On The Road with Ken Tuvman, featuring Tim Looney

Back in the '60's Honda had a jingle "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." Well there is something about riding on two wheels that attracts the attention of others.

I often ride alone and at a recent rest stop in Montana, a trucker came up to talk with me when Tim Looney rides up on his 1955 Military Issue Royal Enfield motorcycle. As the pictures shows, there is a reason why Montana is called "Big Sky Country." Absolutely drop dead gorgeous! I often stop for a nature break and just to get off my bike and stretch out a bit. Some of my days on my recent 6,000 mile trek across the United States, kept me glued to my m/c seat for as many as twelve hours - some people think "how can anyone sit on a bike that long?" The answers are: a) take breaks often b) the exhilaration of riding on two wheels and c) the liberating feeling of accomplishment. Every day when I get off my bike safely, I have thoughts of thanks and gratitude for my Higher Power keeping me safe. There's a lot to go wrong on a bike and I'm not talking mechanical but certainly it's up there on the list. The top perils are objects flying off vehicles - retread tires off trucks. buckets flying out of the back of a pickup and four legged animals running in front of you.

BUT the "rush" outweighs the "risk" for me. I know I'm a little on the manic side but somehow my HP gave me this gift to really embrace life. I think the other part of the equation is seeing one too many people I knew get sick and die or get killed that I'm focused on keeping a few hundred feet in front of the angel of death as long as I can. I'm not obsessed about dying but really do focus on the passion of living - survival is a natural instinct for humans and animals alike - it's one of those inert built in features our Creator included in the design of being a living organism.

I used my FLIP video camera to interview Tim - what a kick! As I'm asking his last name and not getting it, Tim uses his index finger and uses it to draw imaginary circles around his ear to convey to me that he's nuts! But not really nuts and I'll tell you why . . .

Tim is a retired printer. As our world becomes smaller, it turns out Tim was a part of one of our suppliers - The Drum Line that does a lot of printed notebooks and writing pads in Arkansas.

Tim's in his early sixties and has been riding all his life. His 1955 British Royal Enfield is really a 1999 reproduction. You see, when Britian dominated or controlled India as one of it's colonies, there was a production line in that country making these bikes. When India gained it's independence, it inherited the Royal Enfield factory and production line. So the folks in India just used the existing infrastructure to keep making these bikes the same way they were made in the fifties.

Now, modern motorcycles are made to not breakdown and to feature things like anti lock brakes and fuel injection to keep you humming down the road and safe. Not so with the Royal Enfield. It's a single cylinder 500cc engine with a chain drive instead of a drive shaft, like my BMW K75.

My cruising speed through the Montana Highways is, well, I don't want to say but Tim cruises at 60 miles an hour. He does carry a cell phone but only turns it one once a week because he promised his daughter he would. He has rebuilt every part of the bike and knows what to do when it breaks. He's rebuilt the transmission and engine - he knows how to find top dead center to adjust the valves and timing. So maybe Tim looks like a Looney but he is not. He carries spare military green gas and oil cans on his bike. The British bikes are notorious for throwing oil and Tim's is no exception. It features a Lucas electrical system, which Tim refers to as the "Darth Vader or Dark Side" electrical system - they're notorious for shorting out and such.

But no matter where Tim has been, when the bike breaks, he knows what to do. One day the rear wheel stopped turning - the wheel bearing seized up. He didn't freak out nor did he call Triple A. Tim was in the middle of no place, so what did he do?

He put his bike on the centerstand, removed the rear wheel and then hitched a ride into the nearest town and got lucky by finding a shop that just happened to have a wheel bearing that would replace his existing. Then he was back on the road again. One other fact - modern cars and bikes are fuel injected - this means they'll perform well in most altitudes. When Tim travels over mountain passes such as the Rockies or Oregon Cascades, he has to reset his Carburetor just so he can make it through the pass.

You won't see Tim at the Sturgis rally - "it's not like it used to be," says Tim. Today it's just a bunch of yuppies and wannabies who trailer their bikes and stay in high priced hotels just so they can tool around on their bikes and then put them back on their trailers and take them home. That's not a direct quote but sums up in a nutshell his thoughts on Sturgis.

Instead, you may see Tim tootling around on secondary roads as he makes his way back to Arkansas, using his National Parks pass to camp along the way. Tim's the real deal. He's self-sufficient and reminds me of the Cowboy who with his horse is able to survive the various elements of life and land.

