37: The Brigonian 2021 – #26

A CHALLENGING YEAR

After I got my two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, on March 17, Theresa and I headed for Hermosa Beach in California, south of Los Angeles. Being out once more in the “real world” was exhilarating, and despite a nagging shortness of breath, I was rejuvenated by the sunshine, the variety of food, and company of friends and family. But, on our way back home I began to feel really sick and within two days found myself in hospital with bacterial pneumonia.

For the next two months I tried to rid myself of the infection that put me in the hospital twice. I was miserable and my energy had evaporated.  Add to this, a growing ache in my left hip was diagnosed for replacement, so even if I had the energy to walk, I was unable. By the end of  May, I was feeling awful, and a CAT scan confirmed a lung abscess, requiring a surgical procedure, as we dropped everything to head to the emergency room of Mass General Hospital in Boston. Theresa was amazing, taking full charge of my well being both in and out of the hospital. After five days we returned to the Vineyard and began a slow process of healing and regaining my energy. 

Pain from my hip got progressively worse and on September 8, Theresa and I  headed back to Mass General for my fourth limb surgery in the past five years – one knee, one shoulder, and both hips.  It seems amazing, but I was literally walking (with a walker), just hours after my left hip joint was replaced with a fancy piece of plastic.  I was released from hospital after only one night and once home on the Vineyard began an intense hours-long daily regimen of physical therapy that continues to this day. Slowly, I am regaining my mojo.

ZACH

In May, when we reached Boston for my admittance to Boston Mass General hospital, our dear golden retriever Zach, who had struggled to breathe for many months, was really suffering. We had no choice but to manage Zach’s illness from afar and within hours we had him taken by our dog sitter to the vet’s office. He was given palliative medication, but with a diagnosis of a tumor growing in the throat area, it was clearly a matter of time.  As I lay in my hospital bed with my own breathing problems, I experienced close alignment with Zach’s suffering.  We were so happy to see each other when I returned home, and I knew we had little time together.  For the next week, Theresa, Zach and I were inseparable.

On June 6, Theresa’s birthday, Zach found his peace. We were devastated for this was a very special being that knew only one thing – love.

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I have been the proud “owner” of seven golden retrievers – Simba, Fabian, Nadia, Shayna, Rugby, Jeter, and Zach.  But owner is not the right word.  It’s more like each of them chose to own me by capturing my heart.  My life was transformed in so many good ways by these special creatures that have the body of an animal but the soul of an enlightened being.  For that is what these dogs are – sentient beings, filled with unconditional love.  Zach is missed every day, even as this year closes.

VIBRATIONAL HEALING

My interest in frequency medicine, or more accurately vibrational healing, began when I first appreciated the soothing qualities of certain music and the energizing effect it had on me while exercising or dancing.  Thanks to my deep interest and early scientific and engineering training in the theory of electromagnetic and gravitational energy, I’ve tried to keep up with practical applications. 

I pursued many leads looking at all kinds of techniques, gizmos, and machines that lay claim to balancing the nervous system. I have come to believe, unequivocally, that stress is the primary cause of disease and that by introducing regular (preferably daily) stress reducers to our daily routines, we can live a better, longer life and look forward to a peaceful death. Meditation is the best way to achieve peace in this lifetime, but I wanted something that would turbocharge my ability to reach a state of “quiet mind”. 

A few years ago, when Theresa and I saw the inventor of a sound and light chamber called the Harmonic Egg interviewed on TV, we were intrigued by her concept.  The geometry of this Egg is a seven-foot-long dodecahedron (almost the shape of an egg), made of soft wood with high quality loudspeakers mounted in its two ends and a transversely placed zero gravity chair for an individual to sit in the center of the Egg. A sub-woofer underneath the chair adds deep bass and together with the geometrically designed shape of the Egg, concentrated sound envelops the person restoring homeostasis (a technical term for calming the nervous system). The Egg comes equipped with an array of custom designed musical tracks and two sets of lights above and below the chair that enable a color or a color sequence to wash over the individual.  Built into the chair is a soothing vibrational capability while the individual sits in the Egg for a 40-minute session.

Below are photos of the Harmonic Egg, and one of Cy, who is ready for his own session to begin.

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After a yearlong discussion with the inventor, we met her on our way back from California, and by June, our own Harmonic Egg had been installed in our newly created healing studio, situated in the basement of our home, in my old photographic studio, which I dismantled several years back. Theresa and I set out to create a space for healing, embedded within the Earth, to block most of the extraneous energy fields from phones, wi-fi etc. that abound on the surface. The centerpiece of our space is the Harmonic Egg. (For more information, see www.harmonicegg.com).

