I can think of no other way to begin to describe the kaleidoscopic, rapidly changing, infinitely exciting twelve days we have had with Baba so far. We have played with him, laughed with him, cried on his shoulder, shivered in our boots when he was severe, and laid our heads and hearts at his feet.
New York was a solid three days of interviews, broken occasionally with some sightseeing and a great, elaborately formal dinner and group session where Baba told stories and philosophized and threw fruit at people least expecting to catch it. (Is this a subtle object lesson in the functioning of divine grace?)
On a Tuesday, early in the morning we left New York for Myrtle Beach, and there the fun and frolic and pathos reached a climax. My roommates were a couple of Margaret Craske's ballet group: Peter Saul and Tex Hightower, of great energy, ingenuity and good cheer. So, to the constant background of their spontaneity, there was applied in great sweeping strokes, the flashing and yet subtle panorama of BABA. People there were young ones and old ones, all on our toes from early morning to late at night, and how in all we all keep vibrating at such high pitch without snapping a string is beyond me. The Master musician must know the exact strength of the instrument.
There were beach parties and private interviews and group interviews, and people waiting in line for shower rooms, and messengers racing about looking for the most recent ones Baba wanted to see, and cars flying back and forth to town on all kinds of urgent business. In this busy frame, we had the dedication of the Center, Baba planted a tree outside the Barn, the television camera crew filming for the fall showing of the Dave Garroway program, Baba was garlanded, answered a question on the cause of misery in the world, and Eruch at his simple best gave forth Baba's answer.1 The last of the film consisted of a racing 52-second interview on God Speaks between Eruch, Mrs. Duce and myself.
We all slept like the dead that night, as a long low thunderstorm uttered back and forth from horizon to horizon.
The next day, we realized we had only one day more at Myrtle Beach, and an edge of sadness sifted through the fun and the busyness. People began to say goodbye to Baba and to leave.
Footnotes
- 1.The Dave Garroway program was most likely "Wide Wide World."