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Alanna Hartzok's avatar

Bandit - Good question. My son's family and I share a three-acre homestead and their house is just a two-minute walk away. They have a seven-old daughter, my wonderful granddaughter, and they were very fearful and concerned about her safety and protection as they falsely thought that the heyoka was a heroin addict. They told me that my granddaughter was not allowed to see me until J'Me had left, an ultimatum. They were truly terrified. My son had taken one brief look at J'Me and made a negative judgement, then the daughter-in-law did an "investigation" and this led to their verdict. They never gave J'Me a chance by actually talking with her. Such are the "trickster" ways of a heyoka, one can see deeply into the essence of a person or judge them on appearances, kind of like the person looking at the heyoka is actually looking into their own mirror. It pained me to tell J'Me about this situation and to ask her to leave. She took it with great equanimity and understanding of the "human condition" as she had had many negative judgements come upon her as a "homeless" person. She even asked me to thank my son for "letting" her stay an extra day. Then she left to answer a call from someone asking her to help heal his terrific back pain incurred from a recent accident.

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Bandit's avatar

What made you give in to your son's and daughter-in-law's "false perceptions?"

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Marilyn Langlois's avatar

What a great story, Alanna! Sounds like you were immensely enriched by this encounter and hospitality. Thanks for sharing!!

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Ginger Metraux's avatar

You were graced with 10 days of magic and inspiration, what a gift! All of us need Heyokas in our lives to bump us out of our status quo. I'm sorry your son and DIL had to be so judgmental, but most people wrapped up in our cultural status quo are afraid of the freedom, the creativity, inventiveness, and the wildness that resides in the Soul.

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Carol Brouillet's avatar

You were fortunate to meet a heyoka! We were fortunate that you so eloquently shared your experience with us! It is a sad thing that your family's fear and paranoia blinded them to her gifts.

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Norie Huddle's avatar

Thank you for writing up and sharing with all of us about your time with J'Me, Alanna.

What comes to mind is, it would be great to have J'Me as a guest on The New View.... She'd be a fascinating and enlightening interview.

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Diane Perlman, PhD's avatar

Fascinating story. I never heard of Heyoka before so thanks for enlightening. I am sure her stay with you was an important part of both of your journeys. Fear and suspicion of strangeness is hard or near impossible to overcome.

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Amy Harlib's avatar

Please send J'Me to NYC - I would love for her to stay in my flat - NYC desperately needs a HEYOKA! She sounds like exactly my type of person!

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Alanna Hartzok's avatar

Amy - I will tell her you made this invitation.

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Wendell T Fitzgerald's avatar

Heyoka and Wetiko must be sister and brother. Thanks Alanna. Let the wild rumpus begin.

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Dec 30, 2022
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Alanna Hartzok's avatar

thank you, Happy New Year to you as well. I was in Nicaragua for a few days one year so I have some idea of what it is like for you there. At least the weather is warm!

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