EDITOR'S COMMENT:
One of the things I've learned over the years is that while people appreciate great news and information, they LOVE personal stories. Learning about people personally also makes it easier for us to form emotional bonds which, in turn, makes it more likely for us to reach out and help should they need a helping hand.
So to grease the wheels of the current fundraiser, and to give those of you who are interested a little more insight into who I am and what motivates me to spend ridiculous amounts of time working on NHNE, I thought I would pass along a piece I posted on Facebook in February. I wrote it in response to being "tagged" by a friend on Facebook. Once you’ve been tagged, you're supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. And then "tag" 25 other Facebook friends to do likewise. While the things I wrote about myself were not as "random" as some of the notes I've seen, they will, I hope, give you an inside look at some of the things that have shaped my life, worldview, and ongoing commitment to NHNE...
--- David Sunfellow
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25 SEMI-RANDOM THINGS ABOUT DAVID SUNFELLOW
By David Sunfellow
February 10, 2009
1. I spent the first six years of my life living with my grandmother and grandfather because my mother was too unstable to take care of my little brother and I. This was a wonderful, magical time in our lives, kind of like Dorothy on the farm in Kansas before the tornado carried her to Oz to meet the wicked witch and her minions.
2. One of my happiest childhood memories is playing hide-and-seek around my grandparent's house. The rules required us to stay outside, but I repeatedly slipped inside, jumped into my grandfather's lap (who was usually sitting in an easy chair listening to baseball games on the radio) and filled my mouth and pockets with peanuts. To spare me from the wrath of violating the game rules, he acted as like I was invisible and pretended that he didn't notice the peanuts disappearing from his peanut can. To this day, I still love peanuts -- and my grandfather.
3. At an early age, I learned one of life's big secrets: bad things (and bad people) hurt less when you laugh and make light of them.
4. My favorite food is a big, juicy salad. I also like yeast popcorn (here's the recipe: popcorn, butter, olive oil, garlic powder and nutritional yeast). I'm also very fond of organic turkey jerky (although I have reservations about eating animals, even happy ones).
5. What's the deal with dreams? Why don't more people pay attention to them? Dreams have played a central role in my life since I first discovered them at 19. They've identified significant others, led me on epic adventures, challenged bogus beliefs, called my attention to childhood wounds and shadow issues, occasionally healed me (both physically and emotionally), given my life direction and meaning, and, perhaps most important of all, left me feeling that a Force greater than myself not only loves me (and everyone else), but is also keeping a close eye on us, helping us all become better, healthier, happier.
6. Dreams, I've learned, are also very powerful when shared and explored with other dreamers. I've worked with school children and their dreams, conducted group dream incubations with large groups, and incorporated dreams into vision quests. I've also heard inspiring stories of dreams being used to transform very challenging social situations. Why, I wonder, aren't we using them to address social and interpersonal ills?
7. I've never been drunk or done any drugs. I was proud of this until I realized that one of the main reasons I've never drank alcohol, smoked marijuana, or done any other drugs is because I couldn't bear the thought loosing control of my life, or being around people who were like the unsavory people I was exposed to as a child.
8. So what's the deal with drugs and alcohol? Why are so many of us attracted to these? And am I missing out on something important here? And what about the idea that some drugs can not just give us peaks into altered states of consciousness, but can also help us make significant psychological breakthroughs? Maybe I should relax my defenses and take a walk on the wild side? So I gathered my family together and asked them how they felt me taking LSD for a spin. After the initial shock of hearing such a question come out of the mouth of someone who has been largely (albeit not zealously) opposed to drug use, they were cautiously supportive. In the end, I decided against it. My reasons are too many to post here.
9. One of the most important turning points in my life was being exposed to Edgar Cayce. Before Cayce, life was suffering and made no sense; after Cayce life was still suffering, but things began to make sense -- and get better. What a world of difference it makes to feel life has meaning and you can begin to control and/or cooperate with the forces that shape your life.
10. Encountering Cayce was akin to having a bomb go off in my mind. Old worlds were blown apart, new world's opened up, and I set sail on a journey that had obviously been planned for me before I was born. Shortly after I encountered Cayce, I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, which is where his work was located. For my 21st birthday, a Virginia Beach psychic gave me a reading that not only accurately predicted events that had not yet taken place, but also outlined the main currents that have dominated my life. That was 34 years ago. If that doesn't make you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself -- and that you have a part to play, however small, in the grand scheme of things, I don't know what does. For the record, I've been exposed to a lot of psychics over the years. Cayce, in my opinion, was in a league by himself -- and so are any other psychics who actually are what they clam to be. Genuine psychics, in other words, are something of an oxymoron, at least in my experience.
11. After my 21st birthday, I ended up going through a dark night of the soul experience that lasted about five years. If my brother hadn't been close by, I might not be here today.
