ENGAGING A NEW AGE FABIO

Meet Tom, a very interesting Irishman that I met in a field of flowers brightening the high country above Sedona, Az. After traveling around the world, literally, he was drawn toward the spiritual life and not surprisingly toward Sedona. Giving Hawiian massages pays his expenses. We ate a meal together and talked several hours. I asked about growing up in Ireland, about the Irish Republican Army etc. He told me that during that protracted conflict there was no civilian crime to speak of. Malefactors were dealt with swiftly and fiercely by this secret force. I detected some pride in their proficiency, eventually forcing a power sharing settlement.

He was equally proud of Irelands writers, poets, dancers and music. They have indeed charmed the world. He too writes poetry and we exchanged a few verses as we walked the nearby woods.

And yes, he does look a bit like Fabio and knows it. I quizzed him gently about his new age experiences and was pleased at his humility. I find new agers so much more pleasant than fundamentalist.