About an hour has passed - I look at my watch and need to say goodbye - I'm expected back home. My wife, Annie has been gracious enough to let me take my epic voyage in the middle of my life. I'm glad I'm not riding the Royal Enfield, as cool as it looks. I'm grateful that I've got my magic carpet that will wisk me home to safety, one leg at a time.

I learned on my trip that there definitely is more out there than just work, work, work. Flip side, without WWW there would have been no trip, trip trip!

A Spiritual Adventure

Hi and sorry for being inconsistent with my posts - just one of my a.d.d. challenges.

Reporting from a Super 8 in Walla Walla, WA where after two nights tenting it at the BMW motorcycle rally (like a Woodstock (kinda)) needed a good night sleep and a washer and dryer so I could do some wash. Now have clean clothes - how about gratitude for clean clothes?

As life unfolds, the day I arrived to pick up my bike in LA, I was having lunch at the Apple Pan with Chippie, my sis in law and my cell phone was vibrating. The call was my cousin Gary, calling from his home in Kauai, to say his older brother Ron had passed away. Little did I know, Ron was THE pioneer of BMX bicycle racing. Here's a link if you want to know more:

http://bmxsociety.com/topic/48561-rip-ron-mackler/

Now I'm faced with a mental dilemma - do I cancel the second leg of my trip to Oregon or do I stay in LA and attend the funeral? I did some quick thinking and reflecting and decided not to attend the funeral - now I'm feeling guilty, the price I'm paying for being selfish and choosing my agenda over being supportive to my uncle and Ron's two brothers and extended family. I did pick up the phone and call each family member. I did visit Ron when he was trying to recover from his surgery, which was painful because after the surgery, he was never the same as before.

So, this is a burden I'll have to sort out as time goes on. The burden of selfishness. I need to take a look in the mirror on this one - I recently was upset when a relative living on my route to OR wouldn't take the time to visit me for a cup of coffee but didn't I do the same thing by not attending the funeral? I'll have a few more days on the road, riding in solitude to continue processing this.

Ron loved bicycles and motorcycles. He was THE one person who lit the fire in my soul of the joy and excitement of riding on two wheels. Besides motorcycles I love bicycling - I just love being on two wheels and leaning around corners, the wind in my face and the smells along the way. As a kid, I'd ride on the back of Ron's small Honda 50 and Bultaco to a place called Baldwin Hills, via the railroad tracks. I'd get off and watch him and his friends ride up the hills, take jumps and pop wheelies. Ron showed me how to use the clutch and shift gears. He was really a nice, gentle man with a very big heart.

In the past two years, I've lost some very dear friends. A best friend died at 51 of Leukemia and it was sudden. My first client's son, my age, was shot and killed by a disgruntled employee. My childhood best friends mom, died last week. A very, very nice caring client, who comforted me when I was having some major challenges with one of my kids, died two weeks ago after a big fight with ovarian cancer. It's sometimes tough being the survivor. One of my dad's WWII buddies in MN passed away last week at 89 - I really didn't want to tell dad about it.

But I guess it's "last person standing." Life is for the living and living is what we need to do. That's part of what this road journey is about. I've been travelling down memory lane - crossing roads I crossed a long, long time ago. It's really a great privilege to be doing this.

The time and distance is creating some loneliness to see my wife and kids. Soon, I'll be back home with the grace and willingness of my Higher Power. This trip has enabled me to get in touch with my HP and starting my day by giving thanks to Him for keeping me safe, sober and healthy.

I'll end with my travelers prayer as I get ready to embark on my journey, now heading towards Glacier National Park via the Lolo Pass. Wish me safe travels and good luck for my journey today!

Travelers Prayer: May it be Your will G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that You should lead us in peace and direct our steps in peace, and guide us in peace, and support us in peace, and cause us to reach our destination in life, joy, and peace. Save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild beasts on the trip, and from all kinds of punishments that rage and come to the world. May You confer blessing upon the work of our hands and grant me grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, and bestow upon us abundant kindness and hearken to the voice of our prayer, for You hear the prayers of all. Blessed are You G-d who hearkens to prayer.

Below is a link showing pictures of parts of my journey so far. States crossed: MN, IA, NE, CO, UT, CA, OR WA. States to go: ID, MT, ND, WI, MN

http://summerof2010bmwk75roadtrip.shutterfly.com/pictures#:albumId=49

Kyle and the Bullies

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.”

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.” He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!” There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are going to really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!” He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great! He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began: 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends..... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story. I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of how we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable. I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse our Higher Power puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for our Creator in others!

Loving is Letting Go

Note: In a departure from sharing chapters from my manuscript, here are real life stories that you may find interesting. Hope you enjoy.

