Waukegan Theatre Company A LIttle Jack Benny History Lost

Waukegan's Bowen Park Theatre Company to close after this season

Susan Love of Grayslake portrays Dr. Martha Livingston in "Agnes of God" at Bowen Park Theatre. (Bowen Park Theatre / Handout)

Sheryl DeVoreNews-Sun

The curtain will go down on the Bowen Park Theatre Company after its spring performances, but many in the Waukegan arts community are already mourning the loss of a professional production company that has staged comedies and dramas for nearly three decades.
Smaller audiences and reduced state funding are among the issues that led to the decision, according to artistic director Jason Clark and Claudia Freeman, superintendent of cultural arts at the Waukegan Park District.

"I feel like Clockwise (Theatre) is losing a big brother," said Gurnee resident Madelyn Sergel, playwright and past artistic director of Clockwise Theatre, which opened about six years ago in Waukegan.

The Bowen Park Theatre Company "has fought the constant battle for audiences, actors, media and dollars to bring vibrant art to our neck of the woods," Sergel said.

Bowen Park Theatre Company's last performance will be the final showing of "On The Verge," according to Clark.

For nearly three decades, Bowen Park Theatre Company brought productions to Waukegan at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts. The Dr. Lynn Schornick Theatre, where the company performs, was named after its founder. (Sheryl Devore / Lake County News-Sun)

The park district oversees the theatre and other activities at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts including the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Waukegan Concert Chorus, which perform at various venues in the region, plus arts and music classes and other cultural activities. All of those activities will continue, Freeman said.
Freeman said both she and Clark are "heartbroken" about closing the theatre's doors, but that it's time to move on.

"This is a choice Claudia and I made to step back, to re-evaluate the future of Bowen Park Theatre," said Clark, adding that local theatre supporters have expressed disappointment about the decision.
"Claudia and I had talked about this for a while," he said. "We've been having fewer and fewer people audition and there's been a slow decline of the audience over time."
Clark said he wants supporters to know "it was our decision, not the park district's decision to close." He added it hasn't helped that funding for the theatre from the Illinois Arts Council has declined to about one-tenth of what it once was.

Clark, a Waukegan resident, actor and set designer for various local theater companies, will be acting as Long John Silver in the Devonshire Playhouse production of "Treasure Island," beginning Feb. 13 in Skokie. The role, he said, will help "lighten the sting a little" from closing Bowen Park Theatre.
It's also still possible the theatre may return to produce one production a year or in some other capacity, Clark said.

"We may do one show next year. We still hope to produce a show in the future," he said. "We are hoping this is not our swan song."But there is no plan to create another season of performances, he said.

As little as a decade ago, Clark said, "We'd add seats for our productions. We needed to because we sold out."

The theatre seats up to about 100 people, Freeman said. For a recent production of "A Few Good Men," the theatre averaged about 54 tickets sold for each showing. At another production before that, the theatre sold an average of 12 seats, she said.

Freeman said closing the theatre is a sign of the times.

"Things have changed. The numbers have gone down for performance arts (venues) in the metropolitan areas as well," she said, pointing out the December closing of Redmoon Theater of Chicago after about 25 years. Apple Tree Theatre of Highland Park closed in 2009 after 26 years of productions.

Freeman said the lighting and sound system will be maintained in the Bowen Park Theatre's space, and that it likely will continue to be rented out to other theater companies or for meetings.
"It's good space," she said.

The roughly $20,000 annual budget used for the theatre can be put to good use, she said, adding that cultural arts is alive and well at the park district.

Lynn Schornick and Ken Smouse founded Bowen Park Theatre Company and the Bowen Park Opera Company in 1987.

In 2003, the Waukegan Park District and the Jack Benny Center for the Arts renamed the Goodfellow Hall Theatre, the Dr. Lynn Schornick Theatre, where Bowen Park Theatre holds its productions.
The Jack Benny Center, located in Bowen Park, is the cultural arts division of the Waukegan Park District.

