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Back in Byron Bay Australia, life seemed
pretty mundane, my kids were there of course
but they were growing up fast and they had
lives of their own. I still had my beautiful
beach house though it look far to opulent
after my accommodation's in India. I had
gone to collage in Sydney in younger days
and studied art which I had put to use
before my stroke teaching in public
institutions and privately. Now though it
was impossible to get my body to cooperate,
the paralysis was just to severe for me to
take up painting again.
I decided to buy a computer, I had heard of
people creating great graphic master pieces
on these newfangled machines so, with all of
8 megabytes of RAM (That was considered
way cool in those days, a fast machine)
I started learning Photo shop, html coding
and other similar programs. I was determined
to find the artist in me again so I began
learning web-design, it was hard going
learning a completely new profession, I also
learned
Search Engine Optimization which I
became very good at eventually.
A little while after my return to Australia
there were rumors of an American teacher who
was planning to come to Byron to give a
series of talks about
A Course
in Miracles (ACIM). I was very
inspired to attend and did so, I found his
style abrasive and I couldn't really follow
him, he was straying from the material into
world event and science etc. and I was just
not interested.
After he left, a group formed with the
intention of building an ACIM Academy in
Byron Bay. It was very exciting though I
couldn't do a lot physically I was involved
in it from day one. My commitment to my own
Spiritual journey had consolidated in India,
I had found answers to many of my questions
there and I wanted to share my joy with
others.
We built the center in an old abandoned meat
works, it was beautiful, with gardens all
around and a large light and airy lecture
room where we offered daily classes. People
came from everywhere with varying degrees of
commitment to the process, but they came and
we could hardly believe it. Then we heard
that an advanced teacher was coming out from
the US to take over the running of the
center, Hector was his name and he was a
truly awesome man.
Hector was a big man, very big, both
Spiritually and physically, he looked a
little like an over weight Italian mafia
hit-man, but he had a heart of solid gold.
He loved everyone and wasn't afraid to show
it, and of course everyone loved him in
return. I attended the Byron Miracles Center
as it soon became known, every day, I had
such a good time and it seemed I was getting
over, or getting used to myself as a person
with a disability, finally. People were
coming and going from the US Academy all the
time, I was very impressed with their levels
of understanding and their deep inner peace.
It soon became obvious that I would be going
to study in the US, it was a miracle,
someone offered to pay for my airline ticket
and tuition, so naturally, I went.
Leaving the South Pacific was a cinch this
time, I was getting used to traveling abroad
and besides I was going to America, the land
of plenty. When I arrived at Madison Airport
I was met by a bunch of Aussies that had
arrived in the States long before me, it was
like a home coming and at the Academy I met
up with more of them. For the honeymoon
period of my stay there things went so well,
I made friends easily and organized a
computer for myself with an Internet
connection. I was set, I could work and
study and I honestly felt like things would
work out.
I wont rave on about this time of my life to
much, suffice it to say I had mixed emotions
about the Academy the entire 7 years I was
there. I was never sure what they were
teaching and I declined to attend many
classes as a result. I did not waste my time
in America though, I took the opportunity
the learn and grow my web publishing
business. I did very well but towards my
last years at the Academy I met someone
online who would take me away from all
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Part 4 | Part 5 |
Part 6 |
Part 7 |
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