May I maintain a sane and reasonable way of thinking so I can handle relationships and life's challenges with love and understanding.

May I respect those that I love enough to let them make their own mistakes and take responsibility for them.

May I learn to let go > just one day at a time.

There's a lot of things in our lives that we don't like and have a hard time accepting. Many of our parents went through hard times and tried to shield us from difficulty and struggles. Before I get too the crux of my message, the paragraph below just states many of us go through life feeling inadequate - and the more materialistic place you're from, the more inadequate you feel. Like I grew up in LA and have lived in MN for almost 15 years. The value systems of both geographies are so vastly different. LA is flaunt it and MN is hide it. So in my case, coming from LA, as much as I accomplished it was never enough. In MN I've learned a lot about acceptance and gratitude. There's always someone with more and for sure others with less. When things were really tough back in 1995, my first AA sponsor stopped me when I was whining and gave me an assignment: find something to be grateful for and write it down. I became grateful for clean air, green grass, listening too the birds sing, the awe of nature - a mother and father goose with their gosslings. Stuff like that.

Advertisers tell us to our teeth should be pearly white, we should all drive sexy cars and have a full head of hair and be beautiful. People with money are equated as powerful so the message we get is we're not okay the way we are. Too many of us spend our time wasting away at work while trying to "make it" and feeling inadequate.

Recently my wife kicked one of my kids out of the house. She'd given him (3) chances and after blowing it for the third time, she threw him and the girlfriend out. Then she told me to sign the car we'd bought him over to him to avoid our being liable for one of his "mistakes." Although I heard and went along with what she said, it was painful - just for me. Because as dysfunctional as the relationship had been, I was mourning the loss of my son living in our home when he got kicked out.

Here's a good example of my dysfunction: I'm accustomed to lousy relationships, my threshold for enduring pain is high, and even though my son has issues, I felt a big loss having him go. The first few days the pain was intense. But after awhile, the pain subsided. Guess what happened?

Girlfriend got a job and so did my son. They were able to find an apartment and are now trying to make it on their own. Now I'm feeling proud of both of them. Annie made the right decision.

Her Al-anon program is working for her.

Na Pali Coast

Na Pali Coast

It’s time to head back to the Kona airport to catch our short flight back to Kauai. We still have another two days before heading home.

Zach’s been chomping at the bit to go surfing again with Cousin Benny. In just a very short while, we’re back at Benny’s house. Benny’s happy we’re back. “Cousin Zach: You want to go surfing tomorrow? There’s been a hurricane at the Solomon Islands and it brought a big swell to Hanalei." Zach gives Cousin Benny a big smile that says “yes.”

The next morning, we get into Benny’s truck, load the boards and start heading towards Hanalei. From a distance, we can see the big ocean swell. Benny reassures me he will find a sport where Zach can safely surf. When we get there, I station myself on the pier that serves as a good vantage point: I can keep an eye on Zach and also watch the pro surfers that are gathered to ride the big waves breaking "right."

My adrenalin starts to pump as I watch these brave souls ride the big ones. When I glance over to check on Zach his expression tells me he's got an adrenaline rush going as he tries to avoid getting clobbered by the five and six foot waves. It can be pretty scary around big breaking waves - they can bite you! The sky is beautiful; mostly cloudy with broken patches of blue sky against the rich chocolate brown mountains and lush green hills. Hanalei is as close to paradise as I've ever seen.

After several hours of hanging-out at the beach, we head back to Benny's for dinner. Now we only have one more day left on Kauai. Kaikala says we must take a tour of the Na pali coast.

Our instructions from the tour company read, "drive to the Industrial Harbor, park your car, and register at the office. From there you will be escorted onto a large catamaran."

There aren't any roads to the Na Pali Coast. Its sheer cliffs that drop straight down, thousands of feet into the sea, making it accessible only by boat or hiking through the mountains.

Our Captain, young, tall and tan. Captain Dave, introduces himself. He says although the hurricane brought big swells, the weather radar shows things are settling down. "Our afternoon tour should be quite nice." After everyone gets on the big cat, our sail out to the coast is pleasant. We pass a Navy base with long beaches that are closed to the public. We see a convey of tour helicopters taking tourists on an aerial view along the coast and inside the Na Pali valley.

Kauai’s Na Pali Coast is one of the most awesome sites I've ever seen. Captain Dave says many big movies like Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed here. Although complete strangers when we first boarded, the magical vibes of the ocean cause us to magically interact amongst ourselves.

Suddenly, a bright blue flying fish lands on the boat. A young Hawaiian boy, with a beautiful bronze tan, his name is Kauai, picks up this brightly colored blue magical fish with wings and lets us all take a look at it before gently placing it back in the sea where it belongs.

