FestOfUs

i promised to tell you a bit about my next event, and now it's time to make good!

over the summer, my friend runNYtrails (also known as Linda) was keeping tabs on the self transcendence 3100, a race of that distance that takes place in a little neighborhood in queens, ny each summer. yes, that's 3100 MILES, with a 60 day cutoff. the self transcendence races were originally conceived of by buddhist athlete, writer, artist and teacher sri chinmoy. he advocated the use of extreme sports as a means to transcend the physical and material worlds, creating a sort of moving meditation. i have found it to be true, that after you have exhausted the physical body, the workings of the inner being stretch out in front of you, an endless unfolding before your eyes with each step. the 3100 is an inspirational event, and examining photos of the athletes after weeks of 50 mile days, day after day, you will see a peace in them so bright that it looks like they may levitate. while we have different beliefs on the purpose of life, and the means to getting to the destination, we agree on taking the forward path. the christian life is often spoke of as a "walk" or "journey" with God. it is even referred to in the Bible frequently as a "race". and so it is with physical running, as we move toward the goal, there must be a shedding of the self - of pain and fear and physical limitations. the LONG journey is completed with the drive of the interior, not the exterior.

"Soul Birds" - Sri Chinmoy

so one day, linda exclaimed how she always wanted to do her own little self transcendence event. while there are ST 24 hour races all over the world, it didn't offer what she was looking for. so in an email exchange, i suggested 3 days. in return she suggested a nice quiet path in the woods, with camping and journaling and solitude. somehow i offered to scout a location. and then all at once we were no longer daydreaming, it seemed we were doing. after getting jim's okay and finding a magical place to hold the event, the weekend was born. the "Self Transcendence 3 Day Trail Festivus for the Rest Of Us". or the "Self-Transcendivus" or simply a "FestForUs". to put it plain - a 3 day fat ass event based out of a lil' cabin near Allegheny state park.

there will be daily readings, and perhaps our own differing version of prayer or silence each morning. there will be good eating and moving forward in an attempt to shed something. while linda has her own goals, i suspect that my ultimate goal is to cook the pot at a roaring boil, to see what bubbles to the surface. and then to see if i can skim it off the top.

of course the festivus reference comes from seinfeld. i am sure there will be' airing of grievances', and the 'feats of strength' are a given. only we could come up with an event that marries the highest buddhist philosophy, cocktail hour, a fat ass race and a joke from an irreverent sitcom. i have been looking forward to this for months. in a few weeks, i promise to give a glimpse into what transpired as we transcended. until then i'll leave you with the words of sri chinmoy:

"There is only one perfect road, and that road is ahead of you.
Always ahead of you."