TOUCHING THE EAGLES

Phil
My friends, Jim and Myra, live in Port Coquitlan, a suburb of Vancouver. In the morning, after showing Myra my new car, I looked at the time on the clock in the car and noticed it was exactly 9:33 A.M. Time to get going.I headed for the Number One Highway which would take me into Vancouver. Inadvertently I took the wrong highway and found myself on the Lougheed Highway which also would take me into Vancouver. Then I saw a young fellow hitchhiking and I was told to pick him up.

Phil was an unemployed truck driver who had not hitchhiked for years. He was waiting for a bus when he suddenly had the urge to hitch a ride instead. I was the first car to come along.

Phil, age twenty-five, had been with a carnival for ten years. He met his wife while on the road and has been with her for four years. He was born in Churchill, Manitoba and lived most of his life in Okanagan Falls in British Columbia.

Phil and I stopped for coffee at a nearby bowling alley. He proved to be a very interesting person; so interesting that I recorded some of his comments. Following are some of the things he told me about himself.

"I always had a drive to do things. I always wanted to do something exciting. I've always had a feeling of having a purpose in life. I had written myself a book about what I was doing. It is still there in my closet I'm not like anyone else. I feel as though i am from another planet. If a spaceship were to land in my back yard I would get into it. I live for excitement and I like to be different. Lately, more than any other time in my life, I have been in deep thought. My thoughts are somewhere else. I don't know where I am. I am somewhere else. I've always gotten along with everybody I have ever met. I am always doing interesting things. I am a traveller. I have a Saint Christopher Cross. It protects me when I travel."

Mel, Tracy and Mike
Following directions given to me by Phil I headed on towards Expo. Several blocks from the parking lot I realized that I was following a small yellow Volkswagon Rabbit. There was a man and two teenagers in the car. I was told by the guides that I was to talk to them. The small car found a parking spot and I parked next to them.

As we were walking to the entrance gate to Expo we talked to each other, Mel and his daughter Tracy, age seventeen and Mike , age fourteen, were interesting people. Tracy related that she would like to study in the line of advertising.

Three Balloon Sellers

"Go talk to her", the guides informed me.

Denise was a Salish Indian from Fort Nelson in Northern British Columbia. She had been in Vancouver for two months and was planning on attending Langara College to take training in child care. She enjoys volleyball, cycling and craft work. She had just turned twenty in April.

I purchased several balloons from her. Leaving Denise the guides informed me that I would be talking to two more balloon sellers.

After walking around and looking at several displays I came across a second balloon seller.

Marko was a third year student at the University of Victoria where he was majoring in music. He had attended two years at the Vancouver Community College studying jazz and commercial music. In his third year he will be studying classical music. His home is in Kitimat when he was born and raised.

Marko likes fishing and hunting and he told me of a bad experience with a big black bear while fishing. The bear was on the other side of the river and began to swim over to where he was. Marko had to pick up his fish and tackle and run.

After leaving Marko I encountered Barb, the third balloon seller. Barb, who will be twenty in July, used to live in Montreal. She had travelled to Florida from Montreal with friends on several occasions, passing through the area of Virginia where I had just returned from. Barb was a second year student at Douglas College in New Westminster. She was taking general science courses and will transfer to 'genetic engineering' to study the cloning of things and synthetic drugs. She told me how they came up with interferon.

Constance and Ann From Quebec
Leaving Bard I went to the refreshment stand for a soda drink. Noticing two young ladies there I was informed by the guides that they were to be my next contacts.

When I first approached them they were a little hesitant to talk to me. However, they soon loosened up and we had a pleasant conversation.

Constance had been in Vancouver for four years. They were very attractively dressed. Constance was wearing a yellow jacket, white slacks and Ann was wearing a blue jacket the color of my balloon.

Chris
I took time out to visit the Russian and the Alberta displays, then I continued to walk around the grounds. Then I saw a young girl in a blue Expo jacket walking towards me.

"Her, you are to speak to her", the guides informed me.

Chris, age nineteen, was working as a tour guide at Expo. She had attended the General Arts Science Faculty at the University of Voctoria for the past two years. Born and raised in Vancouver she had a desire to become a teacher.

Chris had worked at the Sorrento Centre near my home town of Salmon Arm on the summer staff program life-guarding and looking after children, She plays the guitar and enjoys pfotography and swimming.

Leaving Chris and feeling I had made all my contacts at Expo I headed for the main gate The last people I met while I was leaving were the first people I had met upon entering, Mel Tracy and Mike.

'Manning' the Shoppe
My friend George from Salmon Arm gave me a phone number to call to pick up se videos of Lazaris. I placed the call and drove over to the office. Manning was there to sell me the video tapes, He was going to leave earlier yet had a strong feeling to stay longer. Had he left I would not have been able to purchase the tapes.

I was informed by the guides to include Manning in the book. He was born on England and had lived in Toronto and Hamilton. He returned to England during the years 1975 to 1980 only to return back to Canada.

Manning introduced me to a special book entitled 'Who Dies' by Steven Levine. I purchased the book later that day.

Becky From Seattle
Leaving Manning's office I decided to go to the Banyen Books Bookstore on Broadway. Whenever I go to Vancouver I always stop there for several hours browsing and purchasing books.

I walked into the bookstore and looked around.

Instructions came immediately. "Go to the far corner of the store and wait there. A lady will come over and stand beside you. You are to talk to her."

I went over to the corner and looked at the books. Very shortly a young lady came and stood close to me also looking at books. Since there were a lot of people in the store I did not speak to her right away. The guides informed me that I would be speaking to her later outside the store.

I purchased a few books and went outside. There was a bench there so i sat down and waited. Very shortly the young lady came out and stood on the sidewalk. I spoke to her.

Becky was a bus driver and tour guide from Seattle. She brought a group of people to Vancouver to visit Expo 86. We talked for awhile before I went back into the bookstore.

Ken came By
Back in the bookstore I read the notice board to see what events were occurring during the evening. As I was standing there reading the notices a young man came and stood beside me.

"He is your next contact", I was informed.

Ken was twenty-seven years old and recently separated from his wife. We chatted for awhile and went to the nearby health food store for supper.

While we were in the restaurant he left the table for a few moments to talk to friends.

At this time I received more instructions from the guides.

"Call your friend Menno", I was told.

I took the opportunity and placed the call to Menno. While I was at the telephone I made another contact, seemingly set up by the guides.

Patricia
Near the phone at the entrance to the restaurant were shelves on which were pamphlets of various groups and organizations. Patricia was standing there replacing some pamphlets. After placing the call I talked to her.

Patricia, age thirty-two, was interested in many of the things which I was interested in and we had a short conversation.

A Visit With Menno
When I placed the call to Menno he invited Ken and I over to his home. Menno is a close friend and I had not seen him for two years.

Menno had written the manusript 'The Gathering of the Eagles'.

{Author's Note:
"The Gathering of the Eagles"is available for reading on the internet. It is a book that was never published. It has stayed in manuscript form and is not for sale. The intention was for it to be photocopied and passed on at no cost.}

We arrived at Menno's home at 8 P.M. For Ken's benefit Menno repeated the story of his involvement with the book and his personal story. Although I had heard Menno's story several times I always find it fascinating to hear it again.

At 9:21 P.M. I was informed by the guides to leave Menno's home at 9:33.

Leaving Ken to visit with Menno and his wife Sharon, I followed instructions and left at 9:33. I expected another contact on the way home; however there was to be no more contacts that day, This was fine with me since I felt that I had a full day.

Touching the Eagles - Day Eight!

. Touching the Eagles - Main Page!

.