“Stay together when you walk. It’s really important to walk as one, not strung out on the road, not in relays. You dissipate your spiritual force when you do that. Stay together, all of you, and walk as one.”
– José Lucero
Day 158 - Monday, November 27, 1995 - A patrol of walkers got out on the road early, heading west again toward the Laguna Pueblo. The Sunbow pilgrims walked on the service road that parallels Interstate 40. In the evening the walkers returned by support vehicle to spend a final night in Jorge and Sandra's backyard in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
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A mesa - along the side of the highway west from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Author photo. |
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That night we circled up to discuss the route ahead. Should we go the more northern route to Hopi and Big Mountain? Tom apparently told Grandfather William that he has changed his mind, and does not want the walk to go to Hopi now. He wants us to go straight west, parallel to I-40, and thereby reduce the risk of having to walk through winter storms.
But William, and all the walkers, are certain that we do want to walk to Hopi, in fact we feel it is essential. In this manner, we took our decision. The main body of walkers will stride north to Hopi after getting as far west as Gallup. Tom is welcome to come along if he changes his mind again.
Then we discussed Lauren Keahbone. Would we welcome her back onto the walk with love? Many walkers, in paticular Ned and Joe, are convinced she is a black witch out to cause problems for our walk. They have potent concerns about her, her behavior in the group, and the Medicine she is working. But yesterday we agreed to meet the standards of love and forgiveness that Grandfather speaks about. We have only one honorable path, we decide: when Lauren shows up we will welcome her, just as we have agreed to welcome and to walk with Tom, Charlie and Stacy.
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Copyright 2006 by Steven McFadden
Read Day 159 -- Odyssey of the 8th Fire