I found myself thinking about Ed Klagsbrun today. I met him when I was in my mid-twenties and living in the rural hills of Buckland, Massachusetts. I have not seen or spoken with Ed in more than 30 years. When I knew him, I was a young guy trying to find my direction by leaving academia to pursue a simple country life. He was in his mid-thirties, coming to the country for a week now and again to escape the demanding life of a partner in a New York City law firm.
Somehow we connected. He was not shy about saying how much he envied my courage in putting aside a traditional life to follow an inner dream. I was in awe of his cosmopolitan aura and lifestyle. I would go to the hardware store; he would go to the opera and the symphony.
My wife and I often had dinner with him, and I was continuously delighted by the condiments he served, things I never knew existed—special mustards and sauces, great tastes in small jars. He and I occasionally took walks in the woods and fields, crossing streams and delighting in the mosses and the magnificent New England trees. Suzie and I refused a gift he wanted to give us because, in retrospect, we were too attached to some austere, back-to-the-land ideal. Ed’s Volvo, relatively new, but severely beat up by city traffic, would have been fun for us to own.
And so today, lying on the couch in my office and gently enjoying these memories, I realized how much I loved Ed then and also now—not emotional love or some concept of love, but Heart Presence love, the divine Love that lives deep within my chest. When I recognized this Love, I felt new riches pouring into my being, and I suspect that they are permanent.
Who’s in your history?
The writing above conveys aspects of the following Advanced Capacities: Heart Presence and Connection.
©2008 by Jeff Krock. All rights reserved.
Comments 4
Jeff:
I really like the way you frame this concept of Heart Presence. We all have someone that has, for whatever reason, left our day-to-day life but still is very much alive within us.
I lost my mentor, publishing renegade Sandy Taylor, this year. Here’s a post that explains my heart presence love for Sandy: http://wallflymarketing.com/2008/01/21/sandy-taylor-loved-now-missed
Best,
Posted 15 Sep 2008 at 9:47 am ¶Suzi E. in CT
My Fourth Grad teacher, Mr. Clarke. He was about 60 years old. He was a little over weight. He had a calming voice and a round face. He wore big square glasses, a white short-sleaved button down with pens and things in his shirt pocket. And he had a silver-grey toupet. He was so kind to me in spite of my faults.
Posted 29 Sep 2008 at 11:27 am ¶Thank you Jeff! I have been on a major journey of self-discovery myself. It is affirming to know that others experience these same intuitive and love-based moments along the journey. I have felt somewhat in a void, out here in Bible-thumping rural Texas! I was one of the last of the dotcom buyouts in 2000, built a house on a secluded lake about 90 miles south of Dallas, and began a fulltime focus on my journey. It has had many bumps and deep valleys along the way, but also a few incredible vistas…and the light is now shining brightly on my path! I am writing a book about my experiences, called “Call Me Crazy, I’m Walking In Spirit” - not sure if it will ever publish - but I am writing none-the-less! I regularly reach back to those who have encouraged me along the way - an awesome teacher, and acquaintances past. Again, thanks!
Posted 12 Oct 2008 at 5:13 pm ¶Hi Donna. Thanks for your contribution and story. You have managed in a few sentences to say a great deal, always the sign of worthy writing. I love the title of your book. And I am always touched by those dedicated to the path of learning that, deep within us, we are all yearn to walk.
Posted 13 Oct 2008 at 5:39 am ¶Post a Comment