She crawls along seeing only the things that her
legs take her to
because it’s all she knows
all she has ever known

She chews on the green leaves
figuring that she is destined for this type of life
and this type of existence

Far below she sees color and hope
but now feels that it is not for her
the stale green will suffice
and she will learn to be content in it

But her heart yearns
her stomach aches
and her mind dreams dreams
of a different life
of gliding and soaring
of floating and climbing to new heights

And Someday it will come
but first will be a kind of death
that will hurt
but will lead to a metamorphosis

And then her true colors will come out
she will spread her wings and fly
and be the butterfly that I see
while she is still a caterpillar

Someday a butterfly

Once on Mull, I purchased my bus ticket at the bus and headed across the island. It was a beautiful drivewithlush green hills and water cascading down, Sheep in the pastures and cattle in the fields. I even gotnto see some highland cattle. What a beautiful sight. After a short ferry ride I arrive on Iona and walked up the hill in search of were I was staying. I eventually puns pursers the MacLoud Centre was and as I approached met two people coming down. Eric and Moira welcomed me and told me there were only three of us at Mac this week. The Abby is full with a church group and it’s the end of the season. We are going to be a small intimate family.

After checking in I unpacked and headed down the hill with my camera and found the bar, ordered a Guinness and headed outside to read and reflect on all that had happened so far. I came back for dinner of baked potatoes, Cole slaw, and baked beans. I had a little of everything since I am going to try new things. It wasn’t too bad. After dinner they said were were having “pudding.” I forgot that’s what they call dessert. It was a cake with raspberry filling that we poured cream over. It was interesting but good. The night included an introductory meeting with all guests of both places followed by worship. What a wonderful place to hold a service. I can see why some who have come have tried to replicate it at their home but I think the experiences not replicable but the concepts are.

After worship we headed back to our common room and I had tea and talked with a Scottish minister who is our resident director (?) and was part of the original group that helped restore this place. We had a wonderful discussion about the Presbyterian church in Scotland and the US. THis is proving to be a very interesting week already.

It seems to me that one of the things I need to learn from this week is to live in the moment. We are told what is happening between the current meal and the next meal. All other things we do not need to worry about. I had not realized how much ilike and need control before I took this trip. Still don’t know what to expect so I’m going with the flow and learning to live in the moment. I look forward to see what the next day brings.

I like being in charge and knowing what lies ahead. Toward this end I have read blogs from people who have gone to Iona so I feel like I know a little of what is in store for me there. What I had no idea about was the specifics of how to get here. It started in Chicago when I had to haul ass to get from terminal 1 to terminal 5. Then in Dublin I made it to my next plane and on to Glasgow. My backpack made it and I found the shuttle bus to the bus terminal which brought me to Oban (a nearly 3 hour bus ride) once here I had no idea where my hostel was but a kind shop owner pointed me in the right direction in the pouring rain. Checked in and found when the ferry sails. I’ll book all of that in the morning in usin the bus across the Isle of Mull and another ferry. What an adventure this has been so far and it’s barely begun!

1) Airplane seats on domestic flights are sized for anorexic super models

2) The true currency of air travel is the arm rest. Whoever has both arm rests has the power.

3) I am almost always going to be seated by some socially inept person who cannot recognize when I am reading, writing, listening to music, watching a movie, or just trying to ignore them.

4) Any airport that does not have a way to go from a domestic flight to an international flight without having to leave a secure checkpoint and re-enter is designed by a moron.

5) Airline food is much better after you have had to run from one end of an airport to the opposite end, almost missed your flight, didn’t get a chance to find a bathroom and had an airline employee come looking for you because you were e last passenger to board the plane.

6) Flight attendants are people too and deserve to be treated with respect.

7) And finally, I may never get tired of saying “I just flew Aer Lingus.”

Sometimes I see us happy and living together in SOMEDAY