"Special Significance" -- writing exercise. Hanbleceya ceremony

[I was knocking around rough drafts for essay answers to college entrance forms, and this one asked about an event of "special significance" in my life. Don't recall if this ever made it onto an application or not -- it was probably going to Evergreen or Prescott college.]

"Special Significance"

In the spring of 1991, a friend and I walked into the newly-thawed hills of Eastern Oregon to fast. We had been planning this for over 6 months (if "planning" is an appropriate word to use here). After finding our individual spots together, we camped 1 night at base camp, made some sage tea, and had a couple hours of sleep. We headed, individually, to sit in a circle of stones fasting for 3 days and nights.

Our newly-met Cherokee teacher told us it was a fast, not a vision quest. "You hear "Vision Quest" and you expect something -- you two go out there and fast, sacrifice for the people."

It's been 2 years now, and I fully expected to have a more recent example to use for this exercise; but in considering the events, i realized I couldn't have done any of them without this crucial first step.

Many things happened there. For one, I melted into a landscape more thoroughly than I had ever thought possible. I was joining the birds' morning salute songs by the second day. Secondly, & this was more subtely realized, I faced my own death, or mortality. I knew I would die. I *felt* that reality, and it changed me in ways I'm still discovering. One of the most marked being a switch from a fear-based mind, to one of trust & intuition. I am more free now than I've ever been.

Upon returning to Portland, Ross and I were already planning our 6 1/2 month trip through mexico & the Southwest, by thumb & freight car. That, too, was an incredible adventure. But as for significance -- it remains based in those 3 days. I would not be sitting here, as I am today, without them.