adagio for souls

They come from nowhere, to nowhere they return. As they travel they glow, they dance, they smile, they tumble and twist but go they do. They, the souls on their eternal journey from the unknown to the unknown. Briefly they can see each other through the veils of mysterious fogs, they whisper words of amazement, of enchantment, and they go along. "Hi," they say in passing. They turn around for one last look before the darkness welcomes them back into its rich bosom, but it is no more. They reach, they stretch, they strain, they call, they sing one last adagio and they go. As they go, they leave a trace, a small, weak trace of their golden, shimmering dust, colors of all sorts, glistening, suspended in the vacuum of reality, like the trails should be. "I was here," they say. Can anyone hear them? Those souls of ours. And go they do.

Sings of age

I got a shocker the other evening reading an on-line news publication from Croatia - a former Miss Yugoslavia committed suicide - she was 62. Well, this particular lady, Ms. Nikica Marinovic, was Miss (former) Yugoslavia in 1966 and became first runner-up at Miss World that year. She was born and grew up in Dubrovnik.

Later on that year, we had our high school prom and Ms. Marinovic was invited. She came with her boyfriend who was a drummer in a local rock band and was controlling her every step.

At some point during the ball I got this crazy idea that I wanted to dance with her - she had not danced up to that point at all. I did not even dream that that would be possible given who she was, who I was, and given her eagle boyfriend. I went to their table and asked her to dance and she agreed!! So, I danced with Miss Yugoslavia. My friends did not let me off the hook for that one ever. And now she is dead! Hmmm.

P.S. In preparation for that prom, my mother gave me my very first ever lesson in Tango. Earlier that year I danced to the first tango I remember ever - Tango Delle Rose.

Life phases

About a year ago, in conversation with friends, it became clear to me how my life has evolved in phases - four of those phases so far - with transition periods in between. I do not know if those phases have any meaning to you, but they certainly summarize my life nicely.

Here are the phases of my life (so far) the way I see them: preparation, knowledge, truth, and beauty. I will likely write about those phases individually as I am inspired to write, but, in the nutshell,

Preparation lasted for approximately first 20 years of my life. During that period I heavily depended on my parents' support and learned the basics of life within limited environment dominated by my parents (and neighbors).

Next approximately 18 years were spent in acquiring knowledge, formal, organized knowledge as taught in schools and books.

What followed for the next approximately 17 years was my own, independent venture of truth discovery, my own truth about life and my place in it.

Finally, now I am in the beauty phase where I seek, appreciate, and create beauty and assist others in doing the same, for I believe that beauty ennobles one's soul and helps transcend the earth-bound existence, helps discover and apply one's true nature.