Cloaks and Branches

Cloaks and Branches

These words frame the story

a story recognizing resurrection..

Recognition of a true identity

an identity never to die..

Cloaks have made cover for

 many beliefs in separation..
Yet resurrection truth 
might always be exposed 
quietly saturating our stories..

Branches multiple and similar

speak of equality and grace..

All are invitations hinting 
resurrection most immediate...

a thought gone searching

a thought gone searching

searching for an open space it had glimpsed before

a space alive knowing only itself

 a pulsing fullness..an understanding joy

which thought is desperate to find.. just once more..

 alas our thought has a hidden handicap:

remembering that glimpse as that some-thing

arriving and arriving and arriving

at some gateway..an entrance forbidden..

 the key is there with accompanying fear:

fiery dissolution of that thought gone searching..

will it? can it? dare it?
..does it..?

TAPS...Remembering a Classmate

Walter K. Wilson III
April 28, 1937--April 11, 2008

Colonel Walter King Wilson III was known as  a man of few words, but many names came to be descriptive of his life of devotion and dedication: "Walter," "Walt," "Weary," "Wilson," "Ish," husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.. these are just a few.

Walt was born at the United States Military Academy (USMA), West Point, New York at Old Post Hospital on April 28, 1937.  West Point was always special to him as his birth place. and as his first family home.  His father (Walter King Wilson II, later Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers) was assigned as an Engineering instructor at West Point when Walt was born.  Following in his father's footsteps, Walt served as an instructor in the USMA Engineering Department from 1971 to 1975.  By all reports, this was a most enjoyable and memorable assignment.

After graduating from Nouasseur High School in Morocco, Walt attended Sullivan Preparatory School before joining the Long Gray Line.  As a third generation West Pointer, he graduated in 1960, following his father of the 1929 class, and his grandfather a member of the centenary class of 1902.  Walt was proud of his West Point heritage, but he also had a strong appreciation for his own individuality.  For example, on a few occasions, after returning from a time away from the Academy, Walt would announce that he was considering completing his education elsewhere.  How serious?  His roommates (Charles Coon, Tom Robinson) recognized an inner struggle. And, he remained! 

Walt served in many Army Engineer assignments around the world and in the U. S.  These various assignments took him to the Far Eastern countries of Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam, followed by nine years in Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands.

Walt met his wife Barbara in 1958 in Pittsburgh and declared to classmates, while boarding the train to return to West Point from the football game, that he had met the girl he was going to marry.  And, following this fateful visit to Pittsburgh, he made it happen!

Another  important aspect of Walt's individuality during his West Point years, was a very notable creative talent. He taught himself how to play the ukulele, and his classmates were often entertained by his renditions of the popular music of the time, particularly remembering the musical, "Oklahoma!"   Another self-taught talent was a precise and beautiful performance of the Manual of Arms, with the M-1 rifles which we were issued.  Walt was also very much interested in military history, beyond the basic courses offered in military art.  His special interest was the American Civil War, and he was often found pondering various historical accounts and biographies of that era.  Photography was another interest.  Because of Walt's tutelage, a roommate (Charles Coon) discovered his own lifelong interest in photography.

It is not possible to properly remember Walt Wilson without speaking of his strong dedication to a wondrous family.  On the occasion of our 30th Class Reunion we were asked for a short summary of the highlights of the past 30 years.  While many classmate writings told of favorite assignments and various successes, Walt's profound brevity is here quoted: 

"Walter King Wilson, III, Colonel, USA (Ret.)

Walter K. IV '63 Business

Victoria T. 64 Business

John N. II 66 Business

Elizabeth K. 68 U of Oregon

5-time All-American track

Charles S. 72 High School

Stuart A. 73 High School

James G. 75 Jr. High School

Nicholas A. 79 Fifth Grade

The noteworthy events of my last thirty years are the eight young people listed above.  They each are a delight to know." 

This amazing large family was indeed his primary legacy, and his gift to all of us.  Their successful  and caring engagement in life, now through four generations,  has made the world a better place.

Walt was survived by his wife, Barbara, the eight children listed above; eleven grandchildren:  Devon, Petra, David, Katherine, Rebecca, Hayden, Abigail, Benjamin, Zachary Sydney, and Grace; and four great-grandchildren:  Madison, Garrett, Gage, and Gabriella.  All of these persons must be named as we celebrate the memory of Walt Wilson.

Walt Wilson was buried with full military honors in Arlington Cemetery on July 16, 2008.
















Hello C-1 Company Mates,

There is push from the class leaders to try to get more deceased classmate memorials for TAPS.  As you are aware, we have more than our share – 10 out of 24.  A list is below:
Fred Bidgood
Joe Felber
Jerry Lewis
Ned Losuito
Kim Mercado
Joe Skinner
Gene Wilson
Walt Wilson
Humphrey Windsor
Jack Yeagley

Joe Skinner and Ned Losuito already have memorial articles published but we need to try to get the others recognized and honored.  I have taken on doing one for Joe Felber with help from his widow, Punkie.  She provided an obituary and I blended in the 50 yearbook write-up on Joe.  I have attached it as a sample of what is expected.  I ran it by the class memorial article police and it passed muster albeit a bit short.  850  words is desired  (see writers guidelines) but AOG will accept shorter ones.  I am asking you to consider taking on the remaining 7.  Some of you know the widows/next of kin and it would be a good start to contact them to see if they will agree to cooperate.  If they can provide an obituary, you could do what I did by supplementing it with the 50 yearbook write-ups.  It wasn’t very hard and I actually enjoyed doing it for such a fine person as Joe.

