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Kyle's Spiritual Journy

Kyle

Kyle Pleasant


Last Updated: 7/9/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 34
Sign: Cancer

City: Portland
State: Oregon
Country: US
Signup Date: 2/9/2005

Blog Archive
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 
For those that are interested, these days facebook is geting popular so I joined the bandwagon.  Here is my facebook page.
My Facebook Page
Thursday, April 26, 2007 

Current mood:  sad

It's been awhile since I've written so I thought I'd catch you up since I left Portland.  Right now I'm in Chandler Texas chilling at my mom's house for awhlie.  It's kind of boring cause she lives way out in the country and I can't drive.

I spent the month of February in Little Rock Arkansas at the school for the blind vocational program.  They were evaluating me for their school's computer technition couse.  I plan on going back in June to get my ciertifications.

I had planned on going back to the trail till school started but my mother has taken ill with kidney infections and she's being cared for in Dallas and I'm keeping her home fires burning so to speak.

On another sad note and the main reason I'm posting is that I lost my dog of 11 years Bridget.  My ex wife and I found her when she was a puppy when we were going to school.  She looked abused and afraid of everything.  We took her in and cared for her.  Bridget saw me through my divorce and my moving around and all the changes for the past 10 years.  She was by my side all the time.  She was a good dog.  Never barked alot, friendly to everyone. 

The thing is that I've never really grieved for a pet before, or even an imidiate family member's death.  Sure I've had pets as a child, but never as long as I had her and usually when any of my other childhood pets died I was not around.

This time however I'm home alone and end up finding her in her normal sleeping spot passed away.  I ended up having to bury her in my mom's backyard.  I go out sometimes and talk to her grave.  I've been told that it looks like she died of a stroke.

The odd thing is that I knew she was getting old and thought I'd be better prepaired for something like this, but the truth is I've never felt anything this bad in my life, and that includes the day my ex wife left.  It's only been 2 days since it happened so I'm dealing with it, but it's been rough.  At this point I'm not sure what to do with myself.  One moment I'm ok the next I'm crying like a baby for an hour.  I know I'll be ok, and I know it was her time,  Since I'm alone here I've sought out a support system online perhaps might help somehow... we'll see.  But since these blog things are to post your thoughts I thought it might help to write it down.

I'm going to miss her so bad, she was a good girl. Goodbye my forever friend dear Bridget.

 

Saturday, February 03, 2007 
Well I have left Portland to start a new adventure, but before I left I made a video of the area you can see it on myspace videos:  My Portland Video Tour
Monday, January 08, 2007 

Well I've been in Portland for almost three months now.  It's a beautiful city as had been describe before I came to it.  The parks and social life has really allowed me to actually meet a new quality of people, which is what I was looking into.  The people go down the street with purpose in their eyes, everyone doing their own thing.

My comparison to AT life is this:  On the AT most peoples objectives are to hike everyday, the hike is their life.  They go along communing with nature and connecting to sourse as they go along.  Most people aren't there to make lifelong friends as a priority.  Of course when you stop during te nights and learn of everyones story it's not hard to find lifelong friends.  During the day you go along and occasionaly meet a friendly face passing by.  YOu stop and share hellos and what's up ahead and then wish them a good hike and move on.  In Portland it's kind of like that, where people are oing along their path and when theyy pass you along the way they say hello and wish you well on your life journey.  You are left with the ablity to choose your own hike, with smiles of purpose along the way.

I don't know if I and going to live here as of yet, there is other places to explore, but I am grateful to know that this world is not as limited in it's areas of enlightend people, you just have to be willing to look for them.  I plan on being here a little while longer and then head back to the AT.  Perhaps I'l get infoabout New England areas along the way, to choose my next place to live for awhile.

Till next time

 

Thursday, October 19, 2006 

Here is my audio journal that I kept while in Europe, just click on link to hear file.

May_4_2006

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May_6_2006

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May_14_2006

May_15_2006

May_18_2006

Wednesday, October 04, 2006 

Well I wanted to take the opportunity to give a shout out to some of the people I met on the trail this year and how they helped me.

I met a girl named Maranda and her brother who lived in Richmond VA that were staying in a shelter with me where one of their relatives were memoialized there.  They gave me a ride into town.  I also met a man named Eddie Freeman in Bland VA that gave me a ride into town one afternoon.  Turns out he was a piano player from a band called Bee Bumble and the Stingers back in the 1960's. 

I met a girl on the train named Kera that was from Rhode Island.  She was traveling across country to Los Angles to fly to go to school in Hawaii.  She had told me about the area she lived in, which is why I had considered moving to Providence.

And then there was Julia.  I came across on a mountaintop one afternoon.  We had spent the afternoon with some other guys and she had told me about a meditation camp she went to in Massachusits.  I wrote the name down and when I got home I looked it up.  It turns out that they had one near me and hour away in Kaufman Texas.  So for the past two weeks I've been doing that.

The Southwest Vipassana Meditation camp was quite interesting to me.  I had some very good teachings and gave me an opportunity to think about my situation.  The camp is run on donations.  Meals and private rooms are provided.  All you have to do is show up and do the work.  And believe me the meditation wasn't easy.  It was hard at first, sitting and focusing on your breathing.  The camp was a 10 day course where they tought the Vipassana meditation. Orgianted from India they've been able to hold these camps all over the US and Canada.  It's all about being aware of what is going on inside of you biologicaly inside, experiencing sensations.

