December 19, 2004
"Coach Ilg...the Lone Ranger...you certainly are out there, alone, in the world of fitness and shaping lives and teaching, facing fearlessly any challenge and standing fast in the face of the Establishment."
- DL Reader, John Singleton
shown above;
i use Purvottanasana (East Facing Pose) to open my Heart Center (Anahata chakra) so i may continue to practice bravery in my personal training work. photo; ilg archives
***
Dear KemoSabe (Coach Ilg),
I just read your wonderfully delight little tale of Christmas Herbs - loved it!� My pantry should be stocked like yours!! Just had our first snow of the year, here in Hooterville (Indianapolis), listening to Bono and the boys sing "It's a Beautiful Day" with the Yoga Toes on (not enough covering the ground yet to strap on the cross country skis, but we're getting CLOSE!), and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the Christmas Herb story. It actually made a difference, TODAY!� RIGHT NOW!� That's such a key aspect of Direct Lines and its power....Anyway, wanted to say, thanks!� I'd hoped to come up with some clever, witty appellation to attach to the heading of this note, something fitting and worthy of your esteemed place in the hearts of all of us out here, and all I could come up with was "kemosabe", from Tonto and the old "Lone Ranger" thing....At first, I was frustrated with myself, but then I thought - hey!� That's not so bad, it fits pretty good!� Tonto always meant this with the utmost respect - and he often used it after the Lone Ranger had just asked (or told) him to do something - and this is applicable with your Direct Lines and encouraging e-mails, too, as you encourage and guide all of us to do the things, walk the path, enter the light....and as for the comparison of you, Coach Ilg, to the Lone Ranger - well, you are certainly out there, alone, in the world of fitness and shaping lives and teaching, facing fearlessly any challenge and standing fast in the face of the Establishment.
Well done.� Now, I'm heading back to my snow dance!!!!
John Singleton
*
Noble DL Reader John -
your letter drew a very large smile across my face...
my dad's favorite TV show...well...
actually,
it was his favorite Radio Drama as well
back in the days before TV,
was in fact
The Lone Ranger!
i too, loved
The Lone Ranger!
dressed up like him as often as possible!
thought Tonto was the bomb, dude!
indeed, when i moved to Durango, Colorado,
at an age as tender as a pine sapling,
i engaged the spirit of the loyal Tonto
as i ran and got into all sorts of high adventure mischief among
the clinging snows of the San Juans with her frothing rivers
and dancing winds...
i wore mocassins like Tonto
i fastened a tomahawk to my waist
like Tonto
i would place an occasional ear to Mother Earth
and
just
LISTEN..................
to
the
EARTH MOTHER
like
Tonto...
i bow to your childlike bravery to write me your hymn of appreciation for DIRECT LINES...
few realize her genuinity among the predictable pandemonium inherent to cyberspace.
i bow to your sincerity of spirit
as clear to me
as the snowsprung waters of Mineral Creek
as rivieting to me
as the wriggling trout caught in the talons of Bald Eagles at Vallecito Lake...
as comforting to me
as the whispering first snows layering themselves
upon the sandstone shelves watching, guardian like, over the Animas Valley...
noble fitness warrior of the WF Way...
feeble ilg
bows
as low as his padmasana allows
to
the bravery
of
you