FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Some of us think I could have been a success but I never had the right opportunity. I wasn’t born into the right family, or I didn’t have the money or go to the best school.

But when we measure success by the extent we’re using what we’ve received, it eliminates that frustration

Fred Smith – consultant and mentor of John C Maxwell

as quoted in his Mentoring lesson –

What do I need to know before I start?

….

Around Christmas 2020, New Year 2021 we went to Burlington lights area. We have been to this area over the years to see Lake Ontario from a different angle than Port Credit Mississauga or Downtown Toronto or St Catherine (as we drive towards Niagara) . The local history of this area , the talks I had with different people of different ages some of them born here , descendants of Union Empire Loyalists, and others who have come here from different continents and settled here, has added a richness to our lives as immigrants who lived in India, then migrated to North Africa- Libya and then to Southern Europe Malta before shifting to Mississauga , Southern Ontario Canada.

The evolution of the waterfront and its architecture is of interest as it provides a perspective on the different people who made Canada their home and the currents and energies which went into shaping these communities.

RAIN IN MOUNTAINS- RUSKIN BOND

After all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful. – Ruskin Bond

…when I pray for my biological and spiritual family, words of Ruskin Bond, Virginia Woolf come to my mind..

Look these need no rewards, they have loved reading (Virginia Woolf-1932)

FROM THE HOLY MOUNTAIN

As we went through some books of our Home Library, memories of walks in Mediterranean region came alive.

REMEMBERING JOHN MOSCHOS

Open on the desk is my paperback translation of the Spiritual Meadow of John Moschos , the unlikely little book which first brought me to this monastery and the original manuscript of which I saw for the first time less than one hour ago. God willing, John Moschos will lead me on, eastwards to Constantinople and Anatolia , then southwards to the Nile and thence , it it is still possible, to the Great Kharga Oasis, once the Southern Frontier of Byzantium

From William Dalyrymple’s book From the Holy Mountain

This book reminded me of the trips taken to Luxor, Karnak ( 2004-November) and the walk into the tomb of Tutankhamen, the guides explaining the intrigue around these civilizations- and later in 2006 I went to Eastern Libya – Cyrene- the place where from came Simon of Cyrene who helped Christ carry the cross towards Crucifixion. Present day Cyrene is known as Shahat by the Libyans.

Later we have been to walks to Gozo Citadel, Malta which has been a place of worship from Pre Christian times. The walk to Gozo Citadel in 2016 reminded me of similar walks I had with my family, taking my sons to the Citadel, and trying to imbibe the spirit of those who built these monuments many millenia ago. We had gone to the Gjantija temples which are the oldest free standing structures known to man, predating Stonehenge of UK. These Citadels, Temples, Churches tell us of the aspirations, energies and lives of our Spiritual ancestors.

MUSEUM WALKS

As I reflect on the words of Fred Smith, remember the museum walks and the microculture of our family, initiated by my grandparents, parents and mentors – the walks which we took in the Hill temples and places of worship in Pune Western India, Shimla – Himachal Pradesh area, Rishikesh Mussoorie- Uttarakhand area I saw Burlington lights , Ontario, Gozo Malta and Luxor Egypt , Cyrene Libya walks as part of that continuum.

RIVERWOOD-MISSISSAUGA-2016-One of our Reading Thinking Places over the years

I was introduced to the nuances of the writings of Amitav Ghosh by the English teachers of Tripoli, many lovely evenings spent in the Mediterranean breeze talking of the journeys covered in books like In an Antique Land- of migrants who come from what is present day Tunisia, then went to Egypt, Aden,(Yemen) and then the Western India coast across the Arabian seaSelectI was introduced to the nuances of the writings of Amitav Ghosh by the English teachers of Tripoli, many lovely evenings spent in the Mediterranean breeze talking of the journeys covered in books like In an Antique Land- of migrants who come from what is present day Tunisia, then went to Egypt, Aden,(Yemen) and then the Western India coast across the Arabian sea

Afterwards we went to Brant street and prayed meditated at the World War I memorial, sang and clapped in front of the Singing tree and had a pizza sitting at the junction of Lakeshore road- Brant street .

( indoor dining is stopped for now due to the Covid19 lockdown)

Many lovely hours exploring the museums, paths around India Gate Delhi, St.James Centre of Creativity, Valletta,(Malta), Hamilton -Immigration square-James street, and Royal Ontario Museum- The galleries and special exhibitions-Bloor street-Toronto.

TRIPOLI 2010

The Antropology of religion-Khadra Forest