Spiritual Awakenings

The Last Pink House on Cowboy Sreet can also be found in Livingston Montana.  While in Utah and New Mexico, I embraced the spiritual elements of the Navajo and Ute tribes.  All hogans face east to greet the day.  The Bear Dance is danced to bring bring in a good harvest and help Bear find his way to warm hiberation through the winter.  Kivas, left by the Anastazi are sacred spaces.  The Anastazi painted a perfect sun dagger location in Chaco Canyon to capture the sun dagger at solstice.  Going hiking the back country and finding a Navajo sweat lodge that was seriously old grounded me to the power of belief.


Artificats found on Indian land, like rock painting can only be seen from the back of a horse with an Indian guide, or in the backcountry on foot.  My soul was awakened by my experience in Utah and New Mexico.  There was a balance and a faltering like a gyroscope.


After leaving the desert southwest for the east coast, I felt an emptiness.  As diverse and culturally exciting and interesting DC is, I never had the feeling that I belonged.  I fit in really well but something was lacking.  I kept looking for a link back to the west.


My destination was Livingston Montana.  (Parental warning; obcentity will be used).  I have wanted to live in Montana since I was a kid.  I Really wanted to go to MSU, in Bozeman.   When the job offer came in, my first reaction to my friends is I'm going to fucking Montana!  Who does this??  It was never just I'm going to Montana, it was always fucking Montana.  Still is actually.


I felt that I would be able to reawaken my spirtuality and connectedness with the earth in the Northern Rockies.  It has taken six years, but I believe I am on a journey of discovery and reconnectedness with the tribes, this time the Crow.


Livingston is a cool little town, but if you see anyone of color, you notice.  I have never lived in such a homogenous place.  Taking a road trip one Saturday, Jeff and I stopped at huge roadsign sign telling you where you are (between the Bridgers, the Beartooth and the Absorkees) and the Crow tribe had been deeded that land in the 1800's.   There is not an Indian, that I have seen, for 100's of miles from that road sign.



My spiritual awakening also incorporates my Jewish heritage and traditions.  I turned my back on Judiasm and any other organizated relgion for 30 years.  I remember thinking my mother gets so much from her practice of Judiasm.  She was even Bat Mitzvahed at age 65.  I did not have any good feeling whenever I stepped foot in a synagogue and I remember cursing God and walking out of Yom Kippur services and never looking back. 


I am beginning to get it.  We have an amazing Rabbi in Chabad who is not only one of the coolest people I have met, but wise and extremely open to people like Jeff, who is not Jewish, or me, who is Jewish, to explain and talk and discuss.  Chabad is ultra orthdox.  Men are seperated from women by a wood screen during services.  Strangly, I am not offended by the segregation.  Most women are very conservative and wear long skirts/dresses and the Rabbi's wife always wears a wig in public.


Now is my time to try to connect with the spiritual through the elements of earth, air, fire and water and incorporate that to my Jewish heritage.  Living in the Northern Rockies is wonderful and hard. 
Close your eyes and Jump.  You will either be Caught, or Learn to Fly.