The opera company closed in 2010, said Freeman, "because we were not filling seats."
Sergel said she has seen Bowen Park Theatre's recent play, "Agnes of God," which continues through this weekend.

"It's a superb production, beautifully directed, with all three actors doing wonderful work," Sergel said.

She added that Bowen Park Theatre has been a "kind and generous friend to Clockwise, always there with a loaned prop, coming to shows, and cheering Waukegan on.
"Jason Clark could have gone other places, set up his professional tent in Chicago or L.A., but he chose to stay in Waukegan, offering up his numerous talents as director, actor and designer to his hometown," she said. "He also quietly provided opportunity to dozens of young people and was a constant advocate for designers, actors and playwrights. His work and the work of Bowen Park Theatre Company will be sorely missed."
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.

Copyright © 2016, Lake County News-Sun

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/lifestyles/ct-lns-bowen-park-theatre-closing-st-0210-20160209-story.html

Peace Journey Loves Cultural Exploration Everywhere!

Peace Journey Seven Paths Sharing 7 Cultural Concepts 

7 cultural concepts we don't have in the U.S.

Perhaps one of these ideas will inspire you to think differently in your day-to-day life.

From the end of October through the New Year and onto Valentine's Day, it's easy to forget that the holidays we celebrate are simply cultural constructs that we can choose to engage in — or not. The concepts and ideas we celebrate — like our spiritual beliefs and daily habits — are a choice, though sometimes it feels like we "have" to celebrate them, even if we don't feel like it.

Culture is ours to do with as we choose, and that means that we can add, subtract, or edit celebrations or holidays as we see fit — because you and me and everyone reading this makes up our culture, and it is defined by us, for us, after all. 

If you want to add a new and different perspective to your life, there are plenty of other ways to recognize joy and beauty outside American traditions. From Scandinavia to Japan, India and Germany, the concepts below may strike a nerve with you and inspire your own personal or familial celebration or — as is the case with a couple of these for me — sound like an acknowledgement of something you have long felt, but didn't have a word for. 

Friluftsliv translates directly from Norwegian as "free air life," which doesn't quite do it justice. Coined relatively recently, in 1859, it is the concept that being outside is good for human beings' mind and spirit. "It is a term in Norway that is used often to describe a way of life that is spent exploring and appreciating nature," Anna Stoltenberg, culture coordinator for Sons of Norway, a U.S.-based Norwegian heritage group, told MNN. Other than that, it's not a strict definition: it can include sleeping outside, hiking, taking photographs or meditating, playing or dancing outside, for adults or kids. It doesn't require any special equipment, includes all four seasons, and needn't cost much money. Practicing friluftsliv could be as simple as making a commitment to walking in a natural area five days a week, or doing a day-long hike once a month. 

Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese term that means "forest bathing" and unlike the Norwegian translation above, this one seems a perfect language fit (though a pretty similar idea). The idea being that spending time in the forest and natural areas is good preventative medicine, since it lowers stress, which causes or exacerbates some of our most intractable health issues. As MNN's Catie Leary details, this isn't just a nice idea — there's science behind it: "The "magic" behind forest bathing boils down to the naturally produced allelochemic substances known as phytoncides, which are kind of like pheromones for plants. Their job is to help ward off pesky insects and slow the growth of fungi and bacteria. When humans are exposed to phytoncides, these chemicals are scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, relieve stress and boost the growth of cancer-fighting white blood cells. Some common examples of plants that give off phytoncides include garlic, onion, pine, tea tree and oak, which makes sense considering their potent aromas

Hygge is the idea that helps Denmark regularly rate as one of the happiest countries in the world — Danes have regularly been some of the most joyful in the world for over 40 years that the U.S. has been studying them — despite long, dark winters. Loosely translated at "togetherness," and "coziness," though it's not a physical state, it's a mental one. According toVisitDenmark (the country's official tourism site): "The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family — that’s hygge too. And let’s not forget the eating and drinking — preferably sitting around the table for hours on end discussing the big and small things in life." Hygge's high season is winter, and Christmas lights, candles galore, and other manifestations of warmth and light, including warm alcoholic beverages, are key to the concept.

