She went on: “So many beautiful faces. And so many reasons for
coming here, too, I presume. So many hearts beating under your new
white robes and each has their own story to tell.
“Some of you have come here because you were curious. You
may have been tired of doing what everyone else was doing and
thought that the idea of total freedom and a community of love
sounded like something miraculous. To you I say: cherish your
curiosity, for it has led you to a new beginning.
“Some of you may have come here because you were unhappy.
You may have realized that the world is a difficult, unfriendly place
where people live as they are told to, not as the want to. To you it will
seem as if here is a place where you can let your tears flow and your
heart be cleansed by those tears and by the hands of those around
you. To you I say: cherish your unhappiness because you will
appreciate the joy that is to come more fully than he who is already
content.
“Some of you may have come here because you were bored. You
may have found nothing noteworthy in your lives because you had
not been given the lenses to see, nor the pen to record. To you life has
been an empty chalice which has never been filled. But in time you
will find that you have been holding that cup upside down while the
wellsprings of life flow over you instead of into you. Oh, the showers
of wonder that exist here! You, poor unwrapped souls, will drink
more fully than a desert wanderer at an oasis. To you I say: cherish
your boredom, for its veneer has preserved the little-child wonder
that we would all be so grateful to reclaim.
“We in this special place want to make sure that your visit here
is more than just a stop on your journey. We want this to be a place
that will visit you deeply, as you visit it. Our hope is that for some, it
will be a place to stay for a long time. But you will find no pressure
here to do anything. Instead, you will be afforded the luxury of doing
and being anything you want. The only thing we ask is that you please
check your preconceptions at the door. And that includes your
preconceptions about the world as well as your preconceptions about
us. We ask you to please look at everything as if it is for the first time,
because our primary goal here is to help undo the damage that living
in an overcivilized world has done to you, and the only way to do that
is to start from scratch—as children who know only joy and wonder
and have nothing to be frightened of. And as little children, you will
be our little brothers and sisters and we promise to care for you with
BIG AMERICAN BREAKFAST
162
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