Rachel Naomi Remen
My story began about eight thousand years ago when the goddess Cybele was worshiped in Turkey.
Then in October 2011 I was walking from Xanthos to Latoon and benighted slept on the dry bank of the river. At dawn I arrived at Latoon where the ancient goddess Leto and her daughter Artemis were worshiped. Zeus was the father and his angry wife Hera had chased Leto to Turkey.
A few miles further and I was walking for an hour along this deserted Mediterranean beach.
At the end of the beach I met a Canadian couple. She recommended a lovely little farm at Gavuragth to spend the night. They had just come from there. She was a modest young lady and worked counselling the dying. Very relaxed we talked for some time about her work. I later read a book she recommended by Kubler Ross, ‘Death and Dying’, but today I looked in my notebook and for the first time found her own story, ‘Kitchen Table Wisdom’ on the internet.
http://rachelremen.com/ktw.html
“All stories are full of bias and uniqueness, they mix fact with meaning, they are more real than right. This is the root of their power. Stories allow us to see something familiar through new eyes. We become in that moment a guest in someone else's life, and together with them sit at the feet of their teacher. The meaning we may draw from someone's story may be different from the meaning they themselves have drawn. No matter. Facts bring us to knowledge, but stories lead to wisdom.
The best stories have many meanings; their meaning changes as our capacity to understand and appreciate meaning grows. Revisiting such stories over the years, one wonders how one could not have seen their present meaning all along, all the time unaware of what meaning a future reading may hold. Like the stories themselves, all these meanings are true.”
That night at Gavuragth I was delighted with my hospitality. They spoke no English and I was as happy as in paradise. Now months later I’m delighted to to have been a guest in the same house as Rachel Naomi Remen. I will order her book.
Labels: artemis, death, gavuragth, latoon, leto, rachel, remen, turkey
posted by johnthebarman at 6:03 pm
9 Comments:
incredible posting. thank you John.
Orients me, and makes me feel more related, to things I want to understand, but do not.
I have the 2 books of Rachel Naomi Remen: Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings. Those books are loaded with insights. A very gifted writer.
Thanks for those responses. I expected Vergavia to have heard of her. It was a lovely meeting in an incredible setting. I think it is best, as she did, not to flaunt ones achievements. Yes vergavia I've just ordered those books. We share the world with incredible people and don't always hear them.
There are so many insightful writers, John, but not that well known. Those two books by Dr. Remen are inspiring, loaded with life-giving wisdom and can be vessels for transformation.
he said: I go back to work on other side of Scotland for another month.
me said: the things we do to feed our family
and an after thought, who will tend the garden?
good to see you John.
Just came by to say hello. Good to see John. When you are out and about, I always wonder, does he really have time to blog and check up on us.
like all, this varies. some times are busier than others. Summer and busy. I am.
be well John. Just wanted to say hello. thanks for dropping by.
Hello Seedrum. I'm often rushing around doing things that I think I need to do to survive and I sometimes miss a few of your blogs. Great weather for weeks on end but I have to water garden. This morning I took time out and kayaked to a lagoon between two islands. Deep blue sea and turquoise over sandy bits. Climbed to top for views of Skye and Rhum. What do you do when you are in paradice? My wife Constance is away helping with our 7 month grand twins. Hope you are well. I am fit but bit tired.
john said: on a busy street in California. All alone.
I replied: new ways of communicating what mankind experiences
paranoia and it could shut me down, but I write and play with ideas and words.
it gets me through my day, and yes I go out to confront that which is the Urban Stare. And when I have had enough, I go inside...my head and heart and into the Tomb of Tomorrow, where I look back and see, My Charmed Life, once of the planet earth, but now and then, mostly I seek the tone that rings as we play and then receive The Sound of Music and the thunder of a hungry hawk. good to see you John. Appreciate your presence.
Thanks Seedrum. I will listen for the tone that rings as we play. The thunder of the hungry hawk scares me. I used to lay down playing dead to see if if a hawk flying above would dive. Through fear or impatienceI I have never waited long enough . In fact I often dice with death on mountains or in waves on in my kayak.
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