Uphill Process

As I am thinking about the whole concept of having a connection, I contemplate the idea behind having a connection. Am I connected to a particular person, or people, a family, a tribe, or a place?

The things that have been happening these past few years are nothing special. I mean, South Cotabato, the family I spent so much time with, and the Tboli tribe, all are not extraordinary. To the average observer, they are certainly interesting, but not extraordinary.

There's that African tribe that has the dancers who bounce their feet while impossibly not moving their bodies. The strength and skill to do such a thing is incredible! There's the tribe in Thailand that handles cobras. They get tattoos that have cobra venom in them that eventually makes them immune to the cobra's bite. They can interact with these beautiful and dangerous creatures without fear. There is a tribe in New Guinea where they harvest their own hair to make hats and to trade. There's a tribe on an isolated island that attacks, with intent to kill, anybody who comes near. They are the ultimate xenophobes!

I contemplate these thoughts, and I realize one thing that I am absolutely sure of! These are NOT my words! That is what I think other people might say. Other people might think these people have nothing extraordinary about them. Whatever brought me to them, it is not because they have the fastest feet, or the coolest tattoos. These things are superficial. It's the connection. Nothing more. Nothing less. For me, this makes them the most amazing people, living in the most amazing place! The Tboli tribe and their land have Ancient Magic!

This started as a message to my sister, when I realized when the moment was that I first really felt this connection! I thought it was when I sat in a hotel in Valdez, Alaska, one December evening in 2018. Now I know better. It was in March that year that I was planning my first vacation in the Philippines. There was one little detail. I had this feeling I wanted to go to Davao, but I did not really have time in my plans to go there. Mindanao had a reputation for being a rather dangerous place, too, so I was hesitant

I was talking with a friend of mine online about life's challenges. This person offered to pray that I find happiness and things like that. I had this thought. I said, "Can you pray for guidance for me?" I got my guidance, and decided I am going to Davao, in Mindanao. I made the plans and booked the flight. Later that night, as I took a moment to relax, I played "Some Nights" by Fun. I felt a surge of emotion, that felt like I had done The Right Thing! The music and the feeling came together, and brought me to happy tears! This was a new thing for me! Two and a half years ago, I first began to open up to this connection!

At first, that connection was with one person. See The Great Clarification for details. Later, I was connected to a group of people. I connected to individuals, and a whole family, and things kept happening as I allows this connection to flow! Trying to hold on to an individual connection only created pain. Instead of allowing all connections to work together in harmony, since we are all connected, I tried to control one particular connection. All this did was threaten the single most important connection, and that is the connection I have with myself.

When I really try to look back at when this big connection first started, I see events that happened before I was 10 years old, and realize this connection has always existed. I simply had to see it and allow it to Be. When I tried to meddle, I broke things. When I let it be, things came together.