Today started out as a nice and bright sunny day, so well appreciated after a day of hard rain. The team began its journey headed southbound on Hwy. 19 from Albany, Georgia.

The landscape was decorated with Longhorn cattle, with their curvaceous horns, grazing alongside miniature ponds, and cattle that were much browner than I’ve ever seen, so dark and vivid were their hides, a beautiful and fashionable cow indeed.

The trees were in full bloom sporting a bright green hue and among them a family of deer could be spotted in the alcove. The soil in this country is a delightful contrast shining forth in its subtle auburn splendor. I spotted a hawk and many cardinals fleeting among the trees. This regal bird with its garish red coat gives me such a thrill to see.

We passed through Camilla, Georgia where there appeared to be some type of logging industry, and alongside the road were some tall bushes, perhaps 12 ft. tall, with cat-tail like towers sprouting up from within them. Also in the area I noticed many Baptist Churches which offer the locals the opportunity to express their faith.

At the Florida state line our team of three boys began its journey. The road carved a hallway through the lush jungle of the northern end of the Seminole state, and I was now organically immersed in the country as I started my run. Mosquitoes swarmed to give me a warm welcome and hopped on board our Torch Van. After the first leg of my run, I discovered that I was covered with tiny yellow bugs a fraction of the size of a rice kernel. I blew them off of myself as my team member remarked that they couldn’t possibly eat me alive. I saw armadillos, snakes, bullfrogs, and some large rodent (perhaps a muskrat) on the road.

The sun was a mighty force above, but I was well protected by my Harmony-Run headsweat cap and 30 SPF sunscreen. Actually this day was quite cool by Florida standards, about 75 F.

The highway/harmony running route meandered through some hills and eventually we met with a girls track running team from the city 8.5 miles outside of Tallahassee. Judy Alexander (a member of the Gulf Winds Track Club) was the coach and the woman responsible for bringing the freshman girls out to meet us. Judy was a very nice lady who is a marathoner and was enthusiastic about our World Harmony Run. Judy ran the whole leg of the run while different members of her team joined in. They all had the opportunity to carry the Harmony Torch.

Actually, the first runner from their group to carry our Harmony Torch happened to be a young boy nicknamed “T-bone” (his event is the 1600 meter). As soon as the torch fell into his hands he was off like a shot, cruising across the street weaving through traffic much to the chagrin of our team coordinator, Atulya, who always puts the safety of the runners first. T-bones’ dynamic enthusiasm lasted perhaps for 1600 meters after which he became visibly fatigued, but he bravely carried the torch for three miles.

The girls from the team carried the Harmony Torch for varied distances which gave them so much joy, among them was Judy’s daughter, Whitney. Whitney, 14 years old, was so grateful for the opportunity to carry the Harmony Torch and she felt that it was really something unique and special, saying that it was totally cool. Her best event is the 800 meter and she will be attending a track camp this summer in the capacity of a counselor alongside her mother. Next year both mother and daughter want to make this a huge event and want everybody in their team to wear World Harmony Run shirts and hats. Unfortunately Whitney suffered an injury this season in track but is on a quick recovery and rebound. We pray for her continued success and health in her running endeavors.

As we entered the heart of Tallahassee we were escorted by a single patrol car. The team of four girls, best of friends, held hands and carried the torch to the state capitol as our Harmony team cheered them on. At this destination was a plaque dedicating Florida as a Sri Chinmoy Peace State. We had a short ceremony where Tilvila explained the Peace Blossom Program, afterwards we sang the World Harmony Run song. Also across the street was the building where Atulya and Teekhnata were married, both Harmony runners.

But the celebration was not over yet. Michals parents came to visit us from Tampa and we sang happy birthday to his father and served cake. Such a sweet way to end another chapter in our Harmony Book. That evening we enjoyed an exquisite traditional Polish meal that they brought for us. Perogi’s, blintzes, and borscht, it was all fantastic.

Erik (Chicago)

For The Children

Earlier in the afternoon, two other teams of men runners went to the Florida State University Baseball Stadium where we were to run onto the field just before the game started. We had a large group of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts joining us as we carried the Torch around the field. Fortunately, we had some time to spend with the children and their parents, taking photos with the Torch and talking about the World Harmony Run and its appeal to children especially.

Many parents and teachers of the children we meet along the way have an inherent understanding of the principles of harmony and friendship that we try to inspire and foster among the people we meet, especially the children. Positive and healthy role models for the children are very important and welcome in today’s world of conflict and turmoil reflected in the media almost everyday.

We are so grateful to Robert Newell, Megan and others at the game who made this event possible for us to share with so many sports lovers.

At the end of our running day, in my last mile, I was pleasantly surprised by a young boy named Kelvin who was riding his bicycle on the opposite side of the road as I ran through his town of Quincy. So many times I meet such interesting and friendly people at the very end of my run. This is like a reward from Above after a long, hard day on the road.

Kelvin wanted to know what I was doing. Not many 11 years olds have the courage or the curiosity to ask what we are doing as we run through their neighborhood with a flaming torch.

After explaining to young Kelvin a little about the World Harmony Run, he held the torch and we had a photo taken together. Asking him what he felt when he held the torch, Kelvin said, as he put his hand on his heart, “I felt numb, like all the anger was going out of my body.” This indeed was all that was needed to express a common yet deep experience of many who share the World Harmony Run Torch with us, even the children.

Thank you Kelvin and all those who shared with us another glorious day on the World Harmony Run in the U.S. and around the world.

Arpan (New York)

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