Still a little confused and wondering how you could cultivate hygge in your life? This Danish NPR commenter sums up some specifics: "Hygge is a deep sense of cosy that can originate from many different sources. Here is a good example from my life : a cloudy winter Sunday morning at the country house, fire in the stove and 20 candles lit to dispel the gloom. My husband, puppy and I curled up on our sheepskins wearing felt slippers, warm snuggly clothes and hands clasped around hot mugs of tea. A full day ahead with long walks on the cold beach, back for pancake lunch, reading, more snuggling, etc. This is a very hyggligt day." Now that sounds do-able, doesn't it? 

Wabi-sabi is the Japanese idea of embracing the imperfect, of celebrating the worn, the cracked, the patinaed, both as a decorative concept and a spiritual one — it's an acceptance of the toll that life takes on us all. As I wrote about it earlier this year, "If we can learn to love the things that already exist, for all their chips and cracks, their patinas, their crooked lines or tactile evidence of being made by someone's hands instead of a machine, from being made from natural materials that vary rather than perfect plastic, we wouldn't need to make new stuff, reducing our consumption (and its concurrent energy use and inevitable waste), cutting our budgets, and saving some great stories for future generations." We might also be less stressed, and more attentive to the details, which are the keys to mindfulness.  

Kaizen is another Japanese concept, one that means "continuous improvement," and could be taken to mean the opposite of wabi-sabi (though as you'll see, it depends on the interpretation). It's a very new idea, only coined in 1986, and generally used in business circumstances. As this tutorial details, "Kaizen is a system that involves every employee, from upper management to the cleaning crew. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a once a month or once a year activity. It is continuous. Japanese companies, such as Toyota and Canon, a total of 60 to 70 suggestions per employee per year are written down, shared and implemented." These are regular, small improvements, not major changes. Applied to your own life, it could mean daily or weekly check-ins about goals, as opposed to making New Year's resolutions, or a more organized path based on small changes toward weight loss, a personal project or a hobby. 

Gemütlichkeit

Gemütlichkeit is a German word that means almost the same thing as hygge, and also has its peak usage during the winter. In fact, some linguists posit that the word (and concept) of hygge likely came from the German idea. Blogger Constanze's entry on the German Language Blog for "Untranslatable German Words" describes how the word means more than just cozy: "A soft chair in a coffee shop might be considered ‘cosy’. But sit in that chair surrounded by close friends and a hot cup of tea, while soft music plays in the background, and that sort of scene is what you’d call gemütlich."

Jugaad is a Hindi word that means "an innovative fix" or a "repair derived from ingenuity," — think a jury-rigged sled for snowy fun, or a bicycle chain repaired with some duct tape. It's a frequently used word in India where frugal fixes are revered. But the idea has further merit beyond figuring out solutions to get by with less. It also encapsulates the spirit of doing something innovative. As the authors of Jugaad Innovation write in Forbes, they see jugaad in many other places than the repair shop: "In Kenya, for instance, entrepreneurs have invented a device that enables bicycle riders to charge their cellphones while pedaling. In the Philippines, Illac Diaz has deployed A Litre of Light — a recycled plastic bottle containing bleach-processed water that refracts sunlight, producing the equivalent of a 55-watt light bulb — in thousands of makeshift houses in off-the-grid shantytowns. And in Lima, Peru (with high humidity and only 1 inch of rain per year), an engineering college has designed advertising billboards that can convert humid air into potable water."

Jugaad's idea of frugal innovation can definitely be applied in the individual life — what about setting aside a half a day twice a year where everyone in your family fixes something that needs repair? You'll save money, spend time together, test problem-solving skills, and get a sense of accomplishment from repairing instead of buying new. 

