Oh the places you will go! As they say in Dr Seuss

“Congratulations!
 Today is your day.
 You’re off to Great Places!
 You’re off and away! You have brains in your head.
 You have feet in your shoes. 
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
 You’re on your own. And you know what you know.”

I have to confess 8 years ago, I know now - I knew very little, yet I was off to great places. I have been in wonder, in awe and in disgust many times simultaneously. And even now climbing this Bajalia mountain, I know a very little more. I think the people that know the most are the amazing wise women I have learned from over the last 12 or so years. 8 years officially after receiving our non-profit status and 4 years before when I was exploring the world, discovering new and scary truths.

These women have been my teachers, my eyes, my ears and my strength, while I tried to give them voice. What a surprise. Some of them have never had a day in school, yet strive to give their children the knowledge of centuries and of generations before them. In oral cultures the stories are passed down, not the books and degrees and somehow they are wiser than we are.
If it weren’t for them I am not sure I would have still been navigating this maze and climbing this mountain, to hear their words, voice their pain. I want to scream to everyone to look their way, yet they are content to whisper.

They are smart, wise, beautiful, and mostly they know what they know and they have their priorities straight being focused on relationships instead of transactions. I want others to see them for who they are! If I never took them an order, they would be content to sit with me over chai, or bread and share with me out of their simple means and love me, sometimes just holding my hand the entire visit and smiling.

I must admit I love that and often feel more at home in their world than in my US and Orlando world where I have to wait sometimes months just to lunch with a good friend or business associate.
I hope over the years I am learning to love better by loving them well. And by receiving their love, maybe loving myself a little more. I am not sure I have the words to tell the tales of all I have learned and all I have met, but I have been drinking from a fire hose, barely able to drink in all of the wisdom from places I may have never have experienced it before Bajalia.
I wanted to share their wisdom and introduce them to you through our blog.

These are people near and far who have kept me on my path and bumped me back when I was moving too far right or left. I am sure I will continue to be surprised as you will, they are not always who we thought they would be. I think sometimes we look at poverty as a financial issue, yet they can see the poverty of spirit, in us. I hope I can connect the very different women at the place of their poverty and we can all be richer for the experience.

And now to finish the words of, the incomparable Dr. Seuss – there is much wisdom here…

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
 Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
 You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
 You have feet in your shoes.
 You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
 You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
 You’ll be seeing great sights!
 You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
 Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
 Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
 Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
 Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
 So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
 Today is your day!
 Your mountain is waiting.
 So…get on your way!