The run the camp in a unique way.  First off you are not to talk for the 10 day course nor interact with any of the other students in any way.  They also segrigate the men and women.  It is so you have no distractions from your meditation and to keep your mind clear.  They have vegatarian meals and only serve fruit and tea for dinner.  You have to take your shoes off before entering a building.

It was a bit slow in the beginning just focusing on breathing for me, but progressed into wonderful awareness for me.  I enjoyed the teachings the monks had each day.  Very interesting and entertaining.

I recomend that if anyone is needing some direction or focus or just a place to get away and be quiet for 10  days this is the place.

You can see more about Vipassana and the camps at http://www.dhamma.org

On the 11th day were allowed to talk with each other and one of the guys there lived in Oregon for awhile and was telling him about wanting to live someplace with a hippie vibe to it.  So he told me about Oregon and gave me alot of inspiration and information.  So I think at this point I am going to give Portland a visit.  So if anyone is from that area I'd love to hear from you.

Till next time

Saturday, September 02, 2006 

Current mood:  excited
Category: Blogging

Well guys, I'm back from the AT.  I am currently at home in Tyler, TX at my mother's house waiting for inspiration to strike on what ot do next.  The trail was great this season.   The weather was wonderful.  The bus company found my gear (of course it wasn't until I got home)  I'm tired, dirty, and sore.  Man I can wait to go back next year.  So far I've now done half the trail. (over 1,000 miles)  I got to Waynesburo, VA and took the train hme.  I love the train.

I love the trail energy, it's like a drug being out there in the wilderness where the only thing you have to worry about is how far you wanna walk for the day.  The people are great and always enjoy hearing new stories and meeting people from all over the world, even if it's only for a few days.

So far at this point I've decided that I need to get out of Texas for awhile and perhaps live someplace else for a bit. Be with new energy.  To meet people from a new area with different culture ideals etc.  Plus get away from the Texas heat. :) I got a few suggestions from trail folk and narrowed it down to Asheville, NC, Providence, RI, or Portland OR.  I've been told these places have good transportation, are conisdered "hippie tows"  with progressive, liberal artsy kind of folk.  So it seemed like a good place to start.  I've been going on the roommate service sites to see if there are people looking for a roommate in these areas and seeing if I get any responces.

So I'm going to see what bites and go from there, spend the month praying meditating and hope I get a direction.  So if anyone here has any suggestions comments, or info about the towns I've mentioned or if you are looking for a roommate or have a place to crash in your own community I'd love to hear from you. 

Till next time.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 

Well it's been 20 days now on the Appalachin Trail.  I am having a good time just like lst year.  I hve covered about 180 mils and am now in Pearisburg VA.  I have met some interesting people thus far.  About the only drawbacks is that the Greyhound lost my gear and I have a blister on my foot.  It's amazing the interesting lives that people lead.  Everybody has a story to tell.

The vies are great as well as the weather.  It's wonderful to be out in God's country.  I love to see families hike on thw weekend.  The wife, husbnd and the kids traveling along.  I wonder if every family did that if we'd hve less broken homes. 

It's been a good time to think about my life and the people that are in it as well as meditting and connecting to source.

Well no porfound thoughts today, but I just wanted to let people know that I was still here and hadn't been eaten by a bear.    Moving on north to Waynesburo 226 miles away.

Friday, June 30, 2006 

Category: Blogging

Well I wanted to pass along a message to let all my readers and passer by, that I'm still here.  I haven't made a post in awhile cause I have been in Europe.   I will post more on my adventures across the pond when I figure out how to post audio files.  I kept a journal but I used a voice recorder and either I have to transcribe what I said or figure out how to upload files to my website and allow it to be heard, so if any techno people know what to do pass me an email. 

Anyways it was a wonderful trip to meet new people learn some history and just to say you been there.  My favorate city was Venice, and favorate place was Switzerland. 

My observations are that people are pretty much the same where ever you go.  Some kind some not so kind.  It all depends on what energy you are seeking.  I didn't really click with anyone in particular but it was nice to be able to experence new cultural ideas and appreciate the difference as well as acknowlege the similar energies that I have been speaking about in past posts.   The landscape may be different but the grass is not always greener wherever you go. 

My next adventure is to go back to the trail for awhile and perhaps enjoy some solitude.  I've pretty much have come to the conclusion that I enjoy spending time alone with just me and God.  Yes I would be nice to share the adventure sometimes with someone of similar energies that is on the same path as I.  And who knows what the hills of Virgina may offer.

Last year I posted my blog of my trail experience, www.trailjournals.com/kpleas where people post their experiences of the Appalachian Trail.  If I have the opportunity if I stop at a trail town or hostel I will try and post here any meaningful insight about my experence.  I will proably be out of pocket for awhile so will check in when I can if someone what's say hello or join me or has an idea of my next adventure.  I will be taking the bus to Marion, VA July 5th and be hiking north until I get to Waynesburo, VA where I left off last year.  Then probably go up to Maine and hit the end of the trail and work my way back south and let winter follow me to West Virgina.

I want to thank all those who stop by and read my thoughts, I apprecite the interest in my insight..

Kyle aka Happy Feet

Thursday, June 29, 2006 

Current mood:  thoughtful
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Here is a posting that I came across on one of the groups I am on that I thought was worth sharing.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.


We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.


We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.


These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.


Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.