Channeling Women
This is ironic, I thought as the movie plays on my screen. Two ladies were standing in the Norwegian fiord of wooden houses looking much like the two women characters that I portrayed in my story titled, A Special Invite. The movie titled, Babettes Feast held a special interest to me because of this. The actress, Bodi Kjer resembled my Character Broom Haditha, while the actress, Brigitte Federspiel resembled Broom Hilda. The Feast was about an exotic dinner prepared for the church colony brought from Paris by a young servant. With a Danish cast, filmed in Norway I read the subtitles that rolled like the fresh looking Ocean they lived by. Bringing the goods needed for the Feast by boat, i could see the outlandish recipe of a Giant Sea Turtle! It was large enough to be ancient, while the community was unsure about how to handle her request as they agree to try the food. The two Sister’s faces became meaningful to me as they seemed to say they were manifested in my story making me wonder if I had channeled their spirits. Underneath the flickering candles of the dinner, I admired their beauty & gracefulness making old age look enlightening. They told tales together, praying as a church. The story I titled, A special Invite rings a similar bell. I began the composition with an exotic recipe consisting of a Stuffed Camel. I added lamb, kabob & Arabic coffee with talk of fishy salted sweets & spices. A Special Invite tells of what every elderly person desires, a fountain of youth. I wish the Danish ladies could act in my stories, bringing them to life. They somehow are up there floating in the spirit world, smiling as their eyes connected to my soul. They came to me, as I pondered on whom I could portray as inspiring women. A dragon would be an interesting meal. A mythical creature manifesting from the sea tasting like Tuna fish. Both women in Babettes Feast reminded me of women I had known before. A Sponcer I had years ago had a similar style. With her long hair in a bun & Victorian dress she kept her charm. She always stressed the importance of the eleventh step in the program of recovery. Sought through prayer & meditation, is the whole principle of step Eleven. To improve a solid conscious contact with a chosen God of your own understanding. Back then it seemed the entire city was seeking a higher power. I remember seeing many bumper stickers in traffic that read, I’m a friend of Bill W. Maybe the fact that the brewery is downtown is the reason for a city that had a Spiritual Awakening. Their was much camaraderie with speaker meetings at the shipyard & Meetings at the little yellow house at Seaside. When I needed guidance from pain & stress she would support me like a rocking chair of wisdom. Pain is the touchstone of all Spiritual matters. She said when i couldn’t open a can of tuna in my new environment. It was like being in a new atmosphere, like a baby having to make its first step. celebrating our Sobriety birthdays together, She excepted a few gifts, stating she preferred only signed cards. The reason for not approving of gifts was because others without would feel left out. It was all underground, like a speak easy, where people would file in, some never to return back. They explained that many couldn’t grasp & hold onto a standard of living without drinking. Getting sober is not natural for us, she would say. Picture a fish swimming upstream, against the currents. I attended many meetings at the Grotto in a tiny room they called, the Chicken Coop. I remember one woman who opened the door, sticking her face in asking, what are you? Someone replied, AA, where she said, Well God bless you. Like we were a group of lepers. It wasn’t that bad because there were elders that led the way. I will always remember Beatrice holding her Unity Church daily word. I visited that non denominational church while volunteering in the book store. Beatrice liked their philosophy of meditation as part of the service. Baptizing a baby with Rose petals instead of water while reading a poem by Khalil Gibran. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The poem stresses how every child has their own path, directed by God giving them protection. With the current world situation in danger, I am pleased to find the return of prayer that reminds me of the past I had. Although my Spiritual advisor isn’t with me today, I am grateful for the cinema giving a heartwarming message, such as in Feast of Babette.
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