The Leonids are historically the most spectacular meteor shower, peaking with a truly spectacular storm every 33 years or so. Probably the most well known Leonid event occurred in 1833, with an estimated one hundred thousand meteors per hour.This image is a 19th century representation of what it looked that night in 1833.
The 33 year cycle varies. In the year 1999, people were expecting the best, but it never came, nor the next year, nor any after that. Perhaps we'll have to wait until 2032 or 2033 to witness a significant storm again.
This meteor shower has been on my mind because the shower of positive thoughts and energy coming my way lately has almost been overwhelming.
Over the year I've spent here in Gosport, I've been blessed with a growing sense of appreciation from the entire Clipper Venture organization, who seem to view my enthusiasm to get as involved as I could with a bit of both amusement and appreciation. My being here has worked well for them (lots of free and happy labor) and very, very well for me.
Further more, in these last few weeks, good feelings have come from far and wide, from people I know well and from people I've yet to met. I've felt immersed in good feelings all around.
-A few weeks ago I wrote a summary of all the events that seem to reveal the encouraging sense of unity developing during my first full week of sailing with my crew mates in this race. I posted it on our group site and was met by numerous responses of gratitude that I'd expressed openly in words what many had been feeling in their hearts.
-I threw two videos together from some low grade footage I'd made from those adventures at sea, posted it on the internet, sent out the address to my crew and a few other friends, and since then have been inundated with praise from what seems like every sailor I know (and don't know) here.
-I passed on a bit of praise a friend made about a mutual acquaintance and was later immensely gratified to learn I had unknowingly met an important need by doing so.
-I counseled a future ship mate I'd yet to meet about a few concerns and was rewarded with personal praise of such strength that I'm too shy to record it here.
On and on it seemed to be going, like a 33 year cycle Leonid shower of good will and good faith.
I'd thought it couldn't get any better but my birthday on August 27th proved me wrong. It began a few days early with a touching card from a new friend I've met here in England, telling me how much my own life inspires her to have the courage to seek the life she wants. Monday morning, the 27th, I was finally permitted to open a birthday package of delectable edibles I'd received from Australia two days earlier. I also found a pile of small gifts and a card from Carrie waiting for me on my computer.
After breakfast I went down to the boat to work and was rewarded with a cards and simple gifts from three separate people on my own boat. From various boats around me in the marina, both skippers and crew I knew would shout "happy birthday" across the docks. Carrie, it would appear, had told everyone.
E-mail birthday wishes came from Australia, England, the States, Russia, and even Columbia in South America.
Coincidentally enough, a new fountain of praise poured in on the 27th from people who had no idea it was my birthday. The previous day I'd written an additional summary of the reasons I felt a good sense of a team building within the group of my boat's crew that I'd just finished a second week of sailing with, and posted it on our group's site. Overnight words of gratitude poured into my computer for once again expressing what others had felt but hadn't known how to say, leaving me with an additional list of spiritual gifts to add to the day's already burgeoning tally.
To end it all, after Carrie and I had spent the entire day working on our respective boats in the mad rush to finish preparation for the race, she whisked into the house and, still wet from her shower, energetically whipped up a birthday dinner for me.
Certainly I feel loved, not just by one but by a shower of people. James Taylor's Shower The People You Love With Love has always been my theme song.
Things must be coming full circle.
