The excuse for this thread is that it could give courage to those who are like myself frequently resisting from allowing what has come through study and observation and experience, to surface in a helpful way, with a stranger. ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL as I only want to serve in that way, ever.
I doubt that I will be able to continue this courageous when on the mainland depending on the setting in which I end up. But maybe.
In any case, it is only a recent trait; formerly I was a rabbit and so distracted and worried by work responsibilities that I was in tunnel vision. Maybe it is association with St. Terese of Jesus, who thought of herself as more of a man a woman... but... there are benefits to being female when approaching others with information. When gifted with chutzpah or courage or whatever it is that allows it to be received undefensively - whether Mormons, another topic, or the below focus, on Jєωs.
That said lately there has been an abundance of special circuмstances with regard to Jєωs. This group is as scarce as ... use any analogy that comes to mind, in Hawai'i. This is the polar opposite of New York City or Harvard - as the professors rightly said they would not visit Hawai'i as it is boring. No, I did not go to Harvard. Read further.
But, being from the part of the East Coast where Hillary Clinton hangs out, I grew up around at least a few and particularly under the influence of New York City as it was our family's cultural center, in a way, since Westchester County can't be said now nor then as having a clear culture - at least one that my father in particular wanted us to experience and become comfortable with.
This followed by working with several nationally known game theorists and other economists in the Harvard Economics Department including Lawrence Summers, once US Treasury Secretary. No! I did not 'go to Harvard' but do quality for mensa as I learned through a test taken to get into graduate school.
So: Jєωs are rare. It is somewhat interesting to know that, due to a very new survey we now know that two places hold the first and second place in the country for number of persons id'ing as 'gαy,' etc. - Washington, DC at 10%, and Hawai'i at 5.1%. That information will be important for one of the adventures I will briefly describe.
Also I go around wearing a Mongolian jet rosary with large black beads - as a statement. I strung and had it restrung by the Sisters of Carmel, in Boulder. And I carry another one, lately, since my degree of restlessness means 15 decades come about through walking - using St. Louis de Montfort's bead by bead method silently, which does recollect the mind and keep it on the mysteries.
I am much more recollected before and after I go out into public.
So... folks see this, and there is never a problem in fact once recently, a particular person I have noticed actually crossed himself. I very much doubt he is Catholic. He is though, someone I can see by looking at him, has some good qualities. This is among large numbers of Honolulu-ans without visible good qualities - for example, one long long long long line recently with just about all economic groups represented - merely waiting for a 25 cent plate lunch from a local place. Wow... around the block a couple of times by Walmart. I really feel sorry... oh well. It is partly and perhaps the tropical ambiance .... that does this.
On to the first story.
1. About... a year ago now or nine months, I regularly passed someone and when I saw him for the first time, he was wearing a Jєωιѕн star around his neck. Knowing αѕнкenαzι Jєωs enough to recognize them as well as I can, generally, recognize pre-Vatican II Catholics... and seeing his skin color, dark skin, I knew he was claiming something that may in fact have been true, but not of the kind of Jєω I knew. In any case: he noticed the rosary and spoke with a smile - something like Jєωs were the first Christians. I came back right away with and they rejected him. IN any case... time passed, and later, and I am not making this up, but later, he came up to me in roughly the same area of town, and shook my hand. His star was gone. We kind of related to each other enough so that we connected nicely. All he needed from me was the visceral honesty he got on that first meeting when I was given the grace to say exactly enough in the right way.