Read on... See Full Article & Beautiful Visuals Here!  Seven Cultural Concepts Mother Nature Network.

Peace Journey Book Launch February 15 through Mother's Day 2015

No Time Like The Present

Staying Focused on What Matters!

Ok, so I have taken writing marketing classes, communicated with successful authors & publicists as well as social media gurus and have a pretty good handle on next steps for my book launch.  Having a small budget makes the whole process daunting, but with the help of people at Amazon,  I have decided to self-publish and get this show on the road.

I wanted to get my book out late last year, but due to a series of health issues and events, I felt the universe was telling me to wait.  And so I did.  And now, it makes sense since Peace Journey; Seven Paths to a Charmed Life is all about love and the heart, so bookending the launch starting on Valentines Day promoting through Mother's Day clearly has helped me to commit.

My life has been filled with creating PeaceJourney.com trips from scratch, no excel spreadsheet action, all trips sponsored and most importantly, listening to my intuition and trusting my instincts.  You might think this no different!  But I have found, that it is different and the reason why?  It's because it is so personal to write a book and share a piece of yourself, your story and your views.  

Soon, I will be launching a CrowdFunding Campaign so that everyone who cares about our success can participate in it!  

I look forward to an amazing campaign, with your help and the help of your heart! 

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz (Facebook)

Supported by PeaceSpaProducts.org (Facebook & Website)

Celebrities & Artist I Want To Thank for Their Inspiration This Season

Touched by Angels in the Arts

This holiday season I am reminded and grateful for the angels of art who have graced my life in painting, photography, storytelling, dance, songwriting, musicians, singers, promoters and producers who make it all possible for the world and whose work has deeply touched my life.  

I have to start with my father, who played and sang beautifully, accompanied by his soul, his heart and his guitar;  actress Dolores Hart who chose God over Hollywood, and depicted her story in a documentary titled "God Is The Bigger Elvis"; John Lennon's songwriting including IMAGINE,  The Flying Laser Guitarist Graham Gillot and  HyperHarp Jeff Grossberg who light up the world with music and light creations; Little Feat who rocked for PeaceJourney Hawaii on 4-islands in 5 days to help us bring computer labs to the islands and that included Ben Taylor (Peace Journey Trips documentary) and  son of James Taylor; Yuri Lane beatbox extraordinaire who recently performed on the Steve Harvey Show and who through his beats, connects our hearts; and Sandro Miller, photographer, who just won the Lucie Award for Best International Photographer of the Year; and Peter Exley and his wife Sharon with their amazing work to beautify the world through architecture and the arts. And Ben Mugisha, Rwandan Hip Hop sensation, Helene Henn, South African singer, Peyton Tochterman a rising star n the American Roots Music and traveler to Afghanistan in support of our troops through the State Departmen, Mimi Machado-Luces film and documentary producer, and Rocco Cataldo, who helps me make sense of the world of music and film through his own art!   Learn more about them here:  Bios at Peace Journey  And Richard Cahan, photographer, who bravely traveled and documented in the West Bank this year.  His photo display titled Night Raid can be seen now at  Art Works in River North-Chicago, Illinois thru December 15th 2014.

There are many people who have touched my life, who I know are there to step up to make this world better, but now in the latter part of 2014, finding out about so many local people and the beauty they bring to the earth has touched my heart, and reopened my creative senses,  which can only enhance our next Peace Journey adventures 2015, and the good we can all do for the world.  

Happy Holidays as you learn more about these amazing people. 

Sponsorship For Causes Makes Big Difference in Consumer Purchases

Isn't It Time to Step Up, Using Our Purchasing Power to Make the World Better?

1. "Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the ecosystems. A trade-off may exist between economic development, in the material sense, and the welfare of the society and environment."

   Peace Journey Productions is now on our quest for the best and most socially responsible companies to work with.

   Let's face it, very, very few of any of us wake up in the morning thinking of ways to destroy the planet, our families, animals and neighbors.  In fact, for most thank goodness, it's exactly the opposite.  

