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32. The Heavy Hitter 8/25/03
Since Jordan has referred to me as a 'heavy hitter' I guess this is as good a spot to tell the story of what I refer to as ‘my last fight’. The Paranormal elements of this event and the details are interesting and are the primary reason I recount it here.
This fight occurred in the late sixties during a rare visit to happy hour at The China Pavilion on 57th , street and 7th ave., one of the finest Chinese restaurants in NYC at that time. Monica and I had a long friendly relationship with the owners and staff of the restaurant and often celebrated and feasted there with friends over the years.
One afternoon we went in to the Pavilion to enjoy a drink and appetizer. The restaurant and bar where packed since it was happy hour. We sat in a corner table that was in a little alcove that accommodated two small tables and was tight to the curved bar with just enough room for the waiter to come in from the rather large open section of the bar. While we were enjoying conversation, the sounds of an up tight, too much to drink, patron started to fill the room. It seems this man felt any subject that was foreign to his world needed to be exposed in the loudest of voices.
After about ten minutes I thought I might go over to him and just ask if he would be a little bit quieter, when Monica said, “Harmon, let it be”. Since I knew I must practice patience for one, and I did not want to start a brawl in this place, I conceded. Then a friend joined him and they both started to loudly attack, hippies, anti war protesters and what ever else their bewildered minds threw up. It took a lot to be still and let this go on but I was intent on learning to be tolerant. After about 20 minutes of this noise a women friend of theirs appeared and they got quiet, thank goodness.
About fifteen minutes later it started again, oh no! I thought, spare me this indignity. But I continued to be good and not disturb the rednecks parading in suit and tie. After about 10 minutes it was just so ridiculous that I felt I would just bounce a sound off the ceiling and maybe change this nonsense. A color came to mind and I intended to shout “your green” to emphasize just how silly it all was. What came out was “Your Yellow”! Apparently something in me had some other ideas about what to do about this situation.
This brought the red neck around the bar to my table to check out who it was that would challenge his excellent character. He grabbed my sweater and I asked him to remove his hand. After a fast review of the situation with Monica on my right and a women at the bar on my left, I went into a sort of dream state, and knew the last thing I wanted was a slugfest to start here. With that my body flew out of the chair went over two tables and landed in a more open area! The guy was still holding on and came along with me. Since I didn’t want to fight, I bent over with hands on my knees as this brute now joined by his friend attempted to land a few punches over my back. At this point I thought others at the bar would come to my rescue and remove the antagonistic fellows from my back.
With this in mind, time seemed to stop and I went into a serenity state. A three dimensional, technicolor picture of Jesus appeared in my mind's eye and I was totally absorbed by the presence that was animated in this picture. Then I heard Monica yell, “Hey” and move towards us, with this I rose up put the back of my hand and forearm against the body of this one fellow and put him flat on his back. As he lay there I reached down and grabbed him by his collar with one hand and lifted him up, and put him in front of me. He came off the ground like a feather!
We stood face to face, he with an incredulous look on his face, as I also was reflecting on the weightlessness of what just occurred. At this point I thought, I had better square off (meaning putting up the hands to box) when all of a sudden my right hand came off my side, open handed and flicked him on the chin. With this he went down, apparently knocked out. I turned and the other fellow was backed off with no seeming intent to enter the fray. As I looked in amazement at the body on the floor I was delighted that this was not going any further. I glanced around the room at all the people at their tables they seemed to have a pleased look about them, as anyone might upon seeing some good theater.
With that the management came over got the guy up and helped him leave with his friend. Mr. Yin the owner came over to me and apologized for the event and explained that this guy was a source of trouble for quite some time but they were not allowed to get physically involved with a customer. Weeks latter I learned this fellow had not been back since.
Well there it is. No blood was shed, not a drink was spilled and everything was in place. I was occupied for weeks with this event trying to figure out what actually went on here and what was at play. This is before I had done any formal meditation practice or had any such altered state experience of an unusual nature. Going back to the restaurant in the following weeks the bartender wanted to know what form of kung fu I had practiced, I told them I did Tai Chi to keep it simple. For a while the door to the kitchen would come open and the cooks would come out and bow to me with bright eyes, and the waiters, would come over and share their kung fu stories with me. Turns out the staff were all practiced in different forms of Kung Fu.
Two days later I received a wooden Practice sword from Japan in the mail. A friend who was traveling around the world at the time sent this. This definitely said to me there is more at play in this life then we may imagine. This sword symbolized for me that I have had my last fight.
So what went on here? My feeling over the years has been that we are looking at many elements or potentials of energy at work and how it interacts with our intention. I also felt that my body was open enough to be able to fulfill a self-correcting energy that was in the room. This remains with me as an explanation since I feel that we are surrounded with and given intuitive signals about ongoing events and it is a matter of being able to move directly with them.
I also feel, and have said it elsewhere that the paranormal and normal are not that separated. If our intent and heart is true, what we need will be there. If it requires what looks like paranormal abilities, they will be there.
“Everyone's body, that is, Every-Body, has as unique a path to enlightenment as does Every-One's soul or spirit or psyche or mind. Just as there are as many paths to enlightenment as there are people, there are as many paths to bodily enlightenment as there are bodies.” Jordan Gruber
Peace
Posted by harmon at August 25, 2003
Comments
Great story, Harmon. I have a story about a drunk as well. Here is the short-form: This fellow named Dog Breath, who was a drunken biker, sat down uninvited at a table with my friends and I. Of course, he sat right next to me. His belligerence was increasing until I did the obvious: I turned directly to him, looked in his eyes, and said "Tell me your story." It was a sad story he told, filled with rejection and unhappiness, and after he finished (10 minutes or so), he simply fell asleep at the table. He just wanted to be listened to.
-- Jordan
Posted by: Jordan on August 25, 2003
Fun story Jordan. The ultimate Kung Fu, good communication. Truly a high art.
Posted by: harmon on August 27, 2003
Harmon I loved this story. First of all, it's helpful to know that someone with a consciousness such as yours has struggled in the past with tolerating the intolerant among us. Second, this resonated with me:
" I also felt that my body was open enough to be able to fulfill a self-correcting energy that was in the room. . . .I feel that we are surrounded with and given intuitive signals about ongoing events and it is a matter of being able to move directly with them."
That really is the essence of Tai chi, I think, moving with the energy that is there and riding its wave, so's to speak. So you really were doing Tai chi, in your own way, extempore, it sounds like.
Ruth
Posted by: Ruth on August 29, 2003
Ruth, thank you, I am glad that you were able to find something from this story. The self-correcting nature we have requires sensitivity to our bodies and what is currently playing in our feelings and space. Breathing is such a plus for us to be able to handle comfortably the physical impressions we receive from the external environment and our divine sources.
Bless
Posted by: harmon on September 3, 2003
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