A few weeks ago, we were finally able to accept an invitation to spend a few days with friends in South Carolina, on Fripp Island, which is a “…six and a half square mile barrier island located along the Atlantic coast,” according to Wikipedia. The Fripp Island Property Owners Association describes the island as a “3,000-acre gated community”…designated as a “wildlife sanctuary that combines scenic coastal nature and private beach access.”
For us, it was a long-awaited arrival there to visit with dear friends, who have often encouraged us to spend time in the beauty and wonder of the island. We had made plans to travel to Parris Island in South Carolina to see our grandson graduate as a U.S. Marine, after a grueling twelve weeks of Marine basic training, and completion of the “Crucible,” a 54-hour-long endurance test, applying all of the skills learned during their training as a recruit. The contrast of the two images of us standing next to our grandson before and after his training is remarkable.
After several days of family time with our grandson and his parents, we traveled about thirty minutes more to Beaufort, SC, and ultimately arrived in what I have called, “A Slice of Paradise.” Our friends had attended the graduation ceremony with us and welcomed us into their home the following day. It was a celebration of friendship and mutual affection as we took a look around and visited some of the people and places our friends had spoken of for so long.
For me, it was also a flurry of Zen moments. According to Vocabularly.com:
“Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word, ch’an, which comes from a Sanskrit root meaning ‘thought,’ ‘absorption,’ or ‘meditation,’ which is ‘at the heart of Zen, along with an emphasis on self-control and insight.”
Clearly, my experience on Fripp Island and in the surrounding areas engaged all three root meanings, and as a tribute to the many wonders of the island, and as an expression of gratitude to our friends for their generous hospitality, I put together a brief video presentation to share with my readers and visitors here.
John's Consciousness 