Out There
the direction things go
I was talking with my friend Suzanne who I was traveling in Bhutan with, about the vantage point when you look back and see how significant events, people, places and crossroads become a connect-the-dots trail, directing the course of your life. There’s a case to be made that nothing is insignificant—the slightest micro change or split second can trigger sliding doors of alternate paths and fates. Still, at the time, occurrences and events can seem isolated; an unconnected and singular happening, perhaps with no effect on whatever outcome lies ahead.
In case you’ve ever wondered, maybe are a more recent reader, these are the sort of thoughts that made me think in terms of the direction of motion, and why I named this substack as such.
All of which gives me cause to wonder what the ratio would be—in my life—of external causes; things out of my control, versus self-propelled, self-willed choices. For instance, my recent travels to India and Bhutan would fall under a self-motivated experience, even though the opportunity to visit Bhutan came out of nowhere—(thank you Suzanne!)—I chose to say yes, and I chose to add on a week in India to the offer. Whereas, something like, oh, someone dying, or a chance meeting with a person who becomes your spouse, or even getting fired from your job or band is not a chosen, self-determined event, but certainly steers life in a definitive direction.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the ratio distribution of outcomes and trajectories were balanced, a yin and yang of divine order and random chance? I think about ratio data only because of the influence of my most memorable college professor, Dr. Kolpas. He was—of all things—teaching a statistics course (which I only took to avoid other, more intimidating sounding college level required courses.) Dr. Kolpas got my full attention when he announced to our class that mathematics was the language of God. He backed this assertion with wild and enthralling statements, things like: specific genetic biological information can be formulated into math principles or equations that, when graphed, visually emulate, for instance, the stripes of a zebra or spots of a leopard.
As an aside here, in a wonderfully synchronistic loop-de-loop of coincidence and magic, Dr. Kolpas was referencing the morphogenesis work of the genius scientist, mathematician, philosopher and biologist Alan Turing, commonly known for basically inventing computer science. Turing just happened to be born in a Maida Vale house, now the Colonnade Hotel. The Colonnade Hotel is where Clem and I often stayed when visiting London while he was working with the Eurythmics, and just happens to be down the street from where I now live. How connect-the-random-dots is that?!
Maybe one of my most cherished gifts is seeing and paying attention to these shimmery moments life offers up.
so. In returning to my initial musings, just as there’s an underlying mathematical basis in nature, it follows to be curious if there might be some stochastic process or principle that’s applicable to the analysis of a system of unpredictable events, ie, the path trajectory of a life.
Do not, for one minute, make the assumption that I have anything other than a rudimentary grasp of anything mathematical. My best efforts in this department of thinking are a willingness to be open and interested even when I don’t understand or possess any knowledge of scientific rules or theories. I’m not sure my brain has the capacity to think in those terms, which is fine with me.
Speaking of math, in Jaipur, I visited the Jantar Mantar observatory, built in 1734. This collection of 19 stone monument instruments was mind blowing. Each is constructed for specific use such as predicting eclipses, or measuring and tracking stars and planets as the Earth orbits the sun. The third photo below was one of two hollowed out “holes” that perfectly map the sky—in reverse. It also has the world’s largest sundial that accurately tells the time—centuries later. I repeat, built in 1734.
When I asked my guide how astrology and Hindu worship of deities were interconnected—which took precedence—he was overjoyed to have won the tourist lottery with me. We found a spot in the shade and I got an hour long course in Hinduism. To sum up the answer to my question: astrology was for decisions and timing while the devotion to deities is more about karma and spiritual guidance.
One doesn’t need travel to provoke wonder and thought, to learn and explore. An armchair and a book, a computer and wifi, or talking with a friend or neighbor give us daily opportunities. But oh boy, to get your mind electrified, energized and animated with the sensurround of a whole new altitude, landscape and culture is sublime.