Now, after six months of experimenting with many different types of soundtracks, light combinations, vibration, and length of time, I can report without equivocation, that the Egg has been very helpful in aiding my recovery.  Often, I will go into it either anxious, angry, tired, or in pain.  Always, I come out with a renewed sense of calm and awareness. 

The Egg is meant for our own use and our family and friends who are interested in exploring its potential to aid in healing the body and accelerate awareness. Over 100 of these installations exist or are on order in North America and Europe.

FAMILY

Breaking the tedium of the various lock downs, we had multiple visits from our children this year. Cy visited four times. Camp Jabberwocky this year was only for a week versus the usual 4 weeks during more normal times. Cy has been out of work since the start of COVID, so recently we managed to get him into a local art and entertainment workshop that he attends three times per week.  He is coping well, all things considered.

Katy, Hal’s life partner decided to close her multi-lingual pre-school program to spend a year back in Quebec, dealing with pressing family matters and reconnecting with her old life. Hal helped her move and visits often. Likewise, she returned several times to be with Hal in Virginia.  We spent a glorious week together on the Vineyard in the early summer with Katy and Hal. She will return to Virginia next summer. Hal continues to work exclusively under contract for Clinique in New York, ride his motorcycle, play his music and undertake a myriad of handyman projects at which he excels.

Jackie and family are doing as well as they can with three school-going kids who have lots of activities. It was challenging for them at times all being home under lock down. It was especially stressful for Jackie who is, like Joyce, a fantastic mother, and took it in stride when she contracted a moderate case of COVID and had to self-quarantine. Amazingly, no one else became infected.  Ashley (18) finished high school in style, with great grades and as co-captain of their winning volleyball team. She started college at Northeastern in Boston and is loving student life. Kevin (15) continues to shine in school, in baseball and in life. He’s probably the tallest in the family now. And 11-year-old Jake surprised himself and all of us by easily placing first in a local robotics competition, then 3^rd in a regional follow up and is now 3^rd seed (out of 60 entrants) to compete in a state championship to be held in 2022. He likes school and baseball and has exceptional curiosity on the world around him.

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INTRODUCING THERESA’S FAMILY

 We had several visits here by all of Theresa’s family at different times. Except for Ashley and Shawn who live in southern California, the family all hail from Minnesota. I feel blessed to have been accepted into this exceptionally tight and pleasant family.  I have found to my great surprise and delight that my family size has truly doubled.  And we all get on so well. How good is that?

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THERESA AND ME

As you may recall from last year’s Brigonian, Theresa and I had decided it was time to be married; to make a serious commitment to our relationship and our definition of unconditional love. On a pleasant day on December 4, we were married by my dear friend Susan Klein, with another dear friend, Sandra Washburn as witness (and photographer).  The little ceremony was held at our home surrounded by flowers, symbols of our love, music, and gratitude for the remarkable journey that brought us both to this time and place. We hope to hold a commitment ceremony in 2022 with all of our children and their families.  It will be a big year, for I will celebrate my 80^th birthday in May.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST 20 YEARS

Twenty years ago, on September 11, my life essentially took a very radical turn. Dodging a bullet on 9/11 caused me to leave the world of business and focus on my passion for photography, travel, and spirituality.  Jackie and Dan got married and produced a magnificent family.  Joyce and I moved home after 35 years in Connecticut and began a new life of “retirement” on MV. I was 59. I took up yoga and meditation. I read voraciously about new thinking in the fields of anatomy, biology, astrology, energy in all its forms, and ancient history. I undertook a great deal of reflection trying to understand my emotional make up, indeed, the emotional make ups of all humans.

My legacy will be my family, my writings, my photographs, and the effect that I had in my interactions with other humans. I will leave behind no great monumental achievements except for a life lived through synchronicity and by grace.

Our planet has become a shrunken version of its previous self, and it is common these days to complain about the state of the world in general, and America in particular.  The world is exactly what we have made it, subject to the collective karma of mankind. What is missing from these discussions is that change and entropy are the same thing. Nothing stays the same. The laws of physics are quite clear that entropy – the nature of things to decay, is inevitable. I have concluded that my “purpose” is to slow that entropy down in many small ways, to create what order I can from the chaos surrounding us.  When I stop worrying about how bad the future will be, and focus on the here and now, I am playing a part in slowing the entropy, reveling in the release of suffering caused by angst about the future.

And on that note, I’ll end this rather lengthy Brigonian by telling you that all things being equal, Theresa and I will fly to southern California (Newport Beach) on January 2, where we have rented a cottage for six weeks not far from the beach.  We feel strongly that it’s time for change and that 2022 will be a better year for all of us on this planet as we embrace change and the new reality.

With best wishes for a splendid holiday season and especially happy new year.

Alan and Theresa

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