that are alike, not so much in the sense that the approach to work on the mountain changes as how each man and the dynamics of the participants interaction has its own particular feel.

We staff members at times joke about our “best laid plans” to give the participants the best possible experience and watch as each man finds his way, in his own way. Lest we forget: you get a bunch of guys together, far from career and work, wives, lovers, kids, and some form of party can’t help but break out. It warms my heart to see good, earnest men at play. The dialogue can be hilarious, or serious, profound or bawdy.

Research and just plain old observation tells us that men need space… to breathe... to think… to stop thinking.  Men need to feels their hearts and minds… to get back in touch with their bodies, to walk in dirt, or even mud when we catch a little rain as was the case this time. We loved that stuff as kids. It serves us that we don’t forget the boy in us that needs a playground now and then.

Time on the mountain feels different. There is a suspended quality to it that is relaxing and engaging, call it what you will. You can feel the difference after a few hours. Some of the men got soaked coming out of the sweat lodge due to the rain. It was a joyous mess. We just don’t get to do that kind of stuff enough.

There were plenty of moments where men, either in their tribes, one-on-one, or perhaps on a solitary walk, had epiphanies, moments of clarity and insight. And they shared them with each other. My favorite times at our retreats are the one-on-one conversations. They sprang up all over the place. As I’d walk around the grounds, I’d see two or maybe three guys deep in conversation, or sharing martial arts moves, or just clowning around. Men can get pretty aggressive and competitive down the mountain, as they compete for jobs, contracts, women, sports victory - but all that somehow seems to get checked at the door of the container lodge where the opening ceremony takes place. Brotherhood can be an overused word, but there is a lot of relatively instant and spontaneous outbreaks of it as men relax and gather for common purpose.

I lead what we call a break-out session on the subject of worthwhile relationships, particularly of the yin-meets-yang variety, if you know what I mean. It’s amazing how willing men are to speak their truth about their relationships to women when others will speak freely as well. I’m always struck by the respect men actually have for their partners, even while admittedly being clueless at times as to how to proceed.  When men can tell the truth about any subject or situation, there’s an opportunity for greater wisdom and new growth.

Nick Rath offered his usual insightful view of parenting in his break-out sessions, which expanded the idea of good parenting to good modeling and leadership when men are in the company of young people, even not in their family circle. I think his teaching points speak to the family of man and woman.

Our re-birthing exercise is always interesting in that, while it sounds a bit mysterious and esoteric, it’s  really the elegantly simple act of breathing in a rhythmic way and getting in touch with your own energy. Stripped of the layers of responsibilities, agendas and encounters with time bandits “down the mountain,” we can get to the core of things.

There’s no right way to “do” our retreats.  Something just happens, and in a different way for every man. This retreat was no exception. I’m glad we do this. It’s good for good men to gather, good for the nervous system and good for the soul. What can be lost in the details or the telling is the sheer joy of freedom one gets for a few days. It’s a special time in a special place. It’s a gift all of us give to each other. If you are reading this and you haven’t done it… catch the next train going… up that mountain.  Peace. Out!

Dan is the Director of Counseling Services for The Men’s Center of Los Angeles and long time staff member of The Sacred Path Wisdom Council

Margie Stewart Johnson Obituary

MARGIE, the only official World War ll Poster girl, passed away on Thursday April 26, 2012 at Providence Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank.  She was 92. Originally from Wabash, Indiana, Margie attended Indiana University and began her career as a model at the Charles A. Stevens Department Store in Chicago. Within a short time she had posed for numerous ad campaigns and made her way to Hollywood where she soon was signed to a contract with RKO pictures. Margie appeared in twenty films, including “Bombardier,” “Wonderman,” and  “Gildersleeve’s Ghost” before she was tapped to become the “Face of the girl back Home” to every G I around the world.

Over 94 Million posters went out as part of a campaign to sell War Bonds and to boost the morale of the troops. It was so successful that Eleanor Roosevelt tried to stop the campaign, complaining that the boys were becoming too homesick! But thousands of letters poured in to the White House, and the campaign went forward.  While in Europe with the Bond Cavalcade of Stars she met and married Captain Jerry Johnson. They were married nearly 58 years before his death in 2003.  She arrived home at the end of the war. To this day she has fans around the world who visit her website and send her requests for autographed pictures.

This month she became a cover girl again when she appeared on the cover of Reminisce magazine and had an eight page spread outlining her career as a starlet to World War ll icon. She was a true American hero and died as passionate as ever about supporting our troops and the country she loved so much. She is survived by her son, Dr. Stephen Johnson, her daughter-in-law, Fran, and their three children, Derek, Ian and Dana. In lieu of flowers donations to the USO are appreciated.

http://www.uso.org/

Links to articles about Margie:

http://www.reminisce.com/2012/03/indiana-student-became-famous-world-war-ii-pin-up-girl/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9243800/Margie-Stewart.html

Blind Perspective, Vol. 7

Late April, Los Angeles, 1994. I’m on the second floor looking down through the window as Dan and his buddy slowly lug a huge piece of furniture towards the front door. The phone rings and I rush to catch it  before the answering machine picks up.

“Hello, Michael here!” Breathless, I take the cordless into the living room and flop onto my favorite chair.

“Michael, it’s Catherine. How goes it?”

“Catherine,” I say excitedly. Great to hear from you. I’m doing  very well. Believe it or not, Dan is moving in as we speak.”

“Oh, my God, the U-Haul in the driveway already?”

“Well, you know we’re both on AIDS time, and our birthdays are coming up.”

I hear a loud bang against the wall as Dan and his friend maneuver a huge piece of oak furniture through the door.

“What’s that noise, Michael?” Catherine asks abruptly.

I gasp. “My God, it’s dark oak: It’s going to clash with every piece of my furniture! I need to go make sure it’s put in the right spot!”

“ Okay, sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”

“Let’s talk soon. Don’t be a stranger. We’ll do lunch,” I say as I hang up.

Mama Girl jumps off my lap and hides under the sofa as I approach Dan as diplomatically as possible.

“Dan, you don’t have a lot of furniture like that, do you?” I ask.

“No, I just brought my favorite pieces.”

“I think they’d be perfect, ah, in the middle room,” I suggest.

He looks at me and rubs his goatee.

“Is this too much too fast for you? You getting cold feet?”

“I guess I’m just used to my space in a certain way. I’m sure I’ll adjust,” I say optimistically.

“Okay, the middle room it is. Anything for the birthday boy.

”I’ll be back in a half hour.”

I return to my favorite chair. Momma Girl jumps on my lap and Zacky comes out of the closet after the coast is clear, meowing with concern. I take them both on my lap and count my blessings. My right eye is fogging up more with each month.

My Westminster clock begins to chime as the time for my inevitable blindness closes in. How long, I wonder. Zacky licks my finger and I rub the top of his head. We’re very lucky to have Dan in our lives. I’m so fortunate to have my Griffins on my lap, Momma Girl on my left, Zacky on my right. I close my left eye and look down at Zacky. To my shock, all I can see is his head.

Zacky’s body is invisible.