Finally I mustered, "When you talk, I have a hard time hearing the speaker." The man who had been talking was immediately apologetic as the other I realized had a hearing issue of sorts.
They got up and moved to a table on the far side of the room and I felt temporarily horrible not because I had done anything wrong but because I potentially made these two men feel bad. That was so far from my intent.
During a very brief break between speakers, I walked over and apologized. I quickly explained that with some tones I personally have a hard time hearing. That's when I learned the second man was actually from another country and didn't speak English. His friend was interpreting.
I came home early and went to bed thinking I wouldn't be returning to the conference because I didn't feel well. Instead I awoke feeling surprisingly cured and made it to the Opryland area by 9:00 where to my surprise during the break I saw the two men coming toward me with smiles.
Kazwan from California introduced himself and gave me his brother-in-law's business card. Dr. Al-Sammarraie is a human rights researcher in Qatar in Nashville for the conference. Through his brother-in-law he spoke of trafficking in the Middle East as it relates to boys purchased from impoverished countries and enslaved to be jockey's in camel races similar to our horse races.
Kazwan continued interpreting as we talked about the power of love to alter the world, the mystery of these times and the importance of using tools such as the internet for good in connecting the myriad of souls like ourselves working to be lights in the world.
In the midst of my talking and Kazwan's interpreting, his brother-in-law referred to my talking about the 'magicalness of being.' The Magicalness of Being. Isn't that a beautiful phrase?
As dear souls, we come here knowing the "magicalness of being" and all too early too often this gets repressed, lost and forgotten to varying degrees for a variety of reasons. Some of us loose this magic through the education system as academic competition results in quiet shame for not measuring up to one's peers. Others loose the magic through trauma and abuse, emotionally, mentally and sexually resulting in shame and internal disconnects. I often think mood altering substances and experiences (legal and illegal) are really ways to try to return to this once known state. The "magicalness of being" isn't renewed by living busy, buy-lots-of-stuff lives while tucked away in our homes with our faces in digital devices cut off from Nature and from human contact with those we love and are important to us.
For me the experience I had with these two men was infused with the "magicalness of being." You may judge me as over reacting or overly sensitive but in my younger years I would have been mortified for what occurred and probably would not have approached them out of my own embarrassment. This time I did what came naturally to my 'being' which led to our further exchange and hearing this beautiful phrase.
This for me is at least one aspect of the magicalness of being - being ourselves, showing up and staying awake each in our own personal journey.
Call me naive, call me unrealistic but I believe the 'magicalness of being' holds keys to so many of today's ills.
-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 24 May 2013
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