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the challenge that lies ahead for
the goddess Ixchel...
2/12/2011
although it is evident the island is
gearing up to be much more of a tourist destination than at any time in its
history, aggressively marketing the island while prepping for a pronounced
increase in tourism in the years ahead, i am hopeful the future will bring a
renewed sense of the spirit of the island that has existed for much of the
last couple thousand years…or longer…
i wonder whether or not the island can continue it’s place in history as a
sacred place…as a sanctuary…as a place for peace…
it is becoming increasingly rare to see the markers of a civilization that
once saw the island as a spiritual place, with large abandoned real estate
investment projects sitting like a brick and mortar reminder of human greed,
blocking a view of the colorful water below…unfortunately, I am afraid there
are more to follow…
yet i can still feel the magic of the island…it is all around us, all the
time…
the Mayans knew this (and their descendants that still inhabit the island) as
they worshiped the goddess Ixchel and built a temple for her…
they could feel the healing powers…the
medicinal properties of the water…the warmth in their soul…the peace and
tranquility it provides to this day…
where else in the world can a person not care if the person next to them is
democrat or republican …a Red Sox fan or a Yankees fan …an Irishman or a
Mayan?
and a place where our imaginary
boundaries have little significance?
for a brief time while here, all that
nonsense seems so silly and completely irrelevant …
while some would say i romanticize about the island, i believe this to be real
and not perceived…and to use her and leave her behind like a mistress is
tragic…to treat her like a prostitute for short term pleasures is shameful…
the island has turned the corner and made the irreversible decision to cater
to the masses – a decision which cannot be undone easily and most likely never
will …and she will become known for other reasons…
yet the last three years of my life, albeit a short time frame in the grand
scheme of things, have provided several insights to my fragile, uneducated
mind…
one of which is that the island has proven itself worthy of her reputation as
a healer…
although it is not appropriate to share my experiences in the last 3 years
along with the experiences of others, suffice it to say it has been filled
with some of the darkest depths of the human condition, only to be trumped by
the most magnificent healing that can be sent only from a loving God…
while many visitors seem intent on securing trivial materialistic pleasures, I
am blessed to encounter people from all walks of life that arrive in search of
much, much more and find it in abundance in their own hearts…it was there all
along, all they needed was some enlightenment from the presence of energy that
surrounds them when they pay attention…
people that could not breathe can breathe deeply again…and people with such
sorrow in their hearts it burns in the deepest way imaginable can now grieve,
regroup and move forward with hope…and people battered with pain can heal and
resume functionality…
so as they scurry from hotel to bar to beach to restaurant in suicidal taxis,
in search of the perfect experience they read about on Trip Advisor, i am
hopeful the hoards will not trample the resilient spirit of Ixchel …
my guess is she is competent and up for the challenge…
Jimbo
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