Category Archives: From The Heart

The Divine Teaser Part Two

Posted on by
2

In part two of The Divine Teaser I would like to share with you a little story that relates to my second visit to Prasanthi Nilayam, in February 2010.  As in part one, this event happened on my last day and it is also a prime example of Sai humour.

I went with a companion on my second visit, my then girlfriend, Ciara.  We decided to stay the first night in a good hotel and then see about accommodation on the ashram or find a simple apartment.  A significant thing also was that when we planned our trip we did not realise that it would coincide with Maha Shivaratri; one of the busiest festival times of the year.  The ashram had been unbelievably busy during my first visit, which coincided with Diwali and Gujarati New Year, but this time the volume of people was just unreal.  Because Ciara had a stomach condition, that meant she was in a great deal of pain for most of our stay, we ended up just staying in a very basic apartment for the duration.  Once the festival was under way we didn’t have much choice anyway because it would have been nigh-on impossible to find an alternative, what with the sheer numbers of people in the village.  I’d known before we set off that this trip was about her and not me.  I knew in my heart that Swami was calling Ciara; I also knew that he was aware of her stomach pains and that the harsh conditions of the ashram would have been too much for her to cope with.

Our apartment was down a side street but opposite a shop that sold T-shirts.  The motifs on the T-shirts were machined on the premises and the noise from the sewing machine was deafening.  As a result we did not sleep that well during the whole of our stay, but we kind of got used to it as the days passed.

Because of the volume of people in Puttaparthi (and on the ashram itself), I didn’t even bother to go through the business of laying my cushion down early in the hope of getting a place in the first line; I was just content to sit anywhere in Sai Kulwant Hall, and quite often I just sat at the back.  However, by the time we reached the last day of our stay Shivaratri was over, the crowds subsided and I decided that I was going to have one last go at getting as close as I could to Sri Sathya Sai Baba.  I knew that it would not only be my last darshan of the trip, but my last darshan ever, because Swami had already let me know that I would not be returning to Puttaparthi.  Baba has a way of letting you know things on an inner level, in the same way that he calls the millions and millions of devotees to the ashram; it’s just something that you know; words and physical presence are not necessary.

So, come mid-morning I lay my cushion down in the line to reserve my place and then went off about my business.  Early-ish afternoon I returned and took my place with my cushion along with the other hopefuls, and waited for the comedy capers to begin.  For the benefit of anyone reading this who has never been to Prasanthi Nilayam for the darshan of Sri Sathya Sai Baba I shall briefly explain the process of “the lines”.  Once morning darshan has finished you are allowed to go and place your cushion down in a designated area in order to reserve your place in the queue for evening darshan.  Once your cushion has been placed you can disappear until mid afternoon (but in the meantime hope that nobody steals your cushion and/or your place in the queue).  Once the first line of cushions stretches back up the hill until it can’t go any further, another queue is formed next to it.  At around 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. the queues are moved down alongside Sai Kulwant Hall.  This is where the fun begins because you get people who have not been queueing trying to sneak in and this can develop into pushing and shoving.  The two lines are then formed into four lines alongside the hall.  At some point the four people at the head of each line are invited to draw a token out of a bag, and whichever line draws token number one gets to go into the hall first, thus getting the chance to sit right at the front and get close to Baba.  Running is supposed to be strictly forbidden in such a sacred place, but as soon as people get inside they go tearing down to the front as though their lives depend on it.

I couldn’t believe my luck when the line I was in drew token number one.  Now before I go any further I will just say this.  Anyone who has had experience of Swami will know that he quite often plays Divine games (leelas), not only that, he sometimes gives us our own personal leela.  So, there I was in the line that drew token number one; things just couldn’t get any better, I was going to see my loving Lord’s Divine form one more time before leaving.  I got into the hall and sure enough people started running towards the front.  I tried my hardest to be disciplined but the trouble is, because of the runners, even though you may be in line one, if everyone runs past you and takes up all the spaces on the front row, then you wont get your prime spot.  So, seeing what was happening I convinced myself that Swami wouldn’t mind and I broke out into a trot.  However, because of other people’s selfishness I did not get my place in the front row.  But I still got a great position in row two directly opposite where Baba comes out.  There was two people sitting in front of me but I was sitting directly in the middle of their two sets of shoulders so I had a really good view; I was very excited and thanked Swami for getting me this spot.  As I have mentioned in previous posts it had got to the stage where Baba very rarely came out for morning darshan anymore, but you could bet your shirt on him coming out for evening darshan.

