Well, San Francisco still is the land of the hippies.  There’s a lot of us older ones, and some younger ones have joined the fray too.  And yes, we were all there at the 25^th New Living Expo at the SF Concourse Exhibition Center.  Down off of Vermont Avenue – Gee sounds like Hollywood and LACC to me – this part of SF, once industrial no doubt, is now buzzing with art galleries, SF Academy of Art and this Exhibition Center.  So the tix at the door were $20, BUT if you brought 4 cans of food to donate to the homeless shelter you got in for free! (Or $4, depending on how you looked at it.) 

This was my first indication that “If you’regoing to San Francisco/ Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.”  (Actually, seems that the Taper occasionally did this same thing to fill the seats. I liked it back then; I like it now. )  Further, you know this is an older hippie event when people under 20 get in for free.  The clientele was varied, but the speakers were for the most part on my radar for a New Age event. – Gregg Braden, John Gray, Lynn Andrews, plus 5,280 massage therapists, one of whom did some lovely cranial sacral work on my brain and energy system for a 10 minute blitz.  Free yoga tent – tomorrow I’ll wear some loose slacks – If I can find any! A meditation room, although the overall noise level was overwhelming.  The convention space is cavernous and speaker’s tents had forty feet above them for the sound to reverberate.

But how lovely to refresh in this way.  I had thought I would try to catch Mikael Barishnykov in a new production -  maybe next week- but to replenish with hope for the world, hope for my children, hope for the grandkids.  Yeah, this beats theatre hands down.

So what did I learn?? Some ayurvedic methods for clearing energy points, clearing the energy before it manifests into illness.  Then, I listened to John Gray who has moved from “Women are from Venus,” mode into talking to his audience about how ADD kids can get help with 300 mg of grape seed extract and 500mg of vitamin C. This apparently is popular in Europe for many boys. Don’t think I didn’t call my daughter and discuss it immediately. Also Lithium Oxalite is a natural anti-depressant, without the side effects.

I listened to a most intelligent Gregg Braden on a panel regarding 2012, which really changed my attitude about him. Articulate, thoughtful and from the heart – and that is the gist of all the new/old age stuff – and yes, I would love to run off 12/21/12 to Machu Picchu for this moment of the equinox and convergence when the Sun Earth Venus align.   Braden said that as a scientist, (he apparently worked as a defense engineer before he was new age) and a geologist, all of this end of age is a geologic age coming to an end. Earth has done it countless times, not just ending this 5,125 year cycle,  and what is important is how we react to it. In other words, embrace mother earth, don’t panic. We will survive.  He also said that the other indigenous cultures, that he had studied,  look at this as just another part of living on earth and making peace. This I liked.  

And then I listened to Laura Eiesenhower for 90 minutes.  Great Grandfather Dwight’s warning about the ‘military industrial complex’ was apparently a lot more loaded than the rest of us might suspect.  She subscribes to a David Ickes’ theory, which is pretty spooky, reptilian, but possible in my world, anyway. Her message in the end was to live from your heart, be true and hold faith in that reality.  We are infinite,divine beings, and that will prevail.

      I liked my day so much, I stopped in at the dollar store for another $4 of non perishables, so I could return tomorrow.  I intend for my life to be joyfullll.  That's why all those people smile back!