I am also attaching the inventory sheet and guidelines for writers  as references.

Please let me know if any of you would be interested in doing this for our deceased classmates.  Share your response by replying to all.  C-1 is a laggard in this endeavor, probably near last place  so I am told.

I am trying to update the C-1 e-mail roster.  I am sure some of the addresses above are no longer valid.  I do not have e-mail addresses for Larry Reber, Oz Caldwell, John Birkholz, Tom Robinson or Fran Calverase.  Help me out if you can.

Navy WAS beaten, beat them again!

Your classmate, Frank Farrell

Soaking

seems to be a healing process

in which a sensation within Being

is found immersed as separate stuff

in a warm bath of an infinite sea..

If the separate stuff is painful

the comforting image seems 

as a healing balm..Why not?

With a continuing experience

we might find in our comfort

a subtle recognition of that

persistent claim of separation..

There must be a deeper comfort..

Might it be:

the feeling understanding that

Seawater and wavewater

are simply Water...

Fractals and Oneness...

Fractals and Oneness

Dear Frannie,

The first thing I would say is that fractals are simply another language to use in speaking of

something you already know:  Our identity (our real Self) as infinite Oneness (Consciousness,

Awareness, God, Love, Beauty, Happiness, Peace, and other synonymous names) in fractal

terms would be represented by the Fractal Formula or Source.  Then we have what is called

the Iteration, which might be understood as the creation, the Big Bang, evolution, or change.

The important thing is that all of the Iterations take place within the Oneness ( I think once

you mention the Fractal Formula, you could start using Oneness, because that is the message

you want to impart!) and more than that: the Iteration is made out of Oneness (There is nothing here but Oneness, God, and that is our real Self!)  So...in awareness of our real Self, we

iterate the apparent world.  However this world is not an object..it should be understood

as simply a "coloration" or "modulation" of our Oneness, and the appearance is what we

see in our conventional way of seeing.    Oneness preserved!

So, you can probably equate this to what you already teach...the iteration can seem to be 

an independent separate-self (ego), which does not recognize the Oneness from which it

iterated, and experiences the intuition that something is missing, the longing, and the

search out in iteration-land for what is missing...not recognizing that we are already

made of the Oneness we are seeking...all this I know you already teach! 

Another thing...Fractals is one of the sciences of Oneness (quantum physics is another).

It is not a linear science, like Newtonian science.  So...since our real Self is that Oneness,

word explanations are deficient in teaching what fractals are.  It is experiential learning

(actually, discovering what we already know!) which results in understanding.  Thus, the

importance of simply watching an animated fractal (see link below, or just enter that in

Google). A person should observe the movement in a relaxed state, (keep the head out

of it, and the heart in!) , hopefully experiencing their Oneness, and taking note that all of 

the movement takes place within you (made of you!)... and there is no independent action

anywhere.  All Oneness!  All a dream? Is the universe one large iteration, iterating from

my Oneness?  When we wake up in the morning, does the Big Bang iteration happen

again?...or does the Big Bang iteration take place every time we blink our eyes?  :)

The above may be a deficient explanation, but it is what iterated out just now!  Actually,

it is deficient because there is too much of an assumption of time..time is just another 

iteration (thought) in Oneness..however, if you need more, I might be able to iterate some more...

With Happiness!  (See u April 8th..)

Charlie

Here is the link:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=animated+fractals

Charlie, 
I have been inspired by God to use fractals when I speak of change, and the pattern of change.
But I am uncertain as to how I can explain this in plain terms to a newbie group on April 8th - all definitions are so complicated.
Do you see a relation between God’s pattern of change in our lives and fractals?
And if so, how would you relate that?

With peace and love,
Frannie

See Spot Run

See Spot Run..

This icon of our education

yes..of youth..but continuing..

The question might be asked:

Was our education ever other

than variations of Spot running..?

Sophistication arrived but

the strong belief of separation:

Spot..and Dick..and Jane

remains.. seemingly implanted

unquestioned and permanently 

in what we call our world.. 

Through the years

some have found discomfort

a hole at the center of

Spot's adventures..

A vague unsettling

blossoming on some days

to sharp fragmentary pain..

In our many searchings

for restoration and  fulfillment 

might we in some momentary

clarity..see Spot not running

but dissolving into

the light of day...

Ken Wilbur's rule

Thought for the day....... “I have one major rule: Everybody is right. More specifically, everybody — including me — has some important pieces of truth, and all of those pieces need to be honored, cherished, and included in a more gracious, spacious, and compassionate embrace.” Ken Wilbur

pieces of truth
colorations of Truth..
Yes..honor these
as fragments but
much more important
recognize the equality:
everybody's true identity
as the Embrace
as Truth...