Love And Peace

 

Love And Peace

by Paul McCann

 

The roads that allowed traffic to flow freely were like sidewalks to another life where people had mini skirts and mini cars  Beatle hair cuts and beetle bubble cars . Fuelled by flower power , love and peace was being chanted openly in city street and in the hills around country towns . It was just as if music had opened a window in time to allow a fresh breeze to drift into the world .

Desi was right there amongst it all , part of the experience at the music festivals and live open air gigs  in 1967 . Part of the gathering of the tribes at golden gate park and in the summer of love in 1969 with the love and peace music at the Woodstock festival .

Desi left his job and moved into one of the largest hippy communes in the world at  Huntable Falls where he got to be with people who were living alternate lifestyles .
It left him thinking , a little extreme about letting go of many things he had assumed to be important . Desi met a lot of people who had become very extreme for various reasons but in doing so they found love and peace was all that mattered  .

So many other people with the same train of consciousness began to adapt their new thinking . Millions were now involved with this new movement from all walks of life on the same road wound up together in many tribes . The American West Coast spirituality paths and the cosmic awareness people with this that and the other doing their thing and making something out of nothing that really wasn't there .

Desi was getting confuses with what they were asking and where they were going then he asked himself , what does all this mean to me where I’m at . It never made any sense astrologically and it had no symbolism attached to any of it .

Desi had to make a decision about what kind of people he wanted to be in commune with and started to look around for people on the same pathway to enlightenment as him .

The music he listened to had brought him this journey but he wanted to go  beyond that to experience what was being said . It was more than wearing flowers in your hair in San Francisco and there was more to the Stardust principle about getting back to the garden as some golden guru . He was still seeking enlightenment .

Desi was told about this alternative community in an abandoned county town that had started an alternative lifestyle living in love and peace together . They came from all walks of life , musicians , artists , priests , monks , teachers . cooks , businessmen and women like design who had walked away from life and found something good so he made his way there to that town where he went looking around at the old buildings,

He saw this old church and went in the front door and to his surprise he had stumbled upon this commune of hippies who were living there . The church inside had been refurbished and looked more like art gallery in a residential setting .

He introduced himself to some of the people there . The first person he met was a girl who was carrying an unborn child in her womb . He smiled at her and said ,
“Hello . My name is Desi ,  I used to think that the government cared for people in the world until the war came and now, I think the only way we can survive is with love and peace.”

She looked at him and said ,

“Without love we cannot survive “

“It’s been a long time since the world was created and its up to us to make sure it will continue to be here for future generations to enjoy :

 “What did you say ?”
Came the reply from this other person .

Desis responded quickly and quietly .
“We need shelter ourselves from war and wait for love and peace to return. “

The other person introduced himself ,

:You are very welcome here man . I’m Francis . Once I was a monk but now I’ve found love and peace here inside these walls”

Desi replied ,

“Thanks for your welcome . I heard about this place and had to find you. “

At that moment a couple of pigeons that were perched on the beams on the roof

took flight and as they did out they went through an open window .

Francis stood there and laughed for a moment . Some of the other folk there came over to meet Desi . A young man reached out his hand and said ,.
“Hello I’m Leigh . We a messages to their legs . Some of us write poetry, others write  messages of peace and love and send those with Pidgeon’s out into the world . We are trying to spread the word in the hope that their flight might find people out there who will read the words that we send .”
Desi replied ,
“Nice meet you Leigh I ‘m Desi  . You know what I think my friend , well there are so many people in the world today that need to hear those messages right now at this moment with all the conflicts that are happening .I hope the pigeons get your messages through .“
Leigh seemed very taken by what Desi had said and asked ,
“Are you going to stay with us for a while Desi  ?”

He replied
“Yes I’d love to . I think I found my soul heart space here  .‘
Leigh said
“Ok , cool man . That’s awesome .”

The pregnant girl reached out and said.

“I’m Skye . Peace and love with you “

“The same to you Skye , Lovely to meet you . How long until your baby arrives ?”

“Not many days to go now ”

She said

Desi took a long look around at the inside of the old building and said ,

:Wow this place is amazing “

A pigeon flew down for the roof and landed on his shoulder .

Desi stretched out his arm and the bird walked from his shoulder to his hand and Franics said ,

“Birds always were our friends until all the wars came and they began to fear us, He has brought you a message Desi , Read what it says “

“Ok” ‘he said and took the small scrap of paper that was on the ring on the birds leg.

Desi took the note and read it out ,

“This message of peace comes to you from a bird . You can crush it or crumple up it but remember the message is in your hands . Peace and love be with you “

Desi took the note and placed it back on the ring then gently carried the bird outside the front door and let it go saying ,

“Fly bird of peace and bring your message to the world “

Franci embraced Desi and said ,

:May the peace you sent also return to you brother Desi.to be shared with us all “

Francis walked Desi around showing him the old town and their vision to rebuild and restore the town for the love and peace community .

There was an old bus shelter there still waiting for a bus to come . There was a an old town clock that had lost it’s tick but with a little TLC it would once more be able to show the time for everyone .

There were barns empty of live stock and an old school that needed repairs , however an application had been made to the council for the redevelopment of the town from the community that had the financial support of some bankers and the backing of many environmental friendly organizations to have the proposal development for the town of Love and Peace approved so the work could begin.

Desi was excited to be now part of this project and thanks Francis for his welcome into the community . Franic said ,

“ In the words of the poet John Keats ,  my imagination is a monastery and I am it’s monk . Let us be inspired and seek always love and peace in all we do .“ 

.“Amen to that brother “ Desi replied .

Each morning the community sand chants of love and peace , like monks and religious do in monasteries and convents all around the planet . Their chants and singing were taken by the winds from heaven to embrace the energies of mother earth . Everybody has a song to sing , no one is out of tune , together they were always in harmony and it expressed the way they felt about life .

All those in the community still kept their pony tails and bell bottoms jeans that were twisted and bleached , they wore shirts with paisley designs and had beads around their necks air and colourful patterns on their jackets . Music was played and artworks were painted , jewellery was hand crafted . They lived with each other in love and peace that became part of the things they did , The way they spoke and what they believed and shared  . They were joined by other people who had heard about their community and the numbers were growing . Babies were born and children played with a ball and danced . Writers took their pens and drew pictures with their words of the everyday life on sheets of paper . Birds continued to bring message to the word and money kept rolling in from donations and others sources for the rebuilding of the town

The commune of love and peace had found an alternative lifestyle and Francis

Received a letter from the council informing him about the approval to develop the new town of Love And Peace .

Everyone was so happy om that day the serious work began to establish themselves as a self sustaining community in the world but not of the world .

The restoration work had begun with no allotment of time to get it finished .

“It Will always be an on going project “ Francis said ,

.
In this new town , there was freedom and a way of life not many had found in the world that was always chasing after other agendas .
Desi had found what he was looking for and even more  . He had found a miracle of love and peace in his life

The End