So I sat in my prime position, the Vedas were chanted and the bhajans were sung.  The time was getting on, so “anytime now” I thought to myself; I would see that orange robe in the distance and my heart would explode with love and my eyes would fill with tears of joy.  Then I would watch in anticipation as Baba came closer and closer to where I was sitting and I would get a really good glimpse of him.  “You never know”, I thought, “I might even get that all elusive eye contact.”  The bhajans went on and on, “yes, anytime now”, I thought again; and on and on they went.  Then I noticed something that I must admit, I found rather amusing.  There was an older Indian man sitting near me who kept looking around as though he was trying to attract the attention of anyone who would entertain him.  As he looked around with a very indignant look on his face he kept pointing at his watch, as if to say “what time does he call this”.  Then he would point and gesticulate with his hands as if miming “just who does he think he is, keeping us waiting like this”.  Then to my amazement ararthi* was called and the man got up and walked off in a huff.  The realization then dawned on me that Baba was having a bit of amusement in the way that only Baba can.

Every now and then Swami used to remind us that we were becoming far too attached to his physical form, and this was one such occasion.  I also felt that this was his way of telling me that I shouldn’t take things for granted.  I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that my dear Swami never came out, knowing that I wouldn’t see his physical form again, but I also saw the funny side and had a good old chuckle to myself.  In truth the whole thing was just one of Swami’s leelas.  There I was running (I’m ashamed to admit it) in Sai Kulwant Hall because I was scared of losing my place in the front row, but the reality is that we only ever sit where Swami puts us.  We all think that we are in control but all the time the Divine puppet master is having his play.  I have no room for complaint anyway because dear Baba had already blessed us beyond our wildest dreams before this incident occurred, and that will be the subject of a future blog post.

As long as I remain on this Earth I will never forget the sight of that man pointing at his watch and complaining that Sri Sathya Sai Baba was keeping us waiting; absolutely priceless.

*Arathi, aarthi or aarti (from the Sanskrit term Aaraatrik) is the ritual performed at the end of every darshan, in which the flame from wicks soaked in camphor is offered to the Divine. Aartis also refers to the song which is sung as darshan comes to a close.

The Divine Teaser

Posted on by
5

There were times when dear loving Swami could be such a teaser, and I’m going to share two of my own personal experiences with you here.

The first one took place on the last day of my first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam back in October 2009.  It had been quite an eventful first visit, experiencing life on the ashram and Baba’s leelas, and I’d decided that on the last night I was going to treat myself to a comfortable hotel room.  Even the most expensive hotels in Puttaparthi are very cheap by UK standards so I booked myself into the Sai Towers Hotel, just opposite one of the main gates to the ashram.  The good thing was that it was a 24 hour reservation, meaning that because I arrived at around 7.00 p.m. I had the room until 7:00 p.m. the next day.  Also, for the previous two or three days there had been rumours circulating that Swami would be leaving the ashram to inaugurate a new ashram in Pune.  Where Swami is concerned you can never pay much attention to any rumours that may be flying around, however, this is one rumour that turned out to be true.  On the final day of my visit Baba was indeed off to Pune.

Even though my room was very comfortable I did not sleep that well and I arose quite early.  At some stage I heard chanting coming from the ashram.  I didn’t think anything of it at first but then I realised that it was only about 07:00 a.m. and the Vedic chanting on the ashram does not usually start until 08:00 a.m.  In my naive innocence I presumed that there was an earlier than normal darshan because Baba was going away for a few days.  This was not the case however and I can only presume that the chanting was to honour “God in human form” and to see him on his way.  For some reason I decided to head downstairs.  I say “for some reason” because there was no logical reason for me doing so.  It was still early and I didn’t feel like breakfast at that precise moment, but nonetheless I found myself heading down the stairs.