As our tour continues, we are being followed: It’s a school of bottlenose dolphins flanking both the port and starboard sides of our boat. They’re happy and are playing. We watch as they jump and spin before crashing back into the water. All they want to do is play. They certainly know a different way of living than me. I see the smiles on their faces as they enjoy being together and entertaining us. They’re motivation isn't about materialism – it’s about the love of being free and part of nature. I love it! Make a mental note: Something to learn here.

After awhile, they lose interest and move on. Their magic has spread among all of us and now we're really having a good time. As our Cat hugs the Na Pali coast we get to view some awesome sights. For one, the ocean is a deep turquoise color and is crystal clear. The rich brown volcanic cliffs and fertile green hills look this way because they receive their daily dose of rain. The colors are beautiful. As our tour continues, the Captain steers our boat way away from the coast and towards the ocean, Captain Dave calls our attention to a school of Humpback whales and their calves making their way towards Mexico.

A brief history lesson: To Hawaiians, the whale is a representation of the Hawaiian God, Kanaloa - the God of animals in the ocean. Humpback whales (na kohola) are found in all of the world's oceans, although they generally prefer near shore and near-island habitats for both feeding and breeding. A large percentage of the North Pacific whales migrate to the main Hawaiian Islands during the winter months, November through May, each year. The round-trip distance they travel during this annual migration is approximately 6,000 miles, one of the longest migration distances of any animal species. During their stay in Hawaii, they do not feed, but rely upon stored energy. Near the islands, the whales devote most of their time to mating and giving birth to their calves. While visiting the islands, na kohola have become renowned for their various acrobatic displays. We watch as they come up for air and see the water shooting up high out of their spouts and see their huge tails make a big splash in the water before they dive back down under the water. This is a Kodak moment!

Kauai takes a picture of Channa, Zach and me standing by the starboard bow of the catamaran, overlooking the Na Pali coastline. Every time I look at this picture, it’s clear that most, if not all the stress we brought to Hawaii vanished. It's magic! The spirits of Hawaii cleansed our souls, removed our burdens and in sum, worked their wonders on us. This tour turns out to be a fantastic wrap-up to our Hawaiian vacation.

Before heading to the airport to catch our evening flight home, Benny and Kaikala want to take us to Duke's Canoe Club restaurant. The hostess, who Kaikala knows, finds us a nice table with open air seating. Benny suggests we order the Ono fish, a local fish of caught in the Hawaiian waters. When I take my first bite, it has a texture like Tuna. It’s full of flavor and is delicious. During our meal, we're entertained by two local Hawaiian women. One plays a hand painted Ovation guitar and the other plays a ukulele. They’re smiling as they lovingly play and sing traditional Hawaiian songs. After our nice dinner and a re-cap of how great it's been getting reconnected, we thank our hosts, say our goodbyes, and head to the airport.

Flames

Looking back, Sam always was for the underdog. In Middle School, his teachers reported Sam asked to volunteer and help one of the special needs children get from class to class. If anyone tried to tease him, Sam would step forward and intervene to protect him. He loved animals and often talked about becoming a veterinarian.

Near the Karate studio where Sam took lessons was a pet store that specialized in exotic birds. After Karate, Sam enjoyed hanging out in the shop. Most of the birds were larger breeds like Parrots, McCaw’s and Cockatoos. The manager showed Sam how to properly hold the bird on his hand. If you saw him, you’d see in his eyes light up while interacting with the birds. Sam started asking if he could get a pet bird. He decided he wanted a Cockatiel but it had to be a baby so he could train it.

We stopped by several pet shops. All the birds available for sale were mature. Sam went online and found a lady in Rochester, MN who had young Cockatiel chicks for sale. After a brief phone call, we agreed on a time and place to meet. It was a cold Minnesota winter day. It took us almost two hours to get to Rochester, where we met in a McDonald’s parking lot. The bird was just what Sam wanted. The lady told Sam how to care for his new pet. I paid her and we drove back home with the baby bird.

Looking back, my best times with Sam were always in the car. It was a place where we could be alone. He would just open up and talk as the world whizzed by. All of life’s distractions that kept us apart, outside of the car, vanished when we were together in the car.

