Planning the trip to the Gulf Coast

Taking some cues from CNN and some from Google, I looked at several volunteer operations that were starting up around New Orleans. It was difficult to get into New Orleans at the time and many of the operations were on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I found one ad hoc organization that had an actively updated web site. There were photos of a wide range of volunteers, returning residents, uniformed police officers, hippies, and National Guardsmen all sharing meals side by side. There was a call for volunteers. I decided to join that operation as a volunteer. They even had a "Wall-less Mart."

Now, I could begin logistics planning for the trip. I made a arrangements to stay in the Virginia Beach area through the month of October. I would leave in the last week of the month, go through Atlanta, and arrive at Waveland, Mississippi, the first week of November. Yes! I want to Read the rest of this post ...

Ken Wapnick at A.R.E.

As it happened, Ken Wapnick was scheduled to speak at a conference at the Association for Research and Enlightenment over the weekend of September 9-11 the year I was in Virginia Beach, 2005. It was an opportunity, I thought, to ask him what he thought of the state of A Course in Miracles since the copyright on the first published edition was rescinded.

I knew nothing about the litigation surrounding the copyright of the Course until 2001. I had just moved to Boston then, and looked online for a local meeting of Course students. That was when I learned about the litigation and that it had been going on for a couple of years. Yes! I want to Read the rest of this post ...

Hurricane Katrina
from Virginia Beach

As I mentioned earlier in this series, I had planned on going to New Orleans from Virginia Beach at the end of September, 2005. My arrangement for staying in Virginia Beach for the remainder of my time there included helping with a home remodeling project. Actually, I worked alone and it was a series of projects. I was still able to go to the Association for Research and Enlightenment one or two days a week. Yes! I want to Read the rest of this post ...

ACIM Study Group at A.R.E.

There was a group that met to study A Course in Miracles at the Association for Research and Enlightenment. It met one evening a week. I made a point to attend the meeting during my stay at Virginia Beach.

Since the library at A.R.E. closed at 4 or 5 and the ACIM meeting was in the evening, I went across the street and walked on the beach to pass the time between the two.

The meeting was held in a partitioned section of the large conference room in the main A.R.E. building. Chairs were arranged in an oval shape with the "instructor" at the head of the oval. Around 40 to 50 people arrived. They all seemed to have been at this meeting in the past and they were, for the most part, older people, many were likely retired. Yes! I want to Read the rest of this post ...

Meditation at A.R.E.

The Beach

Going to the Association for Research and Enlightenment became a habit that summer, 2005. I did vary the days' routine though. Some days, after the library closed, I would go out to my vehicle, put away my notes and papers, get a beach towel, and walk across the street to the beach. Yes! I want to Read the rest of this post ...