When I reached the ground floor I noticed that there was people lining the street.  For a moment I wondered what was going on; and then the realisation hit me.  I ventured outside to a hive of activity, and within a few moments of me being out there, Baba’s car swung out of the gate and turned to head right past me.  I couldn’t believe it, my loving Lord engineered my own personal “car darshan” for me on my last morning in Puttaparthi.  As the car went past with Swami’s tiny figure in the back seat I was screaming and pleading in my head for him to make eye contact with me.  But did he do it?  No, of course not; he teased and tantalized me with a view of his Divine human form, he engineered my own personal darshan with precision timing, but he wasn’t going to make eye contact with me.  Ever the Divine teaser, it was as though Baba handed me a bag of sweets, let me eat some and then took them back before I could get to my favourites.  But what he did do was suffuse my heart with his love, and what a feeling it was; my heart just melted.  I felt so blessed that Swami did that for me, and to this day, when I look back on that event I always have a little chuckle to myself at how he manages to tease us until we are on the verge of bursting.  I’m sure there are millions of devotees all over the world who have similar stories to tell.

Watch this space for part two.

Festive Greetings

Posted on by
Reply

Wherever in the world you may be, whatever your race, colour, creed or religion I wish you heartfelt Christmas greetings and love, light, happiness and golden opportunities for 2012.

Thank you for supporting my blog and God bless you.

Christmas With Baba

Posted on by
Reply

On Saturday 17 December 2011 a very special event took place at the Punjabi Community Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.  It was a Christmas celebration and carol service organised by the Sri Sathya Sai Service Organisation UK.  Nothing so special about that maybe, except that in the past all the SSSSO UK Christmas celebrations have been on a regional basis.  2011 was the first time it was ever held as a national event, and it was a blessing that it just happened to be held in region 7, which covers the area where I live.  So, it was with great anticipation that I set off on that Saturday morning and drove the 22 miles or so to Swindon Punjabi Centre.

The wonderful stage at the national SSSSO UK Christmas celebration in Swindon 17 December 2011
What never fails to amaze me whenever I attend a Sai event is the amount of sheer hard work and organisation that goes into them.  Every minute detail is covered, and this event was no exception.
Because Christmas is, by and large, a Christian celebration, the organisers enlisted the services of two Christian Ministers to conduct the service AND we were also blessed with a gospel choir who travelled all the way down from Leicester.  The event started with some devotees singing songs based on Christian Taize chanting.  This was followed by the carol service.  There then followed an interval for lunch where we feasted on traditional Western Christmas vegetables and stuffing, washed down with non-alcoholic red and white fizzy wine.  Once again I feel I have to mention the tremendous hard work that was put in by the volunteer chefs and food servers in feeding the hungry hoards.
During the second part of the proceedings we were treated to the singing of the gospel choir, and the hilarious antics of “Santa” who blessed us by making a surprise appearance.  Our wonderful Omnipresent Swami, Sri Sathya Sai Baba made his presence felt throughout the afternoon, and I for one had great difficulty joining in properly with the singing because our Lord constantly filled my heart with his love and my eyes kept filling up with tears.
I also feel that I need to mention here the amazing Patrick (of whom I have spoken in a previous post.  Please click on the link to view this post https://richardfholmes.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/sri-sathya-sai-baba-never-forgets-his-children-part-one/ )  As usual, speaking to Patrick was a great inspiration, but I was also amazed yet again at what he told me.  If you look at the photo of the stage (above) you will notice the white figures.  Well, dear Patrick, noted for his stagecraft skills, was asked at short notice if he could come up with something for the event; and he most certainly did.  This amazing man made those figures, working late at night and early morning because he also has a day job.  With another colleague he set off from Bath very early in the morning whilst most of us were still in dreamland, in order to arrive in good time at The Punjabi Centre so that the stage could be erected.
I know that it is not Sai policy to single out individuals for special praise, and this is why I want to end this post by mentioning once again the incredible work that all the organizers and volunteers put into this event.  As well as the lovely food we were also kept supplied with as much tea, coffee and soft drinks as we needed and there was also the usual sweets and cakes.  The Sri Sathya Sai Book Shop, based in North London, also sent some representatives to set up a makeshift shop.  I personally acquired two wonderful photos taken from Swami’s final darshan and a fantastic book of spiritual quotes taken from the religions of the world.
Dear friends as we get ready to celebrate this very special time of the year and then welcome in 2012, we should bare in mind that for all of us as individual beings of spirit, our own personal Christmas day will be the day we awaken the Christ Consciousness within ourselves.

