13 January 2013

 

I heard francheska speak at the Rotary Club of Point Loma about the Holocaust.  She said two magic words that attracted me ‘one’ and ‘love’. She was advising people to love each other and that we are one. When I heard this I knew I had to see her. At the club I told her I’d like to interview her. She gave me her number and I rang her a few days later.

I organised to catch the train up to Carlsbad north of San Diego to meet her.

On the day I walked down Canon Street in Point Loma and down to Rosecrans Street and then caught the 28. I sat on the bus and I noticed most of the passengers appeared Afro American. I reflected on class and discrimination. I spoke to the afro lady next to me to really connect. She and I had a lovely chat and then she got off. I watched another Afro American lady and imagined her life and I had this feeling ‘we miss out on her’, whenever we discriminate and make someone smaller or screen them out on the basis of culture, colour, gender etc. we lose. I wonder at the Gandhi’s, the Einsteins out there that are ignored because of the ignorance of others. When we really give people equality then they can dare to dream and actually go for something bigger than what others think. Everyone is great, Patch Adams said that, I agree deeply.

I got to Old town (old mexican area) and looked for the train to Carlsbad. I checked with a few people and bought a $5.50 ticket. I asked a Anglo American if this was the right train, she got a surprise. I happened to follow her onto the train and sat behind her. I am sure she moved feeling scared. I have had two experiences here where I’ve sought to say hello or made contact to find the women involved got scared. I am not scary it is a reflection of a culture thta fears strangers. I laughed actually, it would never happen in Australia. Australian’s are pretty friendly, I would not like to live in a culture where I don’t trust women. That is a sign things are getting out of hand.

Anyway I joyfully sat on the train and the ticket conductor came, he was cheery, checked my ticket and off he went. I enjoyed looking out the window at the landscape moving past. Eventually the train rain alongside the ocean. It was beautiful to watch. I find the matting in the windows distracting as it darkens the windows and makes it harder to see through. The train passed encinidas and I felt to get off intuitively but continued on. I noticed the Self Realisation Fellowship which was started by Paramahansa Yogananda. My friend Elia had taken me there to see the peace garden and I had hoped to return. So I saw the building as I passed by in the train.

I arrived at Carlsbad and went for a cup of coffee at the Village. I had a lovely coffee and returned calls to my new friend Valerie. I had missed her calls the day before so she was not free on Thursday to meet, she suggested Friday. I was going to go to Los Angeles on Friday but I ended up changing that plan.

I rang Francheska the Holocaust survivor. She indicated she was in Encinitas and I ended up deciding to catch a bus back there. I was happy as it lead me back to the Self Realisation Fellowship. So I stood at the bus stop and chatted with an elderly guy. He brought up the issue of immigration and I added that I feel we are one world and that certainly in Australia we have enough room. I feel we have to work as one world rather than nation states all competiting and feeling resentment against people. The reality is most people would not want to leave their country but economic or war issues are often the reason for flight from countries. I think we as a global community have to face the fact that war doesn’t work and causes environmental, social and economic damamge. We need to learn how to resolve conflict and work together in a global community. International law must be strengthened and global rules followed rather than money talking. We spoke of the drug issue in Central America and the demand in the United States. Again to look at why the demand, why do people demand drugs? what is missing? We found ourselves agreeing and both desiring a world that is cooperative. He was a lovely guy and we both jumped on the bus.

I travelled on the bus again along the oceanside, it was lovely. I saw a pod of dolphins and wished to see whales, one day maybe. There is a migration happening.

I arrived at Encinitas railway station. I waited a little while and saw a grey car pull into the carpark, intuitively I knew it was Francheska. She had her husband in the passenger street. She was wearing a striking yellow top. She is a very beautiful woman at 80 plus and was indeed a stunning younger woman, so sad to reflect on such a sad childhood in 4 concentration camps.

We went to her house a lovely home overlooking a national park. She new her neighbours and told me she had 3 boys, very handsome. Her husband was a good looking man and formerly a trank driver in the army. He was born in Cuba. He was suffering dementia, a little hard to tell at first until he repeated himself. He told me he met her at a party. She opened the door and he knew he would marry this beautiful woman. They have both travelled the world and had interesting lives.