2. The second story is much more recent. About two weeks ago, I passed, on my way to Walmart, a young man with backpack - this can easily mean several things, in Honolulu. IN any case: his face was not at all like the usual Honolulu face, so clearly to my eyes a very spiritually oriented soul - . I very much wanted to say something to him, but passed him by and shortly ran into someone else for whom I am praying, and who has become closer to me in the sense that he has taken my Catholic materials and is trying, at least, to use it to conquer himself. He is an addict, and has fallen very far from where he started out. I am certain he will come around - he is already in a hospital evidently, which was a step to an apartment. He lost a leg to gangrene. I taught him to repeat, Jesus Mary I love you. Save souls. He liked that and has been repeating it but still has problems. ANYWAY! I ended up giving him what I wanted to give to the man I had passed - a note because the only thing I had with me was a copy of a prayer to the shoulder wound of Christ, which I found in the Pieta Prayer Book, which the gentleman had lost and really liked... but the note was written on it. I went back to the bus stop area after talking with the friend just mentioned, and the stop was empty. The passenger had boarded. So I gave the note and the second copy of the prayer to my friend. That was that.
Then, earlier this week, I went to another area of Honolulu entirely where I go once a week. I collect bottles and cans solely as recreation and exercise... but it also means I have contact with other people and I like casing the neighborhood. I go to the State House and check the recycling bins on the Senate floor, early in the morning. Sitting by the water - the State House in Honolulu being appropriately encircled by water, with fish, - was the young man I had passed. I was certain, so certain I spoke with him and said all I had wanted to say, which wasn't much: you seem to me to belong in a monastery. I can tell by looking at your face and you generally - he was watching a little drama occurring with others who hang out near the water at the State House early in the morning, waiting as he said for his bank to open... and observed to me several things that were currently occupying his mind. He responded to my initial comments.
He told me he is Jєωιѕн, and that his sister had converted. After I gave him the name of the monastery I recommended he investigate - he said, 'one thing at a time' - he is focused on matters related to his material security. I am not sure of his recent history but he was perfectly sane. I gave him carmelitemonks.org - to which I would apply were I male and in the age range and clear about what is the ordination of the priests who serve - whether it is Paul VI or preceding.
So: that young man looked so so different from Honolulu people that I should have known he was Jєωιѕн. He and I agreed that there are very few in Hawai'i. He was born and raised here. He seemed open to the idea of investigating a monastery. I would never ever have spoken up except that his general demeanor was SO obviously of a special type, in my eyes. The words were well met.
3. Even more amazing was today. I left Down To Earth and could not help but overhear one gentleman tell an older man listening to him, that he 'not wanting to put a label on it' was obsessive compulsive disordered, he had learned. I left the area but could not put that out of my mind. The people involved were not typical Honolulu of any stripe except the older man looked Jєωιѕн to me; the younger may have been too. In any case. I went back and begged their attention and said, there is no way you can deal with this other than systematic prayer prefacing that with it is all original sin - everyone around us, same thing. Well! Both people responded. The man who had spoken, the younger one, thanked me and said I was right - both men thanked me rather forcefully for speaking up - I told them in all honesty thank you for accepting this from me! And left. So....
In my opinion, whatever else is going on today, at least here in Honolulu it seems to me that.... there is a time of mercy happening for however long prelude to the difficult times ahead. I always think, when I say 'My God I believe I adore I trust and I love thee and I beg pardon for all those who do not believe do not adore do not trust and do not love thee' yet.
4. Finally, another anecdote of this week. A man with a belly wearing a shocking pink tee shirt and plastic Jєωeled necklaces spoke to me at a crossing light to ask, is that your natural color? My hair is naturally very light so I said yes. Here, too few people chose to keep their natural black hair many people bleach - including children whose parents do it to them. This includes Japanese who streak and lighten subtly - anything but black, for enough of them to make it fairly usual. This man looked like one of those who came to Hawai'i from the mainland because the state is very liberal if understatedly so. I am not sure of this of course, but he looked Jєωιѕн to me. I have seen one other Jєω who was so out of place in his own culture that he must have been mentally isolated to a great degree. This was certainly the case with the man who spoke to me. and for if I recall correctly, the same reason.
More later on others. It is very interesting here and whites are certainly nothing special or common.
Topic: Courage, Jєωs, Pacific Islanders, Japanese, Chinese Loyalties in Hawai'i (Read 841 times)