   It is difficult to keep up with corporations and small businesses who stand out in the world for good, isn't it?  

   In my personal quest to find out the Who's Who -- Best Of  in the area of corporate social responsibility,  I am sharing this report from MacLeans Inc.  There may be many more lists that you find so please post your list below in the comments and we can share more of this good news with the world.  While this list is for larger companies, I would be remiss to not include the social responsibility by now of our key sponsors, PeaceSpaProducts.org

   All I know is 15 or 20 years ago,  one would be hard-pressed to find companies rated and reported on as the top companies in this category, and now through Google and other search engines, information is so readily available.

   This makes the process of choosing where to spend our dollars in our hands.  And there is no better time than the present, during the holiday season! 

   Choosing the top rated socially conscious companies to buy from means we still have to do our homework and be sure that the stories aren't just public relations stunts, but at least we have a guidepost for information gathering.

   
   

   Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

PEACE JOURNEY Seven Paths Venue Search for Songwriting Camp 2015 Underway

PEACE JOURNEY Venue Search Taking Us Down More than Seven-Paths!

www.peacejourney.com

Saturday was a day-trip for us to look at a farm music event venue for our upcoming songwriting/concert camp, on a very cold and blustery early fall Illinois day. 

Stonehouse Farm is only 1 hour and a half from downtown Chicago, but working 2-GPS systems simultaneously gave us two different directions to go in.  We decided to chose the road less traveled, adding another 45 glorious country road minutes to our drive.

Cornfields were abundant.  After a few years working at sponsorKIDS to promote healthy food in our local schools, I learned about all the corn that is being grown for sucrose in Illinois, eliminating many other crops that could be grown for food.  All I can tell you is growing up in Ohio with it's abundant cornfields, I have never seen as many cornfields as on the back roads trip to Stonehouse Farm near Sandwich, Illinois. 

We passed a small sign announcing Stonehouse Farm and immediately pulled in.  We first noticed that the farm's wood fences on the property needed repair and a coat of creosote or paint.  Following the driveway to the front porch of a mid-size barn-like structure,  we walked inside, where we found  a chef preparing food for that nights sweat lodge.  We sat down to enjoy coffee and meet the primary owner.  The building was rustic and cozy.

I had read about Yurts, the temporary tent structures around the farm that sleep 2 to 8 people each, depending on the size.  These are the only accommodations currently available outside acres of campsites on the premises. Rachel, the assistant in charge of events (oh and by the way, also an anthropologist and gourmet French Chef),  drove us around the property in a bright yellow one-seater golf cart as we viewed the campgrounds, garden and compost area, overnight parking for 500 cars, newly constructed showers, the pond, a sweat lodge, a large area where a stage can be erected, a grassy field large enough to accommodate up to 2,500 music concert goers on the lawn and barns, where yoga and other performances could be held.

The actual Stonehouse Farm four-bedroom house is to be rehabbed, but it doesn't sound like that will be completed in time for our event in 2015

Our songwriting camp needs to house about 30 to 40 people plus our production crew, and Stonehouse Farm would be a rustic choice with a lot of hidden costs. 

But I keep thinking that the best creativity happens when we are close to nature. And I also remember Woodstock, although this would be a much smaller and less celebrity driven undertaking.  So, I am getting out the spreadsheet and seeing how viable this venue might be for 2015.   

I do know this: the spirit of the land is amazing and it just felt good to meet people so grounded in what matters for the use of the land. On the way back, we drove past Aurora University.  It's beautiful and I understand they have a fine music school there that could be an asset to our project.  

So the search for the perfect home for Peace Journey Seven Paths songwriting camp and concert continues. Please leave a message if you know another location like Stonehouse Farm, a spiritual retreat,  or a venue that collectively cares about community and nature, in and around the Midwest and within 3 to 5 hours from Chicago that might work for us in 2015.  

I have no choice but to run down parallel paths looking for just the right home. And it's fun to explore all the options as this important decision will lead us to find what we hope will become a permanent and annual home for us to live, create and breath for peace.  

