Later in the afternoon.
I have been sitting in the cafe all day as the weather has steadily worsened. It's now pouring with rain again and the winds are getting stronger. They're predicting gale force winds. I have to trust that my little tent and I will be grounded all night long and get through the night just fine.
Tonight the group of us, Doug, Andy, Brigitte, Steve and his wife will all head up to the pub for a "buy 1, get 1" free meal. An older woman who had been sitting in here all afternoon on her computer - she told me that the thunderstorm the other night knocked out her phone line so she has had no Internet, so she came down here for afternoon to play her computer game - let me know about this special coupon. We then asked the man who works here about it, and he gave us the phone number so we called and made a reservation for 6. A community comes together under strange circumstances.
Doug and his crew are part of waterability.co.uk, a nonprofit organization that offers waterskiing to the disabled. Doug used to work for the London Underground until he had an accident in a public swimming pool that left him with a broken neck. With the disability he receives, as well as an innovative surgery he received four years ago to regain mobility in his neck, he now has tens of thousands of pounds worth of equipment - a boat, wetsuits, skiing equipment from sofas to seats to skis, and life preservers, plus tents and cooking equipment, to serve the disabled and give them an opportunity to experience the joys of waterskiing.
Brigitte was one of those to receive his services and now is an assistant. She first started waterskiing back in 2008, and was unsteady, unsure and in Doug's words, a wallflower. Now, she starts off just about by herself (with only a tiny bit of help from Doug), is very steady and confident, and off the water, is a "dragonfly", again in Doug's words, and also in my experience. She is warm, confident, funny and engaging. We are now friends on Facebook, at her request!
Andy is a little older than me, a graphic designer who drives the boat, and also is in business with his wife to reform education and learning, working with both the teachers and the students. He's been helping me get some helpful apps, including the weather map one with the pictures of the storm that's here now, and is also helping me find the easiest and best way to get to Gatwick to meet Michael on the 26th.
I haven't connected with the other couple as much - I know that they've ridden a motorcycle here from Devon, and their plans have been dampened. They're heading to Newquay tomorrow in hopes of better weather and if not, more to do if the weather doesn't improve.
I feel very held inside this warm building as the storm rages outside. How does it get any better than this? This truly is the "glory" part of "my life comes to me with joy, ease and glory." Life does happen, including this dense storm, yet here I am surrounded with good people, great food, lattes and tea, and will get to eat another delicious dinner at the Golden Lion pub tonight which is warm, fun with great food and cider! I am so blessed.
As I head back out to my tent, (I hope that it is still there!) I just want to include this reflection.
This part of Cornwall is beautiful and friendly, but I do not feel a belly connection to it. I like it, but I loved West Penrith, west of Penzance. I experienced a different feeling there - a connection, a resonance. I do not feel that here. This feels like a necessary part of the journey to go from where I started to the part of the Cornwall that does feel more like home...we will see if that is actually my experience, but this is a necessary part of the journey, to go through the unknown and unfamiliar and to know this experience. So that when my experience shifts and changes, I will be aware of the shift and changes. We will see what the path continues to share and offer.
Solvitur Ambulando!
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