12. The first thing I wanted to be was an astronaut. My mother still has a picture of a space ship that I drew for President Kennedy when America was on fire with visions of going to the moon. Next, I wanted to be President of the United States. That soured when I got involved in politics and met real politicians. Finally, I settled on something more practical: becoming as much like Jesus as I could.
13. After settling on Jesus as the person I wanted to be like, I got busy. For many years I lived like a hermit -- on beaches, in abandoned houses, in churches, in forests and swamps -- and reduced my worldly possessions to a back pack. What was in my back pack? Dream journals, a few clothes, and a small Smith Corona typewriter. I admired St. Francis for his spunk, and took to heart the message of Quaker founder George Fox, who said there was no need for holy books or ministers when Jesus lived in your heart.
14. I've often thought someone could make a very entertaining movie about my life and the life of many of my friends. I/we would, however, first need to do something of importance in the world that justified spending all that money.
15. Example: During "the following in the footsteps of Jesus" phase of my life, my brother and I, like usual, were out of food and money. He dreamed we filled up a grocery cart full of food, went through the checkout line and when the cashier asked for the money to pay for the groceries, a person miraculously showed up and paid for them. If Jesus can pull money out of the mouths of fish, why couldn't he send someone to help us pay for some groceries? So we went to the local grocery store, filled up a cart with food, had it all rang up, and then when the cashier asked for the money I turned to my brother and asked him, "did you remember to bring the money?" That particular experiment didn't turn out well.
16. In high school, in Idaho, our newspaper was voted the best high school newspaper in the state for several years in a row. I won awards for journalism, photography, layout and design. I was also heavily involved in athletics and high school and state politics. Thirty some years later, I ran into an old high school buddy who was shocked to discover that the reason I was so active at school was because I was so miserable at home. I was shocked to discover that my trauma, which burdened me so deeply, was so well hidden.
17. Early on, I thought that my purpose this life had nothing to do with fathering and raising children. Life, thank goodness, thought otherwise. I ended up raising three daughters and one step-son. My three daughters were born at home and raised organic. They are, hands down, the most important thing I have ever done and/or been a part of. I've come to believe that there are certain insights, skills, aptitudes, heart stirrings, traumas, and joys that come from being a parent that are difficult to acquire anywhere else.
18. Many years ago, I was convinced that the anti-Christ was going to use computers to enslave humankind. After taking a closer look at my anti-Christ beliefs, I dismissed them (and him). About the same time, I became a big fan of Apple computers. And later, the internet. Since then, I've helped more people buy computers and get online than anyone I know.
19. Five years ago, I started a wedding professionals association in Sedona. 79 local businesses are now members of this association and I have recently returned as the president. Strange to think that hardly anyone knows who I really am, what I really care about, or what paths I've followed to get where I am today.
20. The worldly possessions that I use (and appreciate) the most are: my computers (a laptop for internet work and desktop for website, photography, and video work), my cameras, and my car, which is a junker but gets me where I need to go.
21. My car's name is Su (short for Subaru). My previous car, a Mazda van, had died when Su drove up in my driveway. Upon first sight, I was grievously disappointed in my ability to manifest a decent car. When my former wife saw the car, she said she had a good feeling about it and encouraged me to give it a chance. Since my former wife is seldom wrong about such things, I listened. I took a closer look at Su and then went out and bought a cigar to celebrate my good fortune. I've had Su now for a two years. She's never let me down.
22. I'm exceedingly grateful for my body. While outwardly there is nothing particularly outstanding about it, it has been exceptionally healthy, energetic, and reliable. Part of this has do to with me taking fairly good care of it; and part of it has to do with good genetics. I tend to thank my parents (and God and evolution) for the genetics, but hesitate to give them all the credit because I think the incoming soul has the power to pick and choose how to put the genes together. What do you think?
23. I'm grateful for having made it through tough times, because I think tough times are headed our way again and if they are, I might be able to help.
24. Making money has always been a challenge for me. It could be because my father thought too highly of it. Or because the masters, saints, and sages that I admire the most all criticized it. The funny thing is, after struggling with money all my life, I was beginning to think I finally had it figured out. I had a successful business, was paying my bills on time, taking care of my family, even saving a little money. And now the economy is collapsing, threatening my livelihood along with everyone else's. Now my thoughts are returning to Jesus and pulling money out of the mouths of fish.
25. Love. Love. Love. Relationships. Relationships. Relationships. That's what I think it's all about. Yes, meditation is important. And personal development. And inner growth. But the real juice, I think, is where evolution is taking us: further into the creation, into one another, into joining and connecting with others. While covered with centuries of mud, I think Jesus (and the Beatles) had it right: The Kingdom of God is entered into through the doorway of love and relationships. That's what I'm working on now.
...
P.S. For more information about 25., see
"The Integral Relationship Preamble"