This little home belongs to Jimmy, who is content with his lot. I’ve actually never met anyone quite like him. Here’s what happened on one visit to his homesite.

He was telling me that the ashes of the chief of his adoptive tribe were buried right there where the buffalo skull sat on a small mound. He says his prayers on the mound and invited me to try it. I demurred and he insisted so I stood on the mound and began to pray. I was almost immediately overcome by emotion and began to weep freely for some time. After awhile there came the sweet melody of a woodland flute. I thought perhaps Jimmy had put on a tape to enhance the experience but I found that it was he, himself playing flute…and beautifully so. Who knew?

So how often do things like this happen? There’s a story with every painting. There is a story with every chance meeting. This just happens to be one of the more exceptional.  “Let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who cross your path” is an admonition of the Prophet Baha’u’ullah. Taking the time to dig in to the lives and stories of everyone you meet might well be a way to honor that counsel.

And it also is the reason for starting a series of paintings with trailers as the theme. Jimmy’s was the first. watercolor and pencil  9-1/4″ x 9-1/4″