We talked about my work and Francheska was keen to learn about my life, the peace work and how I survived. I told her of my spiritual feeling and she shared with me her thoughts and ideas. We spoke for quite a while and I felt such a warmth towards her. She was a signficiant person to me and I felt a genuine connection. I felt she did as well. We were both desirous of peace in this world. She had deep experiences of cruelty and pain and I had inspiration around connecting people to love each other and work on inner peace. We were on a similar path.

She at first indicated she didn’t want a film interview. I thought we had agreed to that. She is a private person. I couldn’t think of anyway to record her story as the Jewish media had recorded her story in print at Rotary. I couldn’t see how I could add to that. She is a very kind woman and was seeking to help me but didn’t want film. She agreed to talk about something. I didn’t mind if it was unrelated, my feeling was to let her express what she would like to. I gave control of the interview to her to speak about what she wanted.

In the end she agreed to talk and she spoke of her experience in the Holocaust. What she did for me and through me was extremely generous but her desire to do her duty to the next generation was strong.

I sat there and listened to her describing her time in the concentration camp and the women that protected her from the Nazi’s. How the Nazi asked her if she felt lucky (her last name meant lucky) she said she hoped so. She could go to the left (gas chamber) or the right (work camp). The latter meant survival but many died of diseases and hunger. They were starved, beaten, tormented and in constant fear of being shot. You just can’t imagine such a world. She went to Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. She had seen it all as a 10 year old. At the end of the interview I mentioned the bullying in schools and the fact that the bully has no feeling for the person bullied. I asked her to give advice to children. Her message was to love each other. I can think of no more important message. She brought up the Palestinians and asked me to help them. I really loved that message in particular as in the past I had wondered why jews from the Holocaust didn’t say anything about the Palestinians given the prison camp they are living in. It is a reality, there is a huge wall around Palestine and gunships flying in as a war is still going on. My prayer is that they can come together and coexist. So I took that as a message to me.

So many avoid words like love but it is the way to peace, in fact it is peace. Peace is not political it is spiritual and it is our true nature. She told me at the end of the interview that an angel was looking after her. I could see that easily.

I gave her a hug and we returned to the kitchen. We talked for a while longer and then she offered to take me to the Self Realisation Fellowship centre. I wanted to walk in the peace garden. Her husband kindly let me sit in the front so we could continue talking. She was articulate, intelligent, compassionate and courageous. It caused her pain every time she spoke of the Holocaust but she continued to do it as there were people saying it didn’t exist. She showed me her stamped numbers on her arm identifying her as a jew in the prison camp.

We arrived at the peace garden. Her husband repeated himself many times with the same question and I saw the struggle she would have keeping on repeating herself and perhaps the lonliness she may have. She was strong and capable and he was in good hands. She parked and the three of us walked into this beautiful garden of ponds, flowers, ferns and fish. We walked a little way together and she then said she had to go get her husband. I am sure we would have walked a lot longer. I was grateful she came. We hugged again and I told her ‘I love you’, I so felt the bond. She said she would always remember me in the peace garden. Such a beautiful brave soul and such a lovely place for us to part.

I stood their no more than 5 minutes when a lady chatted to me quietly. She loved the gardens and I told her I was a peace clown and we ended up walking together. We decided to go to the bookshop and look for a coffee shop. We mosied around the bookshop and bought a few things and then she took me to her car and we drove to a coffee place. She told me about her family and her love of Carlsbad. She wanted to move back to this area, she currently lived 350 miles away. We had a fantastic chat and she drove me around a bit, we visited a bookshop and second hand clothes. She then dropped me off. We both felt a privilege to meet and she also felt inspired by our meeting.

I just marvel at the strangers that become friends so quickly. Nancy was a lovely person and shared her life with me over a few hours. I hope she will stay in touch.

I then caught the train back to San Deigo and bussed it to Point Loma and saw my lovely hosts Belle Anne and Bob. They sat with me for an hour with a nice glass of red as I recounted my day. Such great people. I feel so blessed and definitely watched over in this life.

Peace is already my world and I see no-one unacceptable. However, we do need to learn from history and shift the paradigm to a world where the power of love overcomes the love of power, this is true peace.