And The Winners Are…

We just returned from a week in Guadalajara. Such an amazing experience. The Guadalajara Country Club has been offering this Sr. Tennis Tournament for 39 years! It is easily the best tournament you can imagine. The club is beautiful. Even has an equestrian center so you can whisper to horses between matches. And several restaurants offering views of the putting green or children riding scooters by the pool. The food is yummy and reasonably priced. They give you lockers and morning fruit and afternoon snacks. Pretty much anything you need they will gladly provide. Also a fun gift… this year a navy vest to wear if you want to look proper. Not our usual hippie style, but I must say I loved the vest on Steve! Nice with his Mexico haircut.

But what really sets this tournament apart is the hospitality. I never feel more welcomed and appreciated. So who are the winners? All of us! Forget the age, language, culture, and status or ability differences. At the end of the week…After sharing time on the courts. On the dance floor. And around the table. I am sure we are all in One Big Circle of Winners. Thank you to my partner, my friends and opponents, and especially to the Guadalajara Country Club.

Well done! See ya next year.

AND FROM STEVE: SOUL TRAIN

I was never one for pictures. I felt a little superstitious. I read once that some indigenous cultures felt  having your picture taken was losing a little bit of your soul. 

Then cell phones happened and pictures of everything were being snapped constantly. So that thought abated when I saw the pleasure that people had taking photos. Still in most photos I am not smiling😊. 

There is something to the idea that we lose parts of our soul along the way in life. Especially growing up, I once paid someone to do a soul retrieval. I was curious what would happen. Soul retrieval is sort of a treasure hunt for the lost parts of your soul. The person hunting is hopefully a bit psychic. I must say that I was more skeptical than curious. 

It’s an imaginary journey into caves and closets and hidden corners in the world to look for lost parts of your soul, 

if I was looking for a lost parts of my soul, I would first look for joy…what stole the idea that I can be joyful in my life. I would look for deep listening… what stole my ability to listen. Well I would definitely look for celebration. How did I learn that celebration was a suspicious activity. And how about sensuality?

I guess if I’m going to do any soul retrieval I think I’ll do it myself. 

I’m going to look in the belly of a dragon for my sense of peace. I’m going to look in a John Travolta 1980s disco for my sense of joy. I bet my ability to listen is hidden in a Buddhist robe and some smokin’ hot sensuality is probably in another pocket of that Buddhist robe as well.

I love my morning this morning. I bathed in love and self-acceptance. I was glad for the day, I let myself be me. And welcomed my truest self to the day.