The Spirit of Janine

I am inspired to write this story for my friend Janine. Her passing sent a ripple of emotion through a whole pile of folks, me and my wife Cindy, most definitely included. I did not and, truth be told, have not spent much time asking why…perhaps Janine’s style of quiet acceptance and then graceful progression through life (and even death) has inspired me. I am, to be sure, plain old sad that Janine, in her human form, is no longer with us. I am pleased to have known her and quite possibly, to have been considered a dear friend of hers. I miss her every day. The story that follows is a product of my vision of Janine, my imagination and some quality hours out in the fresh air and fields of Killarney Farm, harvesting some of this earth’s bounty. It cannot be said to be true but who is to say for certain that it is not…

A group of high level spirits had gathered once to consider their to-do list. They realized, rather quickly, that they had one particular, nagging task that could not seem to be completed and thus crossed off the list. They had certainly attempted, many times in fact, to employ the services of one underling or another to accomplish the unique job. But one by one, those chosen, some of whom were quite skilled, had returned unsuccessful. As the higher spirits were considering, yet again, if they should bother with the job and who might possibly take it on, one of the group, a youthful and exuberant spirit who had just recently been invited into the council, brought forward the “name” of a new candidate.

She was a newly minted spirit who seemed to have the qualities that would allow her to tackle this task. She had just recently entered their world from another plane and, as was their way, they had assigned her a letter and number to know her by. The council agreed, perhaps out of desperation, to “interview” this fresh new talent and determine if she stood any chance to succeed. So they found themselves gathered around this spirit, known as J-9, taking stock of her makeup while informing her of the task at hand. There was, they said, a group of beings called by the name humans, who existed in another dimension. The council gave Spirit J-9 a brief synopsis of these creatures; what they looked like, how they dressed, what they did for fun and what their world looked like. They also informed her that the spirits had been commissioned, long ago, to watch over this world and help out, in their own way, when they could.

With this brief introduction, they told J-9 of a particular group of humans who needed some help. It was an eclectic group, made up of many shapes, sizes and personalities. Right coasters and left coasters, country folks and urbanites, artists and administrative assistants, healers and handymen, pickers and grinners, crunchy granolas and (attention)Wal-Mart shoppers, story tellers and sushi makers, cat lovers and garden sow-ers (somebody stop me please), goofy Labradors and the well chosen wiener (dog that is). It was a diverse group to be sure, but they all had something in common, some small part of each individual spirit that seemed to want to connect them as a group. As yet, they had not managed to come together but if they did, the council told her, their lives would become exponentially fuller and more pleasing. If this was to happen then this group could possibly spread such a good vibe further afield until so many of these strange beings were at ease with their existence that their world was better for it.

It was a sizeable job indeed but one with a tremendous upside. Upon completing this part of the interview, they finally asked J-9 what she thought. She looked over her notes considering what kind of people these names represented, what these places named Idaho, Washington, Alaska and Ithaca might be like and mostly, what the heck a weiner dog was. But as was already her way, she decided she liked a challenge and accepted their offer.

With no small sense of relief, the council was pleased with the response. So pleased were they that they decided to bestow on J-9 some extra special powers that might come in handy during her stay. Upon hearing this part J-9 became excited.
“Will I be able to fly?” she asked
No, you won’t be able to fly but you will have the skill of communication. You will know how to listen, how to respond, how to engage and how to embellish artfully. You will make people feel at ease and because of this they will become more comfortable with themselves and thus more willing to share. You will be able to write wonderful letters, converse smoothly on the phone and send thoughtful packages through the mail. All these skills will help you bring people together.

J-9 was sure she’d rather have the power of flight but already beginning to assume her human character, she quickly warmed to the abilities they described. Even so, she took another shot and asked the group: “Will I be able to run really fast?”
No, you won’t run really fast but you will be able to recycle really well. You will find things that others may consider de-valued and you will have the power to dust off, polish up and re-place in a newly restored state and position. You will re-discover the beauty in both things and people and you will inspire others to do the same.

Spirit J-9 did not really know what having this power meant but as was the case before, she felt she would enjoy it. Still she asked:
“Will I be able to start fires by pointing my finger?”
No they said with a mild hint of disapproval, you will not be able to start fires like that. However you will possess a great love of all things living. Cats, dogs, birds, bees, flowers and trees will feel this love and respond likewise. People around you will sense this respect and begin to look anew at the world around them.

“But will I be able to dance?” she asked, almost pleading for a real, physical skill that she could sink her teeth into.
“Yes!” they answered in unison and enthusiastically, happy to finally be granting a power that this likable spirit desired.
Your love of music, rhythm and coordination will all come together and produce a beautiful skill that will bring yourself and others around you, great joy. You will be able to tease out this joy in others who may find it more difficult to let their true musical spirits out. It will make them, and you, feel better about the world around you. Beyond this, you will be able to know good music when it hits your ear and then share it with the people who appreciate the same. You will also be able to make the best mixed CDs. (J-9 was truly confused by this nugget but decided she would learn about it soon enough). This power will also bring you close to many people in this group.