We are charting our next Peace Journey Adventure Trip 2016 to Peru where we will explore with high school students the amazing rain forest and indigenous people as we work on a deeper connection with the earth.  Stay tuned. 

Thank you. 
Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz
jkravitz@peacejourney.com

www.peacejourney.com

www.peacejourney.com/blogFull Blog

WHAT ARTISTS WORK WELL FOR PEACE JOURNEY MUSIC CAMP 2015?

Music Genres of Folk, Beatbox, Blues, Country, Motown, Rock and Roll, Hip Hop and Spoken Word.

My entire life, I have loved music.  From my early youth singing in the church choir through high school, listening to my dad play the guitar and sing old country tunes, I knew it was the art form that touched me more than any other.  And this feeling is even more intense today.

I don't play an instrument, but I love to sing.  The art of music composition fascinates me and the way people react to music's now, scientifically proven powers,  is something I have known in my heart since I was a child.

In 2015 we will be producing another amazing songwriting camp and performance arts show to help heal the world.  The more I learn about the positive aspects of music on the brain and how music affects our emotional outlook on life,  the more I am convinced that this art form can bring peace to our lives, to the world and inspire change.  

Our next "camp" will feature professionals from the music industry from folk, blues, country, Beatbox, Motown, rock and roll, hip hop and spoken word.  We are reaching out to musicians, songwriters, composers and more who want to help promote social change in small or big ways in their art form, in the way they lead their lives and how they treat the world.  It can be fun, uplifting, poetic, and or confrontational.  It's all good if it's good and moves the spirit.

Who are some of the artists you know and love that you could recommend for us 

to reach out to, or visa versa? They can be known or unknown, 

but we need a short bio and links sent via email.

Please share this post with artists you admire or know on 

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more!  

Together we can build an amazing roster for the 

Peace Journey 2015 writing and performance camp.

Send recommendations to: jkravitz@peacejourney.com

Our team is looking at a variety of unique concert venues in the USA to host the event, and are in discussions with partners, media and camp professionals! 

Stay tuned and we look forward to your ideas! 
JBK

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 2014

YES, IT'S FUN TO DO A 10% OFF For a Day This Special!
http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/index.shtml

As an event producer and developer for our charity at PeaceJourney.com, I so appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to build a consensus and pull together key partners to make extraordinary events like this come together.

I also love the fact that each of us, in our own way can get out any day of the year and remember to celebrate the gift of freedom in America. And, the reality is that in most ways for most of us, peace is a big part of our lives.

Yes, regions of our country and the world seem to be the worst they can be right now, but in our own lives we need to be accountable for our contributions to peace within our communities  our family and friends and loved ones.  

Please, take a little time this weekend to be grateful for our military and the men and women who are working hard everyday to keep us safe, while we enjoy the freedoms and peace in our lives.  And do something to help others lives.  It's small gestures that make the most impact.


Blessings to all and a little savings doesn't hurt! 

J. Barcelos

Respect to Mother Earth

I love the earth...

Today, as I looked outside my office window, onto the vast sea of beautiful architecture in Chicago's landscape and breathe in the cool, crisp fall air, I was drawn outside, for there was a big surprise, yet another cluster of green beans in a pot I planted earlier this year.  And several variety of mint for my favorite drink Mojitos, flourishing and growing all summer long, and looking as fresh as the day they were planted.


In my sweatshirt and yoga pants, I took it all in and was overwhelmed by a sense of gratefulness to be here at this time and place, enjoying the pace of the city outside my door while basking in the chill with plants that may not be around in month when the planet brings in it's fall chill and renewal winter.

So for this moment, I wanted to reach out to each of you and ask; "Do you love the earth, our home?"  Do you treasure as often as possible, the gifts of food and flowers, of sunrises and senses of sea, forests, mountains and deserts, and sunsets of vibrant color, put on each day and night as a gift from our planet and for our pleasure?  

