Ten to chi

Ten to chi: Heaven and earth. (One of the moments/moves in my style of kyudo. A moment of intentional alignment both within yourself and the world; and similarly, a moment of intentional connection.)

I'm writing to you from lovely Henderson, Nevada, gateway (if you so choose) to Las Vegas. I'm here for a magician's conference.

I've stayed in the same hotel every time for this event; walked these same streets in the context of conferences with like-minded people, for years.

This year, walking is very different. My legs don't work the same way they used to. This, I knew already; but walking on these streets, these familiar-yet-always-new streets, my leg disfunction is also fully familiar, but fully new. I'm experiencing it the same way I do every day, but somehow I'm getting the whole package anew, feeling everything for the first time.

Just looking at the conference lineup makes me want to cry--with joy. Usually, conference proceedings make you want to cry for the wrong reasons, often because you spent all that money and time to see the one, and only, decent presentation. In this conference, every presentation is the one and only presentation that you came to the conference to see.

I love this conference. I love these people. I love being here, thinking these thoughts, learning these things. In the midst of this, I'm feeling particularly--fully--aware of the MS and how it has affected my daily "going about."

Alignment, and connection. Ten to chi.