It had been drizzling so I didn’t pack the camera when we walked from Midtown to Centennial Park to hear the Dalai Lama. Thus, the only pic I’ve to offer is the below one taken with my cellphone.
H.o.p. brought his camera but he took pics of the kids playing next to us.
Another reason I didn’t carry the Canon along is I didn’t want to be looking for a good photo. I just wanted to sit and listen…
Thousands were in attendance.
A few minutes ago, I went to the Atlanta Journal Constitution website to see what they had on it and on the front page they have a pic up of Marie Osmond because she fainted on a show and a video of Kid Rock because he was arrested for causing some scene somewhere. Finally on the Metro page I found a link to an article on the Dalai Lama and it said nothing about what he was speaking on, just noting the guys there painted up so when they stood in a row their bellies and backs spelled “HELLO DALAI”, and preachers protesting outside the park saying the Dalai Lama was sending millions of people to hell. And that’s about all they had to report on the matter. At least this evening.
The AJC did have a slide show of the Dalai Lama’s installation as a professor at Emory University, and those evidence some of the humor which we saw today at the park.
U.S. Representative John Lewis was there. And I had the feeling this really was an emotional meeting for him. After His Holiness spoke, he presented shawls to several individuals, including Lewis. The Dalai Lama bowed as he placed the shawl about Lewis’ neck. Lewis bowed, and as their heads met in the bow, Lewis tried to bow lower. It all happened in a split instant. The body language of the Dalai Lama immediately communicated this was no bowing contest, as their heads met in the bow, as Lewis bowed lower, there was a reflex where you could see the Dalai Lama was attempting to halt Lewis from bowing lower, and in that instant Lewis almost stumbled and fell, and the Dalai Lama caught him and laughed and Lewis laughed. Like I said, it all transpired in an instant, but I caught it and Marty later remarked on it to me, he having observed it as well.
A very human moment and something very touching about it.
We purchased water when we got to the park, to slake thirst after the long walk. It was odd, seated on the green, to see individuals strolling in with buckets of hot buttered popcorn from a concession. Just didn’t occur to me that hot buttered popcorn and the Dalai Lama went together. But people had been there for hours, waiting, expecting a large turnout.
A number of people had traveled long distances for this once in a lifetime opportunity. H.o.p. understood it as being probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. He felt a cold coming on before we went but didn’t tell us about it. He is nursing a sore throat tonight.
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