Going from the chaos of India into the orderly peace of Bhutan felt like a much needed respite, but also having some company after a week of solo dining. When traveling solo, meals are the only time I miss company; ingesting food without any social aspects or even the self-care of cooking is such a barren endeavor. I mean, people watching is not something one can do with much subtlety in a restaurant, and who wants to spend dinner scrolling your phone? I try books, but they’re in the way and there’s too much distraction around to enjoy reading.
There’s so much to write about Bhutan, but I can easily slip into college essay writing mode and I’m not here for that. As I process the visit more, any untold-for-now reflections are sure to slip into future Substacks. As it happened, I returned from this major travel experience and a day later was in rehearsals and recording sessions with Psycher, along with the bassist Gail Greenwood (Gang of Four, Belly) flying in from Boston and moving into my place. This abrupt shift in my day-to-day shoved the travel experiences off to the side and I’m just now beginning to literally unpack the trip.
Some of the stuff I’m taking out of my bags offer a glimpse into a few standout highlights though:
Prayer flags - in Bhutan they are everywhere. Evocative and strangely peaceful. The prayers aren’t for yourself, they are for the world and they are placed mindfully and thoughtfully, where the wind will reach the prayer inked into each colored flag and blow the intention into the air, for the benefit of all. How beautiful is that? I can’t wait until springtime when I can find a place in my garden to hang mine—which we were able to make ourselves, in a farmhouse, with a skilled and trained artisan.
Teas, tinctures, herbs. Bhutan is known as the land of medicinal herbs. Because of Suzanne’s affiliation with the Bhutan Foundation, we were given an incredible tour of a traditional medicine hospital, along with a doctor consult. The hospital had wards for gold needle cauterization, acupuncture, thermal oil therapy, cupping, bloodletting, steam/sauna, and herbal effusion massage. It wasn’t modern in any sense but I swear the hospital was humming with healing energy.
Amulet, prayer wheel and an embroidered silk wall hanging of Buddha. The Hindus aren’t the only ones who utilize astrology. Some Bhutanese Buddhists consult astrologer monks—after monastery training, they spend another nine years studying astrology—as guides for life, avoiding misfortune and the like. We had the incredible experience of having a basic astrology reading from a monk. Among the many things I learned, is that although I came from a priest class in my last life, I’d be returning as a domestic animal unless my karma gets a bit more righteous. My chant, for the amulet and to the beautiful Buddha I brought home, is: tayatha om muni muni maha muni shakya muni ye soha.
I’m not too concerned with coming back as a kitty cat or whatever, but taking a few moments out of the day to do some sun salutations and meditating (inspired after being in India) followed by intention setting to do better (inspired by Bhutan) can’t hurt, right?
There’s more, but I’ll leave that for another time. My travels to India and Bhutan were life-changing, but as of now, I haven’t figured out in what way. I’ll look back, with the blessing of a future perspective, and see where it all fits, where it leads. Once place it could lead is back to Bhutan—another absolutely wonderful and unexpected thing was getting to actually jam with one of Bhutan’s most revered folk artists, Jigme Drupka. Music is incredible in it’s capacity to connect people. After a few hours together, he asked if I would return and do a tour of schools across the country with him…to inspire young Bhutanese girls and women to play an instrument. That sounds right up my alley.
As I do nearly all the time, this has been open for all to read. But at the end of this substack there will be a paywall for my paying subscribers—something I think is the right thing to do on occasion—to watch a short video of me attempting to follow and jam with Jigme. When he asked me to play him something I’d written, I of course chose Vacation and Can’t Stop the World, and told him and the assembled guests the story behind both songs. Unfortunately the whole thing wasn’t captured, but some is compiled below.
I laugh out loud imagining me at 19 years old writing those songs, clueless that 47 years later I’d be playing them to a Bhutanese folk musician in the Himalayas—something that falls squarely into the random, unpredictable side of any equation.
Before the paywall, one more thing: I enjoyed reading two books “Beyond the Sky and the Earth” by Jamie Zeppa and “City of Djinns” by WIlliam Dalrymple. Both are excellent and I highly recommend if you are considering travel to either place.
and finally, thank you so very much for reading and allowing me the immense joy of not writing into the void—your attention and interest is everything! xkv