Spirit J-9 began to warm to this task. For their part, the council was feeling a similar enthusiasm towards this spirit and the prospect of a successful conclusion. With this energy running through the group, Spirit J-9 asked a question that she seemed a bit embarrassed by.
“Will I be beautiful?”
The spirit who recommended J-9 to the group answered her directly and without a hint of disapproval.
“You will be easy on the eyes to be sure. However, you will not be so beautiful as to be intimidating to others. Your body will be long and lithe but, truth be told, you will be a bit dorky. This endearing trait will allow others to feel warmly toward you. You will dress well and have a strong sense of personal style but your closet will be mostly filled with secondhand cast-offs.

J-9 seemed pleased by this description, though again she was not quite sure why. She was finished asking questions and felt as if she was ready to assume her new role. The council though seemed not quite ready to conclude and they sat about looking from one to another in a rather sheepish way. Finally, an elder spirit spoke up.
“ There is one final “power” we would bestow on you. It is one that can have wide ranging uses and effects. It can be used for either good or not so good depending on the needs of the moment. Most of all, it is a skill that must be practiced often to be fully understood and thus (somewhat) controllable.”
J-9 waited patiently to hear what the “power” was to be.
The elder spoke again: “It is called by many names but we prefer the term flatulence. You will be able to, with just the smallest poof, gain everyone in the immediate area’s attention. If you sensed danger (gas leak, bomb threat, overstaying guests) you could clear a room (or a small house) in an instant. You can use the power to liven up a dull dinner party, repel invading hordes of in-laws or simply bring a bout of giggles to a group of otherwise mature humans. Regardless of how you come to use this power, we recommend you spend much time around and among people who will appreciate the unique nature of this skill.

As before, J-9 did not know just how to feel about this strange sounding power but again she found herself wanting to try it out. With her toolbox complete, J-9 was now as ready as she’d ever be to take on the task. The elders sent her off with as much enthusiasm as they could muster and reminded her that when she completed the job she could come home…

And complete the job she did. Janine, that sweetest of human (beans) became a true spirit among us and brought our eclectic group together. Through solstice celebrations, birthday packages, many great meals and plenty (though still not enough) peaceful and easy visits, she and Christian helped a group of strangers become good friends. At Janine’s core, she was a teacher. With every visit and without our even knowing, she taught us so many things…how to knit, cook, dance, decorate and most importantly, to enjoy the simple pleasure of each other’s company. I hope she is somewhere, even now, showing her next group of pupils how to live gracefully. Perhaps her greatest “power” was the genuine ability to celebrate the every-day in everyday. We miss her, love her and thank her for being our friend. Peace.

On Writing

To Write: to put down (esp. on paper) in order to relate or explain; to record in a meaningful way; to compose, reveal, describe or depict; to communicate with; to comment on; to make known in written form; to mark indelibly; to make a permanent impression of …

When I was considering this process of writing and perhaps more importantly, putting that writing up for some public review, I felt I needed to go back to some beginning and determine a reason to write. That I am drawn to write, people I trust tell me I do it well and others I am beginning to trust tell me it can be a cathartic experience are all pieces of a body of evidence supporting further action. Yet even with this support firmly in hand and heart, my personality still demanded more to confirm why I should undertake this journey. So I went to the biggest reference book (they never lie right?) I owned to find the truth. In a Webster’s Third Edition International dictionary measuring all of seven inches thick and weighing in at some ungodly heavy number and dating back three or more generations into my wife’s family, I found what I needed. There, just where it was supposed to be, between wrist watch and writhe, was my word, write. And under this word was a pile of other words that attempted to define this certain semblance of letters. With so many to choose from, my eyes moved through the list, unconsciously highlighting certain ones. In saying them aloud, my mouth and ears agreed that they were pleasing sounds. When my heart and mind, together equally my spirit, ran the words through the mental mill, they came to such happy extrapolations and pleasing visuals that the connection was complete.

So here I sat, with this pile of stuff…positive reviews, relative affirmations, existential connections and finally empirical evidence from the big book that this action was worth taking. STILL I asked, why write (are you getting a sense of the level of deliberateness here?...feeling, like I do, that this person should have been born with an orange triangle (indicating a slow moving vehicle) genetically attached to his ass). And so with that most human spirit of procrastination coursing through my veins, I continued to consider the act of writing through an historical context, in hopes that this exercise would tip the scales and push me to action. In the act of writing, I glimpsed an act that might seem a simple exercise but in essence is such a profound and powerful ability that separates our species from so many others on this planet. This skill has been used throughout human history to record everything from the sublime to the silly. It is an amazing occurrence when we consider its entirety…such a simple action; combining a mark making device; stick, stone, pencil or keypad with a place to serve as recorder; sand, slate, paper or screen, and you create something entirely unique for that moment. It may be ephemeral, brushed away by the wind water or hand or it may carry on for centuries etched into the rock, painted on the cave walls or dutifully stored in the archives, all forms weathering on for the next generation to ponder.

I reach a point of fundamental understanding, the world writes, for so many reasons and in so many forms. And me?...well, I suppose my conclusion is as simple as the act itself. I write because I write. Because I can, because I am okay at it and thus enjoy it and because I simply find myself doing it without wondering how. Should this process lead me to another level; one of living in each moment as if you are writing it as you go, of seeing people as a cast of characters (the more colorful, the better) and everyday moments as a potential story just waiting to be given life, this is the wonderful potential of taking a chance. I think this is reason enough to try. Peace and proper punctuation to all. Michael.