Weekly 8 - Feb 20-26, 2011




Speckled Light, my image from Regents Park, I waited for the 4:30pm sunlight to light up the center.

 I walked into Spanish Place, passed the famed Wallace Collection of French Fine Art, crossed over George Street, at its top end, with an approach to St George Catholic Church where actress  Vivienne Leigh got married.  At the church’s gate entrance stood two priest dressed in grey attire like St Francis of Assisi with sockless feet in leather strap shoes.  One of them went inside the church and the tallest one with salt and pepper short cut hair stood to one side of the black wrought iron gate with a foam cup of liquid. 

I smiled at him and asked what was going on at the church since it was after 3pm and Saturday’s Mass wasn’t until 6:30pm.

Me: I haven’t seen your order here before.  What’s going on today?

Priest: It’s ‘A Day With Mary’.  We travel to different churches every weekend to celebrate Mary.  You sound American.

Me: I’m a southern from Jackson, MS by the way of Gallup, NM.  You sound Irish.

Priest: Actually, I’m Australian.  I went to American some time ago.

Me: Which part?

Priest: Indiana.

Me: Indiana has lots of Catholic brethrens.

Priest: Do you attend this church?

Me: Yes.

Priest: Do you live far?

Me: Nearby.

We walked inside the church to get a leaflet on One Day With Mary for the next events.  We stood at the top of the entrance’s steps for more chat.

Me: How long have you all been here.

Him: We have been here [London] for 10 days.  We come every year for this event.  There was only one day of sunshine and lighter today with some rain.

Me:  I don’t worry about the rain and the weather in general or it will pull you down.  As for me, I move myself around the different weather conditions.

Him: It can pull you down.

Me: You’re right about that.  I see it as me moving the rain and not it moving me, with my cheerfulness and smiles; and all else will follow.

Me: A female clerk at the bank this morning said to me, “how are you in this dull and rainy day?”  I am great [smiles stretched across my face]!

Me: I’m not worried about the rain.  It has nothing to do with me being great today.  I move with the rain.  It’s cleansing energy.

Him: You must have lots of energy.

Me.  I do.  I eat lots of veggies and fruit a day.

Him: I lost 15lbs during my last fasting and now I am back eating more and I have more energy with a little bit of tuna with the diet.

Me: Keep smiling while in this part of London as people energy levels are low.

Him: I will.

Me: As my part in this spiritual journey I do my best healing people when  on walkabouts along the streets and personal friends.  I try my best to lift their spirits by wearing bright colors in the winter.  A lot of people are not spiritual in London with all the running around, here and there. This is the least I can do.

Him: [He smiles with teeth showing] God sent you to meet me today.  What a blessing.

Me: What’s your name?

Him: Shabalah. [my spelling]  It’s an Arabic name.

Me: It sounds lovely as you roll the sounds around in your vocal cords.  [He smiles]

Him: What’s yours?

Me: Dorothy, but not on the red brick road but the grey pavement of London.

Him: Okay. [a big smile with glittering light in eyes]

We both smiled with laughter.  I bid him farewell and walked towards home.