A True Story

Posted on by
3

For some reason I was reminded today of a true story that demonstrates just how God really does answer our prayers.  Unfortunately, we humans seem to have fixations on exactly how we expect our prayers to be answered, and because of this we quite often miss God’s reply.

The story concerns a man who was in need of a new car.  He was not in a position financially to buy one, so he sent up prayers to God explaining his predicament and asking for his needs to be met.  Around two weeks later he received a phone call from an aunt who explained that she was buying a new car.  She further explained that she no longer had any need for the car she currently owned, therefore he could have it as a gift.  The man’s response was “oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept your car as a gift”, so the aunt duly disposed of the surplus vehicle by other means.  Six months later the man is shaking his fists to the heavens because God has failed to answer his prayer….. I ask you ….. some people!

As a footnote to this tale, have you ever wondered why God is referred to as “God The Father” and why we always turn to him when we want something?  Well, cast your mind back to when you were a child and you wanted something fixing.  Who did you ask?  Why good old dad of course, and that’s why God is called God the Father; because G-O-D stands for Good Old Dad.

The true story also reminded me of another story.  An untrue story this time, but nonetheless a story that demonstrates the same lessons.  A very pious man lived in a town that was hit by serious flooding.  The Emergency Services were in the process of evacuating the area, and on calling at the man’s house were told “it’s ok, God will save me”.  The floods worsened and the streets became rivers.  Some rescue workers came by in a boat and told the man to get in, to which he replied “it’s ok, God will save me”.  The floods got even worse and the water levels rose to the extent that the man had to climb up on the roof.  At this point the Emergency Services sent a helicopter to rescue him.  But he shouted up “it’s ok, God will save me!”  He drowned!

He arrived at the pearly gates and knocked.  When St Peter opened the gates the man gave him a real earful, complaining that he’d always been a good servant of the Lord so why did God let him die.  St Peter said “you were sent a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?”

The moral of these stories is that everything we receive is a gift from God.  It doesn’t matter who or what the source may be.  The source is simply the method chosen by God to act as a channel for the gift.  Gifts can also be translated as opportunities and we should always grasp them with both hands instead of allowing ourselves to be blinded by our own logic.

Rockin With Swami

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Posted on by
2

An optimist and a pessimist were arguing as to whether the glass was half full or half empty.  Whilst they were arguing a “doer” came along and simply picked up the glass and drank.

The moral of the story is that actions speak louder than words.  This can also translate to “hands that serve are holier than lips that pray”.

The Holy Trinity Of Love, The Child & Innocence

Posted on by
6

There is a child in all of us regardless of physical age, an inner child whose very nature is love in all its innocent glory.  The unsullied child; without judgement, prejudice or bias in any form.  Ever the impartial and silent observer, a microcosm of equanimity within the great macrocosm, unruffled by the helter skelter of the illusion that is earthly life.  If this is so why does life tend to be so painful and difficult?

The reason for this is because when we plunge into the realm of matter, encased within a body of flesh, we become immersed in the monkey-mind-like chatter of information picked up by the senses from the external world; which is then fed to our own logical minds.  Our minds then tend to race, churning countless fragments of information around as if in a tumble dryer.  The result of this is worry and confusion and we simply lose sight of who we really are; we lose sight of the child.  The good news is that just because we lose sight of the child, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.  It’s the same principle as not being able to see the sun on a cloudy day.  The sun may be obscured by the clouds but it still shines in all its glory.

Creation moves in cycles, and this trilogy of Love, Child, Innocence is no exception to the rule; which is more good news for us.  What this means is that there can only ever be one outcome; no matter how long it may take, each and every one of us will one day, once again, realise the “child within” in all its effulgent splendour.  It’s also another good example of the symbolism of the Holy Trinity: Love (the all-encompassing God the Father) begat the Child (God the Son) which is permeated throughout by innocence (The Holy Spirit).

The Earth dimension has been created specifically as a dreamland stage so that we, as individualised souls, can incarnate within it when need be and play the game of life.  It’s a bit like playing snakes and ladders, where we will make progress along the way but will also encounter pitfalls.  The beauty of creation moving through cycles is that if we ever find ourselves in a situation that we don’t like, we have the power to change it.  For example, what is your inner child doing at this moment?  Is it ripping open Christmas presents, sulking in the corner or crying because it has been hurt?  If it’s one of the latter two, you yourself have the power to change it to the first example.