I can only think at this moment how care for our earth just cannot simply be a political issue.    What matters is that we show love for Mother Earth in the way we care for her and nourish her existence, while not destroying the very important and essential elements that help her thrive and survive for herself, for all the animals and insects, the plants and fish and for each of us.

Climate change arguments have been raging for so long.  I am not a scientist.  But I know intuitively that without caring for something you love, it will not flourish and it will struggle to survive.  

Please, just give some thought to Mother Earth tonight, as you watch the sunset and again in the morning, as she graces us with her morning light.  And think about what we each can do to treat her with the love and respect she so deserves.   

Love and light   J. Barcelos

The Egyptian, The Romanian, 2-French Women, The Singer, the Songwriter, The Tattoo Artist & The Friend=Chance Meetings & 3-Hours of Synchronicity‎

Yesterday I wrote this post on Facebook to remind my friends to watch for little miracles in life and remember to stop and do something when it presented itself!

It was one of those days when I didn't think I, myself,  would have a spare minute to pay attention to synchronicity in a crazy day of meetings, venue shopping for my events and looking at hotels for our upcoming Peace Journey songwriting music camp later this year.

I was a little early  for my first meeting of the day with my musician friend Jim, where we shared our creative projects and discussed the challenges of the creative process and getting them to the point of funding. And talked about the music camp later this year and how he might help.

Jim Goodrich and I met at the WormHole coffee shop on Milwaukee Avenue where I found out I could get my favorite Mexican coffee even though they never heard of it or made it before. The barrister and I decided that coffee, chili powder, honey and an artful whipped cappuccino topping was gong to taste perfect! The drink was so delicious,  In fun, I asked them to name the drink Peace Journey.  If you are there, please share this story and maybe we will see it on their offering some day.

This warm cup of original Mexican coffee, both spicy and rich goodness and the coming and going of hip millennials in this trendy coffee haven set the mood for my next stop.  The rock rustic 20 year old Double Door venue down a block and where I have seen some amazing local and touring bands over time in Chicago. So great to tour it in the day time, but you also see the wear, tear and bruises more vividly in the light of day.

My meeting with Jim had run about an hour over, but I thought I would take a chance and try to find this little Inn as a possible location to house some of the songwriters and musicians for the event.  GPS locked and loaded, I started to walk South on Milwaukee Avenue, taking calls and texting along the way, and I found myself going in circles.  I also had tickets for an event with my husband Randy, who was texting "Where are you? Where are You?", the GPS Siri talking to me trying to find the Inn and so I was a tad distracted when a women walked up to me, tapped me on the arm and said in broken French English,  "Madame, can you help me find this place", pointing to her confirmation paper that stated a Hampton Inn was on that street.  I knew it was not.  Maria Louise and her female travel companion had just arrived through OHare airport where they got on the Blue Line train and wound up at 1400 North Milwaukee instead of 1400 Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolshire an hour outside of the city.

I don't speak French.  Standing in front of Nori restaurant at the outdoor cafe, I saw a young man and gal sitting at the only occupied outdoor table.  He looked like he might be Moroccan and after traveling there several times, I knew if I was right, then he most assuredly spoke French.  It runs out he not only speaks French, but is Egyptian and teaches Arabic language at Chicago Public Schools.

At that moment, I realized I was in a pattern of synchronicity.  That as long as I took on the challenge of the day to help these women, that everything would fall into place and that it would be a special happening, starting with this teacher and translator.  My training in meditation and creative visualization has led me to this space and this feeling of lightness and spot-on clear focus before.  Its like a natural high when you realize if you stay in the flow, everything will be better than fine.

It turns out the beautiful gal the Egyptian teacher was sitting with is from Romania, from the very town I had worked in years ago on HIV AIDS issues for children.  She was as stunned as I was delighted.  Again, the synchronized moment presents itself to remind you how connected we really are in life.

