Friday evening was so extraordinary. That was the showing of Phil’s Camino on the big screen on Vashon for the first time. It will be talked about it for years. After the showing Annie, Dr Zucker, My Rebecca and myself did the Q and A. We have all participated in these before so we are practiced. But audiences come up with such a wide range of questions that it is always a challenge.
So, there was one man that asked the question, “How do you keep up hope?” Great question and Rebecca jumped on it by telling a joke which was perfect for the occasion. The joke goes, There was a guy who falls off the roof of a six story building. He goes by the sixth floor and someone yells out, “How’s it going?” And he yells back, “So far so good!” And goes by the fifth floor and someone yells out, “How’s it going?” And he yells back, “So far so good!” Well you see where this is going.
And she got a good laugh and it was a good short answer. But I have been thinking about it and I wanted to add more to that. The reason that it was a good short answer was that it pointed to the ability of some people in bad situations to live in the moment no matter how goofy that my seem to the outside observer. Obviously the guy is in big trouble but somehow he finds joy in his place in the situation.
I am going to put a capital on that since if you are in that situation that is the Situation. Somehow I have been able to find peace with my cancer and find myself in the very center of a whirlwind of my three C’s. Those are Cancer, Catholicism and Camino. They swirl around me continually and provide a place for me to work from. I am in the eye of that storm.
Christian faith tells me that I have nothing to fear from death. That is the major key for me and helps with how to live this life gracefully no matter the Situation. Those are my thoughts on the question of hope and a longer answer to his question. At least today’s longer answer.
The man’s father Harry passed away a few months ago and he was someone that I walked with here on the trail. And last night I heard that Bill just passed, another man I walked with and he told me that joke.
Ah, time goes on and I am still here saying, “So far so good!”
Yup, thanks for being here.
Love you immensely and intensely, Felipe.
Thank you for sharing that question and your response. I feel the same way though I have not been diagnosed with a life-threatening disorder other than life itself. We all know what the end holds and I too take comfort in the promises our Creator shares with us as we grapple with decisions along our Way.
We struggle with things that seem important but are not, people we are supposed to love often challenge us, promises we make sometimes become burdens. We fail and recover. All this happens along the Way, and hopefully, I learn from each thing. A quote on my wall here says “Never be a prisoner of your past, it was just a lesson, not a life sentence.”
So when I pass the second floor I hope to be able to shout out fast and with some joy “So far it has been great!”
Ron ~ I like it, life as a life threatening disorder. Makes sense to me. Great comment, thanks Ron. You need a blog. Phil.
Hi Phil,
I am so happy to hear that Friday night went great. I can’t imagine anything less happening. The Best Advent Ever is doing a series on Hope. It is really good. I thought you might like it. If we lose hope, we lose everything. You are an example of what Hope can do for a person… bring him
Peace in such a difficult situation. Miss you my friend.
http://BestAdventEver.com/Friends
Terri
California
Hi Terri ~ how’s my awesome friend? I will check this out, thanks. Hello to everyone. Felipe.x
You and Rebecca are presh (precious).
Jessika~ I thought it was priceless. Hehe. Felipe.x
You know Phil, that is the question I keep thinking about, too. What a great question, and what a great response! Sometimes when I hear people talking about hope, and saying ‘keep hope alive’ and such, I think of it as an ember. The fire may look like it is out, but if there is an ember there, the possibility of something much bigger, much different — a fire — is possible. It could happen, and it could even happen relatively easily. Hope is similar. It resides within, and may only be a tiny spark, but it is enough. It can be revived, and can turn into something much bigger, and quite different than a tiny spark. The other thing that occurs to me about hope is that it also resides in the present moment. The NOW moment. It cannot live in the future, nor in the past, but can only exist right now. In this very moment. So, to quote Rebecca’s response, so far, so good! That night will live on in my memory as one of the most soulful in a long line of soulful moments this film has birthed. Thank you once again. You rock. <3
Annie ~ Amazing evening and great question. The whole hope answer, short and long is one we should work on daily because it is so crucial to managing the Situation. Michael asked that question, who is the son of Harry who passed away during this last year. I spent some time with Harry here and at the hospital, not enough really.
I see your point about hope being a present moment thing. Let me gnaw on that for a while. Will be back to you. Always, Felipe.x