Yes, the Earth dimension really has been created in a specific way; a way that makes it inevitable that our child will become obscured.  Once this happens we can then commence “The Game of Life” or the journey back to the child via a pathway of trial and error.  Life begins at the end of our comfort zone and no journey is worth making unless it represents some kind of challenge.  Each challenge we meet along the way represents an opportunity to grow; and each opportunity to grow is relished by the child because it serves as one more stepping stone back to Love, The Father (there’s that cycle again).

If you are struggling at this moment in time remember that your child loves you.  But also understand that you and your child are One; love your child and love yourself, for the key to happiness within the Earth dimension is to love yourself simply for who and what you are, imperfections and all, completely and utterly without conditions.  Do this and your child will be laughing its socks off!

The epitomy of Love, Child, Innocence

The Three Day Week

Posted on by
1

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that there are seven days in a week; there are, in fact, only three, and of those three only one has any significance.

First lets look at the two pointless days in our three-day week.  There is “yesterday”; which is in the past and cannot in any way be returned to us (not even for all the chocolate in my local shop).  Anyway, when yesterday was here it wasn’t yesterday, it was “TODAY” (can you guess where this little article is going yet?).   Then we have “tomorrow” which will be today when it arrives (guessed yet?).  At the moment “tomorrow” consists of nothing more than a series of jumbled thoughts whizzing around in your mind; indeed, as sure as Tottenham Hotspur have no chance of winning the Premier League some peeps out there will have convinced themselves that tomorrow will bring the end of the world and will be sick with worry right now.

In truth, the only day that really matters is TODAY, because it’s all we have and it represents an opportunity to make a difference.  What will you do with your today, today?

The past is gone and the future is uncertain

When tomorrow comes it is today

Therefore the time is NOW

See good, be good, do good…… Now!

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Gary Speed 1969-2011 – A Tribute

Posted on by
Reply

What is it that makes someone, seemingly in their prime and with everything going for them, take their own life at the young age of 42?  I suppose we will never really know just what was going through Gary Speed’s mind when he took that fateful decision on November 27 2011.  For the uninitiated, Welshman Gary was an English Premier League footballer who had retired from playing and was manager of the Welsh national team.  As a player he made a record number of appearances in the EPL with Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers.  He finished his playing career outside the Premier League with Sheffield United.  On Saturday 26 November 2011 Gary had appeared on the BBC’s football focus programme and was outwardly upbeat and positive about life in general and his job as manager of Wales.  Off camera he had spoken enthusiastically to the presenter about his kids and also told how he was looking forward to playing golf the following week.  A few hours later he was found hanging by his wife.

I am not writing this post because I am a fan of Gary or the club’s he played for, but rather to demonstrate once again the awesome power of the human spirit.  As stated I was not particularly a fan but as a follower of the EPL I was well aware of Gary’s achievements and his influence both on and off the field.  He was a real leader of men and a great motivator; so well respected in football circles far and wide.  This influence was demonstrated aptly by the way he transformed the fortunes of the Welsh national team, who as a small country were so often the whipping boys of the international arena.  But Gary Speed went in there and made those players believe in themselves.  They started punching well above their weight and began to give the big boys a run for their money.  I remember the recent European Championship qualifier between England and Wales at Wembley and how unbelievably lucky England were to escape with a 1-0 victory.

Yesterday (3 December 2011) just prior to kick-off at football grounds throughout the country, fans and players alike put aside their petty prejudices and rivalry and united as one in their appreciation of a man who gave so much to the game of football.  Grown men wept openly as Gary Speed’s spirit touched their soul.   The question “why” will no doubt resonate within the minds of those who were closest to Gary for some time to come, but I cannot help thinking that out of this tragic event there is a wonderful ray of light shining so brightly; namely the lasting influence of Gary Speed on the game of football.  Fans and players of all clubs have been deeply moved by his passing, and this is no mean feat even in death, because footballers and football fans in general can be the most fickle of people and you don’t get to be such an influence on their lives unless you are of exceptional character; and Gary Speed certainly was.

