Dear OBE members,
My son Alex just returned from Iraq. I am meeting him in Philadelphia this week. I would like to warmly thank everyone for their prayers. He is part of a Marine reserve unit building bridges throughout Iraq. I'm sad to report that three young men were killed in his small unit of twenty five and two were wounded. Let's pray they all come home as soon as possible.
The only OBE workshop in North America will be conducted next month in Michigan.
MICHIGAN OUT-OF-BODY EXPLORATION WORKSHOP OCTOBER 15-17, 2004 CAMP RANORA AND NATURE PRESERVE more info
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Living in Shanghai is a wonderful experience. China is a rich culture overflowing with diversity and beauty and I continue to be fascinated by the sights and sounds that I witness. I am observing the rapid and momentous shift of an ancient country from a third world agricultural based society to an industrial giant that will soon dominate the current economic powerhouses of our planet. As I scan my balcony I can see extensive construction everywhere. As far as I can see in every direction there are massive high-rise buildings growing at an amazing rate. It is estimated that over fifty percent of the world’s construction cranes are currently in Shanghai. Imagine a city three times larger than New York and you begin to comprehend the vastness. Picture twenty million people, three million cars, ten million bikes and five million motorbikes all sharing the roads. To make it even more interesting, almost every person behind the wheel is a first time driver with no formal drivers training. Needless to say, driving around Shanghai is a daily adventure.
Often there are unseen lessons or opportunities for personal growth offered in our daily lives. Out of habit I always attempt to uncover the hidden lessons within the significant events of my life. As you know it can be a difficult to clearly see beyond the dense facade and truly understand the purpose for the many experiences occurring in our life. Since moving to China six months ago it has become clear that several powerful personal lessons are now presented in my daily life.
I believe one of my current lessons is the need for me to cultivate patience in my life; this is a quality I have always lacked. In general, we take a lot of things for granted, such as clean drinking water, electricity, edible food and unrestricted travel. For example, take away your car and suddenly the most mundane events become a challenge. The simple act of buying milk and bread presents a challenge that requires a degree of planning and patience.
So far every thing in China has taken much longer then I expected, for example, all of my personal belongings including my computers took three months to arrive in China. They then sat another month on a dock in Shanghai as I slowly weaved though the maze of customs paperwork.
Another recent lesson revolves around my need for personal control of my life and my environment. The following story clarifies a recent learning situation that I experienced.
After returning from my April OBE workshop in Italy I was exhausted from my 17-hour flight and was looking forward to a good night sleep. As I move through customs in the Shanghai airport I am suddenly stopped by a security agent and quickly escorted to a back room. Three uniformed men examine my passport and ask me several personal questions about my travel destinations. Then I am harshly told that my Chinese Visa is not valid and I have to exit China immediately. "You go now!" In shock I tell them I live here and there must be a mistake. Again I am forcefully told, "You go back to where you come from". Since my last flight was from Amsterdam I am told to go back to Holland. Still in shock I ask for other options and request a phone call. They tell me bluntly, "No phones, you go now". Of course my cell phone has lost its charge during my travel so contact with anyone I know is out of the question. Again I insist on other options and I am told that I can purchase a ticket and fly to Hong Kong instead of Amsterdam but I must leave the country now. I am told that I can apply for a new visa in Hong Kong. (This is about a two-hour flight). Two guards escort me through the Shanghai airport to the Dragon Air airline ticket office and under their watchful eyes I purchase a flight on the next plane out. As a customs agent holds my passport I am escorted through the airport and to the waiting plane. At the door of the plane the guard hands me my passport and with a wide smile speaks his first English, "Bye Bye".
While waiting for my flight to Hong Kong I pondered the potential lessons before me. All personal control over my movement and freedom was instantly gone. All of my "rights" as I perceive them were gone. This experience created a strange feeling of complete powerlessness that is difficult to convey. However, powerful lessons about control, resistance and surrender was present. How often do we resist the change or the flow of events around us? How often do we fight for our viewpoint or opinion to be correct? How often does our resistance to change create the many dramas and hardships in our lives? After verbally resisting the Chinese authorities, I quickly realized that my best course of action was to surrender to the flow of events that engulfed me. Yes, I was kicked out of the country that day but also I went to Hong Kong and had a great experience exploring the many sights of this fabulous city. Sometimes the universe has a bigger and better plan for us than we can imagine, however, it is up to us to stop resisting and simply surrender to flow of events that propel us forward. Think about this in your daily life when events seem be out of control and drama and conflicts confront you. Maybe challenging events in your life provide important lessons about resisting and surrender. The key is to recognize these opportunities and learn from them.
All my best, William Buhlman