I don't often get to write this sentence: the Lovely Carla and I are going to see His Holiness the Dali Lama today. He will be giving a speech at Lincoln Park.
It's been an exciting weekend, what with the Kentucky Derby (I'm a winner - I'll be heading to the betting parlour to cash out later today, for a brief moment yesterday, nursing a hangover, I was the "king of the world"). My pick, Street Sense made a powerful move from the the back of the pack, skimmed the rail, broke free heading for the finish line and powered through with a flourish. That's two in a row for me. I'm willing to chalk it up to racing luck, but I did do my homework, and I could, if you indulged me, give you about four or five reasons why this particular horse was the one.
Anyway, the Lovely Carla was a little ticked off with me that I seemed to be more excited about the Derby than the Dali...but it's not true...I love the perfect symmetry of the Derby/Dali Dichotomy. And you know, the Lovely Carla has been giving me little tidbits about the Dali Lama - he used to have a drinking problem, he's reportedly back to being a vegetarian, but he has eaten meat too, and well, this is the kind of Dali Lama I want - A HUMAN BEING, with all the flaws that a flesh and blood can claim as a birthright.
I'm not looking for no stinking saint...the Dali Lama, warts and all, is fine with me. I'm thinking of renting Scorcese's "Kundun" tonight, just to carry the theme to it's logical conclusion. I wonder if the Dali Lama has ever read Michael Moore's book, "Dude, Where's My Country?"
The big thing I love about the Dali Lama - he smiles a lot. He looks genuinely happy...and yes, it really is a world of turmoil, hell, the Chinese kicked him out of his beloved homeland, and well, you must say he's made the best of a bad situation. Not a bad example for all of us to follow...