[Fandfs] The 'Extraordinary' in Ordinary

[Danielle Martin <danielle.martin@sbcglobal.net>]

For me, never far from any current moment are past moments spent under 
the influence of the Carmel Institute's chief instigators - dear 
Cynthia, her beloved family, and of course dogs!....


Many years ago a simple and innocent friendship began with Molly.  
Sixth-grade desk mates placed in front of a virginal, catholic, reading 
teacher, we started a friendship that has endured to this day.
An invitation to a birthday party, kittens in the bottom rag drawer, 
older siblings easily 'back grounded' until needed, as well as a 
cheerful fire-maker and chauffeur named, Mother a.k.a. Cynthia.

Let the good times begin (!)...Foggy summer days (endlessly) but we were 
readers...Patio gatherings with the wheel-barrow barbecuing chicken and 
the neighbors not too far....Some Easter spring dancing with steel drums 
enlivening kindred spirits...Ditching homework for a warm relaxing spell 
on Gibson Beach....Quiet satisfied evenings during the school week, the 
dinner table candles lit for simple white rice, peas, salad, and maybe 
some 'fish cakes' served in baking shells...The years passed by, seasons 
came and went....At some point there were BOYS in the living room - and 
- we were in high school...The Beatles, prisms hanging over the couch by 
the windows, some of us now trying a little pot, a little wine...with 
watchful eyes and a pair of ears not far off in her bedroom...An amazing 
'recipe' for letting life mix, and 'grow' us more, into life....Mixing 
up the generations, mixing up the experiences, mixing up the fresh and 
young....This gestalt called California of the 60's or 70's - all so 
easily imbibed, and imbued, with hope and love.  This was a 'natural' 
for me...no problem to step into ALL of this from sixth grade until this 
current age of 55!...BUT now I know that someone was a caretaker, a 
shopper, and 'chief' cheer-leader of this room and patio area that 
'cradled' and sanctified the Carmel Institute's intertidal zone for 
humans to become even more h u m a n e - and - perhaps to help 'stir' 
the pot of current events and 'portend' that better, possible future.

What startles me now, is how simple it all seemed.  The dynamics of 
place and people created by a family of Williamses (sp?!), with the 
spoke of the wheel a warm, straight-forward Cynthia.  Many habits have 
been lifted into my current life from this earlier time.  A dictionary, 
yes, hello! get a dictionary in every living room!....More rescued cats 
and a few dogs that I had no idea would put my own dentistry on hold.... 
Candles lit at night just because this life is special even if it's 
white rice and peas, and your skin and eyes glow oh, so well....


Of course there's endlessly more in the 'memory well', but just to let 
you know that I was there, that I saw, and that I continue....This 
beautiful time was caught like a fire fly, and continues it's glow 
forever for this girl-into-woman...as if with a layer of shimmering, 
flexible cloth I have been adorned with this 'time' forever into my 
future, always present, always within reach...May all beings be happy, 
may all beings live the ordinary life in 'extraordinary' ways. Thank you 
Cynthia. Thank you all other supporting appreciators and family.

To ham kum rah!

Danielle

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