REMEMBER, BE HERE NOW by Ram Dass (Dr. Richard Alpert)

Here in Arcata, we are experiencing a light rain that is pretty and cool but not enough to get a person wet. A live band is playing in front of the clock tower right now. One thing that I remember is that it is rather easy to "BE HERE NOW" when a person is having a good time. The real challenge is to "BE HERE NOW" when a person is chained to a plastic parts machine ( or in the dentist's chair). Oh well, it's all just "Grist for the mill". Did you ever READ the classic book called "REMEMBER, BE HERE NOW"? The author, Ram Dass (Dr. Richard Alpert) has some brilliant ideas. He made millions of dollars in the book business and hired surgeons to perform cataract surgery for free in Nepal. Thousands of people can see because of his work. I also enjoyed his book "Still Here, thoughts on Aging" which explores his philosophy after he had a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. I attended an AA meeting in Bidwell Park (Chico) and we discussed his philosophy. It was a sunny day with the birds chirping and the flowers blooming. The feeling I got was priceless. Bidwell is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. When John Bidwell donated the park to the city he specifically insisted that the ecology be left alone. I recommend HIGHLY going to the "campfire council ring" on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM. The people that gather there seem to be enlightened beings. Lots of sobriety there.

---

How to get there...Go to One Mile recreation area and walk upstream near Caper Acres... Free parking is available at the baseball field. Meetings are held in the late spring, summer and early autumn.