Well it finally happened. We had SPIFFS this last weekend and it was great. We had a cold wind but at least it wasn't hot. My precious sister was introduced on stage as the founder or the Mother of SPIFFS and everyone applauded her and also applauded the 36 years it has been in existence.
She thought SPIFFS was over because many of the original members have died but she was wrong. My sister is very much alive and the fair which is her child, has grown into something very beautiful celebrating the diverse cultures of the Tampa Bay area.
This year there were thousands of school children who attended which is good because the government has cut out the social studies portion of the school curriculum. They really need to know about other cultures, sample a little of their food, listen to a little of their music and see their costumes. Many of those children will not be tourists in Asia and Europe to see it first hand. Because our continent is a little isolated over here we need to feel that we belong to the global culture.
About 11 o'clock a gentleman wearing a great red,white and blue tie from the Federal Government of Immigration came forward and 20 brand new citizens took their oath. I also took that oath which was important because I've been away 30 years. In fact as they said their pledge to the USA and promised undying locality it occurred to me that not even a year before I was trying very hard to get Indian citizenship. During those 30 years I have tried three times for Indian citizenship. The major hurdle has been my lack of an Indian language though some of my fellow foreigners got away with faking it. We lived at an ashram and everyone spoke English so it didn't matter. I simply couldn't learn Hindi though I tried very hard. I frankly think that I was not suppose to learn Hindi. I was destined to return to the west and live in this wonderful apartment I have now. The fear of ending up in an Indian Nursing Home is gone. If and when I start slipping I will simply be placed by Swami, in another home where I'll be taken care of also. Perhaps the ghost of my father and maybe my uncle mixed up my papers so they didn't give me citizenship. I thought of all this when we.. the new American citizens and I were taking our oath.
For 30 years I listened to Swami talking about loyalty to 'our mother land'. I had no idea He was talking about USA but I guess He was. Since returning I've voted and taken advantage of the privileges we enjoy. I live in government housing, get food stamps and may even collect a little extra money every month because my pension is so low. I am grateful to the USA and proud to be an American. I am 76 now and a little old to bloom where I was born as Swami suggests, but at least I can enjoy old age here where I can get the help I need.
Another thing. Each country is, according to the Lord, merely a room in the one house of the world which is the Lord's house. I am and always was, a citizen of the world and a devotee of the Lord.
But now don't ask me to shut the door on India. I hope to go back some day even just for a visit or....when I leave my body.
Congrats to your sister! And congrats to those of us who always seemed to think what Swami said about being loyal to our own country wasn't for us, it was for all the 'others'. Congrats because for those of us who are back, our eyes are open and we are now loyal and accepting of our birth country.
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