As we all stood on the street, looking at the reservation confirmation form, we noticed there was no mention of Linconshire, only Chicago.  I found out from an industry hotel owner friend that this happens all the time when booking through an agency or online. There was even a map inserted into the confirmation marked with the red-bubble showing the hotel was supposed to be on that spot where we all met. My friend told me the best advice; to be sure to call any hotel and pull a correct map before traveling anywhere because these mistakes are made everyday by online travel agencies as well as the traditional agencies, as was the case here.

Who knew things could get so confusing!  All I knew is I had to see it through.  After phoning the Hampton Inn Lincolnshire we found out that Hampton Hotels are not networked together and the confirmation number meant nothing to any hotel except for theirs for their 6-night stay and probably could not be used to move these French visitors to the Hampton hotel in downtown Chicago, only 5 miles away.

So my next call was to the Hampton on Illinois Street just a few blocks from where I live downtown.  I called that Hampton and pleated the French women's case, but they were not hopeful as the entire city was sold out due to an orthopedic convention. I literally said "you have to make this right by them and we are bringing them over for the Hampton-brand to do just that.  Otherwise what were they to do and  it seemed unfair  to leave these 70 year old women alone on the street after their 10 hour trip to get here. They chose Chicago for it's architecture, my personal love in this city!

The Egyptian and the Romanian carted the French women and their luggage to the Illinois Street Hampton location and I met them there, sending my husband off with tickets for the event.  When they arrived, after some time negotiating with the front desk and hotel manager, these women had a room for the night, and a promise of more help contacting the agency tomorrow.  I sat with the Egyptian and the Romanian in the lobby while the French ladies sorted things out, and here is what I found.  I found that this young couple had not seen each other in 2 years and had met then through a French speaking meet-up and that was indeed the last time the Egyptian teacher had spoken the French language.  The restaurant in Wicker Park where we all met it turns out was where their first date 2 years ago occurred and they were no longer together, just friends.   And the Hampton Inn on Illinois was across the street from where they had originally met for the meet up 2 years before.  They shared with me that they believe in synchronicity and asked, did I?  I smiled and said, "Today was my best reminder to live my life like this.  To watch for the little miracles and find ways to help others always".

We shared a beautiful bottle of wine, courtesy of the French women who shared their world travels and they have had them.  Marie Louise in her broken English, told me she had a Sugar Mama, later corrected to Sugar Daddy, who had passed, but who she had traveled the world with.  These 2 women also shared their deep thanks and belief that if the situation were reversed, and we were stuck in Paris, we would be hard pressed to find genuine love and caring people who would stop in their busy day to help another human being like we did.  Maria Louise was convinced!

Suddenly Marie Louise looked behind me at the table, appearing startled.  I looked back to check out what was going on to find a beautiful young African American woman sitting within inches behind me, with a hairdo piled a foot  high woven in dreadlocks sharing her table with a beautiful man and master tattoo artists from New York.  We introduced ourselves all to find that Schivon, obviously a model-type fancied herself a songwriter.  Of course, a songwriter random meeting completed my day of synchronicity on my path for our Peace Journey Music and Songwriting camp. I regret not taking a photo of this stunning girl and her tattooed companion.

The Egyptian teacher and language teacher, the Romanian who left her job in high finance to pursue a career as an occupational therapist, waiting tables to help make ends meet and the two international traveling French ladies kept telling me what an outstanding woman I was to care. Over and over, and I was touched but a little embarrassed because the truth is, I didn't feel I could do anything different.  It is our duty as human beings to help others.  It's in my bones. And I found out, in the bones of others.  And it is simply, the right thing to do.
 
And the joy I experienced watching the universe providing all the players at that exact moment, on that exact corner, random meetings and yet choosing to share of themselves without question, was itself the miracle of the day.

I will stay in touch with Marie Louise and her friend and the Romanian girl and maybe even the songwriter.  We took this picture and shared an afternoon that revitalized all of us to believe in the kindness of others and the synchronicity that grows when you believe in chance meetings turning into miracles of grace.