R.I.P Gary we hope you are now free from your torment.  You have left this Earth in the same way that you lived your life on it; by being a positive influence on others.  We are living in very difficult times but yesterday your memory helped people to put all their cares and worries to one side as they united as one, one heart, one voice.  What those people felt as they wept was the unifying power of the spirit.  What they experienced in that moment was love in all its glory; if only this could be understood and put into practice in all walks of life.  If it was, what a different place the world would be.

Just Another Day At The Office For The Birthday Boy

Posted on by
1

It seems quite appropriate to be writing this article on this particular day; November 23, the 86th anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s descent into flesh.  Devotees all over the world will be celebrating today but I’m going to tell you about an incident that occurred on Saturday 19 November in Cheltenham, when The Sai Organisation UK Region 7 held a regional birthday celebration in honour of our beloved Sai.  I must say that when I first heard it was to be held in Cheltenham this year I was a bit dubious to say the least.  I have never liked Cheltenham; it is a smallish town but very, very busy.  Traffic is quite often gridlocked and the town centre road network is not exactly driver friendly, especially if you don’t know where you are going.  Yes, I still have memories of being lost in Cheltenham on a number of occasions and driving around aimlessly getting more and more frustrated.  But I wasn’t going to let a little thing like that stop me from paying my respects to Swami.

I set off nice and early to take into account that I was, in all likelihood, going to get lost.  Surprise, surprise I reached my destination without any hitch and I arrived at The Cheltenham Hindu Community Centre in plenty of time.  There is always food laid on at these events and it never fails to amaze me just how sumptuous it is.  All of Cheltenham Sai Group worked tremendously hard in organizing the event, but the ladies who prepared the food must take a special pat on the back.  As ever, it was basic vegetarian fayre, but unbelievably good.  The chick pea curry was mouth-watering and the Indian sweets were out of this world.  Lunch was actually the first thing on the agenda before the celebrations started at 2:00 p.m.

The event kicked off with a wonderful little play by the kids from Swindon Sathya Sai Education Group, and there followed a lovely video “Love In Action” that highlighted Swami’s fresh drinking water, hospital and educational projects (unfortunately, the video had to be cut short due to time restrictions).  As the devotional singing and the event in general was drawing to a close an elderly lady in a wheelchair had a cardiac arrest.  Fortunately, there was a couple of GP’s present and also a couple of nurses.  But I found what followed so surreal.

The lady was very quickly lifted from her wheelchair and placed on the floor, where she immediately received CPM from a male nurse.  He moved so fast it was quite unbelievable.  Whilst the doctors and nurses attended to the lady someone called for an ambulance.  A makeshift screen was then formed by a number of other ladies using sheets; this gave a degree of privacy to the patient and helped to maintain her dignity.  Almost simultaneously most of the people not involved started to chant the Gayatri mantra.  I always feel so completely and utterly helpless in these situations but joined in the chanting.  It must have taken the paramedics at least 15 minutes to arrive, and it must have been very strange for them as they entered the hall with so many people chanting whilst a patient was receiving life saving first aid on the floor.

I remember thinking to myself as the drama began to unfold “what a way to go”.  It seemed that Swami had decided to take her, bathed in his Omnipresence, in an environment that she loved amongst other devotees, having just finished celebrating her Lords glory; I was convinced she was gone.  However, after a short time had lapsed we received a signal that the lady was going to be alright, and all those engaged in the chanting instinctively brought it to a close.  The paramedics took the lady to hospital and one of the attending GP’s made an announcement.

The female GP told us that the lady had indeed suffered a cardiac arrest.  She also informed us that the lady had stopped breathing and that she had turned black.  So we can conclude that the elderly lady had indeed “died”.  My friend Satyan from Bath, knowing that I didn’t particularly like driving in Cheltenham, called me later that night to make sure I’d arrived home in one piece.  He’d had a lift from the male nurse who’d performed the CPM.  During the drive back the man told Satyan that the lady would not have survived had they waited for the paramedics, so it just goes to show that it was not the lady’s time to go and Baba, from his cosmic residence, had somehow engineered the whole event as if it was nothing more than a scene from a play.  I have been to many of these functions now and never experienced anything like it before, so the drive home was very strange indeed; with everything swimming around in my head.  Now, five days later, I am still trying to get my head around the events of last Saturday; events that I found very surreal indeed.

Surreal for me maybe, but it was just another day at the office for the birthday boy!