When we got home, Sam, in a very happy mood, took his bird out of the box and put him in the cage we had bought. His colors were a beautiful yellow with intricate markings of red and orange. Sam decided to call him “Flames” because he looked like a fire flame. Flames stayed upstairs with Sam in his room. Sam enjoyed petting him and taking care of him. Being an avid reader, he went to our library and checked out books about Cockatiels. He just loved this bird. He was gentle and Sam really took ownership over taking care of him. One winter night, we had a party in our home. Wanting to share our new bird with our friends, I moved Flames downstairs so everyone could see him. There was some cooking going on and candles burning. Flames’ was chirping away and seemed to enjoy all the commotion.

The next morning Channa took Sam to Hebrew school. He was preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. I had been out running some errands. When I got home and checked on Flames, he was at the bottom of his cage; not a good sign for birds. I tried to play with him but he wouldn't move. He didn’t look good. Being a Sunday, our vet was closed but her answering machine message gave a number in case of emergency. I jotted it down and called. I spoke with a woman there who said when birds get sick, they stay down low. She said there wasn't anyone there to see Flames but to bring him to our vet on Monday. Between picking up the phone and hanging it up, Flames had died. Not wanting to be the bearer of bad news to Sam, I desperately tried to revive Flames but the Angel of death had stepped forward and taken him. There was nothing I could do.

A few hours later, when Sam returned from Hebrew school, happy as ever, I broke the news to him. It did not go well. He started crying and ran into the woods behind our house. When Sam calmed down, he decided to bury him. Sam got a shovel and dug a small hole in the ground, in the woods, behind our house. We gently laid Flames to rest. It was a sad day in our household.

Knowing how painful it is to lose something close, I felt sympathetic of Sam’s loss. I wanted to erase his pain. A few weeks later, Sam had a piano recital in Excelsior. While waiting for Sam to play his piece, I walked over the pet store and discovered they had a fresh crop of baby Cockatiels. One of the baby birds looked just like Flames and I asked Sam to come take a look. When I asked Sam if he'd like me to buy him another bird he said no.

Feeling my own pain about our loss, I took it upon myself to go back to the store and buy the bird. When Sam saw the new bird he was angry. He was mad because he told me not to get it. I figured that sooner or later the bird would grow on Sam. Where Flames was docile and easy to pet; Neon was feisty and would fuss and fight when trying to pet him. Flames liked having his head stroked but Neon did not. He would try and bite your fingers if you got too close.

I really believe losing Flames was a bigger loss for Sam than it would have been for most. I also believe his loss connected to his being adopted. Not being adopted, I can’t get inside his head. But from the different books I’ve read on adoption, one of the common threads that run through adopted children’s minds is the nagging question of “why did my mom and dad give me away?” For whatever reasons that I’ll probably never understand, the loss of Flames was a pivotal turning point in Sam’s change in behavior.

Onomea Bay, Hilo – A Spiritual Experience

Today’s our last day on the Big Island. I'm feeling a lot more relaxed than I did a week ago back in Minnesota.

Channa wants to visit the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens. As we drive along Highway 19 towards Hilo, it's another eight and a half miles north before reaching the gardens. As we get closer, we start descending into a deep, lush and green tropical valley that meets the sea. The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a 17-acre parcel known for its seclusion and beauty. The founder and his wife, in an effort to preserve the valley and all its beauty and their desire to leave a legacy to the world, established the gardens back in 1977. “The Garden,” the brochure reads, “is dedicated to providing a plant sanctuary, a living seed bank, and a study center for trees and plants of the tropical world and to preserving the incredibly beautiful natural environment of Onomea Bay for generations to come."

Channa loves flowers and if there is a heaven, she's found it. Even stoic Zach is filled inside with good vibes; he’s smiling and enjoying the spirits of this botanical wonderland. I snap a picture of Zach beside a Tiki carving: His eyes are closed and a he’s got a million dollar smile on his face. The Tiki figure has his mouth open and in the picture it looks like he is about to eat Zach alive. Something’s happening here: There are positive spiritual vibrations that are working like a washing machine, cleansing our troubled souls.

I can’t explain but I'm overtaken by a flood of calm; I feel an immense spiritual power right under my feet. The Tiki's are important remnants of the Hawaiian religious system. The Tiki figure about to eat Zach is named "KU" after an ancient Hawaiian God. Hawaiian history says “KU” is supposed to give wisdom, strength and courage when engaged in competition. They're carved from old Monkey Pod trees that grow in this garden. I keep feeling this powerful spiritual vibration as I walk through the garden. We take our time to look at all the different varieties and colors of flowers - orchids, roses, birds of paradise, colorful palms and other plants and flowers whose names I don't know. We reach a point where we’re at the foot of the ocean. I find a bench to sit on, close my eyes, and sit still. The lapping of the small waves help wash away my feelings of loss over Sam.