Just before Christmas
I met up with someone
and walked past him
without speaking.
I did see him ok but
there had been a 16 year delay.
I did not recognise him.
James Dennis from 16 years ago.
Never met for 16 years!
We met up with Leia and lunched
at Da Mario my fav
fav fav Italian Restaurant
in Covent Garden, London Town.
(I would love to meet with you there
it feeds the body and soul hmmmm)
We could have talked for 16 years
but we only managed three hours.
Starting with an empty restaurant
and ending with almost empty one.
James is a Kickboxing Champion.
and many things but
firstly a beautiful human.
Years ago, back in the early eighties,
we built a boat out of concrete.
A 40 foot ketch, able to sail out to sea
with a group of Inner City kids on board.
We called it 'Cockney Spirit'.
We sailed out of the East End
with some Spiritual backup.
It was the Thatcher years
massive unemployment in
the East End and nationwide.
A Government grant
helped us to employ unskilled
young humans and a couple of
skilled local men and a boat builder.
The boat was shaped out of wire
and steel rods
then it was plastered in
seagoing cement -
(steel floats doesn't it?
So does concrete.)
James was one of the regular
helpers on Cockney Spirit.
I met him regularly at meetings.
I was the Chairman of the little
Cockney Spirit Charitable Trust
and James was keen and
he became a sailor.
Since then we have only
exchanged emails
and tried to fix a meet-up.
Now we did just that.
So we caught up some what
and I met Leia - now new in my life.
Level Five flowed easy.
We shared alsorts.
The past - the journey -
the now.
James has a few scars,
not the least kick boxing!
We talked about them.
I wrote in my little day book::
'You can look at me
and not see my scars.
It is only when I get
undressed
can you see me L.5.
= undressed.'
We talked about a quote::
'Pain is temporary
failure is forever'.
I guess it comes out of
kick boxing.
My reflection was not to believe it.
Failure is often a learning thing
Failure is an experience
we all have felt - and felt the hurt.
Forgiveness, learning, strengthening,
all comes from failure -
or missing the target.
he has done the most powerful blogs
I have ever read.
Also, like me, he is on a mission.
Trying to sort life out,
live it in it's fullness,
journey into wholeness -
just-like-me!
He is coming to Greenbelt this year.
The first time for a long time.
Beautiful.
