I spent the day sleeping and finally got up around 4.30pm.  Elia was looking at her laptop.  I gave her a couple of presents – one a angel necklace and the other The Work of Byron Katie. Elia has been practicing non-violent communication and The Work really is the next step. We did a session on non-violent communication and I realised that I had suppressed some emotions as someone had gone silent. The emotions came up and they were followed by other emotions. What I experienced was that I have a deep desire for honesty. I don’t mind if people don’t say what I want, but silence for me, leaves you in a position where you don’t know where you stand. What non-violent communication does is enables you to speak out what you feel, then the facilitator asks what are your needs and keeps listening reflectively until you are finished. So this process enables you to feel your feelings it also encourages finding the feeling in the body. As we store emotions in the body. It was a powerful process. Elia had a go and also released emotions. In her case she hadn’t been honest to me and we were able to be a mirror for each other, so it was a very effective session. The Work is about realising the truth and turning the negative feeling around so it leaves you in peace.

We then went out to a Thai restaurant and had a nice dinner before Elia drove me to the airport. I had a wonderful time nad had a lot of experiences in the US. I have learned a great deal.

At the airport I met Nikoli who was a Zoomba dancer. Both of us compared notes regarding the surprise of American’s when you are friendly. I experienced paranoia from women which really surprised me given that in Australia you would never be concerned about a woman. People have a great deal of fear we both concurred. We went further as it seems that people do their own thing, it is like survival mode, where they can’t cope with anything outside of their own life. Nikoli was very surprised and did try and joke with them and received some negative. We both experienced the homelessness in the States and found ourselves amazed at the size of it and how people walk passed. I even spoke to another Australian who experienced real issues walking passed. I found in my experience people had higher levels of fear than Australians and I saw Australia following that path if it keeps on absorbing the media. It is an imagined fear they are experiencing where they are believing that the world is not a safe place.

So talking with lively Nikoli was a breath of fresh air as he was just bubbling with enthusiasm for life. We were very similar, unafraid of people and engaging life fully. We both concurred we didn’t feel alone in our positivity. It was so good to meet him.

So I jumped on my flight and met with a lovely lady and her son Mark. They were going on tour in Queensland, then New Zealand and onto Fiji. They travel well together the mother said. Her son was a lovely guy very peaceful and kind. She had 5 children and her son Mark was the 4th. He had been successful in the construction area and really loved his work he said. He had property in Hawaii and Santa Monica. Mum was in charge though and I had to smile.

I played with the stewards and even gave a few a massage. They kindly gave me a bottle of bubbley and said that they appreciated my sense of humour and positivity. How nice I thought. I can celebrate with my family my arrival from LA and perhaps the beginning of something new.

I started watching a film called Argo which was a true story. What was interesting in the film was the beginning which depicted a corrupt Shah of Iran propped up by the US Government and the anger of the people against him which ushered in the Ayatollah khomeini. I reflected on the lack of values of the US Government allowed asylum for the Shah, who in the eyes of his people, was a criminal. Values in my view was the central issue and it is easy to see how events escalate and US citizens are put into harms way through national security interests. I didn’t get to finish watching the film but was impressed with the film. The tension in escaping the personal courage of the CIA operative who went against orders and brought them out. It is interesting to me as I spoke to a naval person yesterday on the bus and we spoke about following orders, I was saying you must question. In this film the CIA agent went against orders and took responsibility for the 6 US citizens in the Canadian Embassy and saved their lives. The plan changed as the US was going to rescue the hostages in the US Embassy and they felt it would be embarrassing in 6 US citizens were killed having posed as directors and crew on a film. How they were seen was more important than saving lives was a point clearly made. This highlighted the importance of questioning higher ranking officials and acting on what you know is right. The CIA officer would have regretted for the rest of his life condemning those people to a violent death, instead he risked his life to save them. That is the real spirit of humanity.

I am now in Brisbane and heading to Canberra. Looking forward to going home.