e,~,_. joureying I recently went to Las Vegas to attend Convo, the annual meeting of Interweave: Unitarian Universalists for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns, a continental organiza-_ tion of which I am the president. Interweave has been active in our denomination seeking inclusion of, and understanding about, BGLT people. Convo, which takes place in a different location every year, is always a wonderful time to connect with others, find out what people are doing in their own congregations, and have a good time. I traveled to Las Vegas by train. I love trains and have all my life. My father loved trains and we always traveled by train when I was a child. It was a dif- ferent traveling world then — became fearful of flying. It lost its magic and instead became an occasion of absolute terror, ‘ before the flight, and during the flight, until the wheels hit the ground at our destination. I could no longer enjoy the journey, but focused solely on the destination - how soon will we be there??????? I decided last summer — before September 11th — that I would no longer fly, but would travel solely by train, no matter how long it took. And what a wonderful journey it was. Instead of fearing and panicking at each moment, unable to be in the present, always hoping for the distant release from tension, I could be absolutely present to each I always thought the whole point of this work was to arrive at the destination — the world community with peace and justice for all. those were the days when you dressed up to go some place — new clothes were always in order, as were good manners. I loved the sounds and motion of the train, the thick white table- cloths in the dining car and the rich hot chocolate that came in its own pot. The dark-skinned men who carried our luggage, made our beds, and brought our meals were exotic and foreign to me. They were kindly, always with a smile and a helping hand for a small child. As a teenager, I began traveling by plane. I loved that, too. It was exotic and foreign and magical. I would stare out the window for the entire trip — star- ing at the earth, or the clouds if that was all to be seen. It was amazing to me — to see the squareiMidwest fann lands, the crowded eastern cities, or the snow capped Rocky Mountains. I was never scared, and I always looked forward to my next opportunity to fly. Then something hap- pened, something that I still don't understand intellectually, and l moment, never anticipating, fear- ing, or hoping and wishing for it to be over so I could go on to the next thing. I stared out the window at the unfolding landscape the urban environment of the Albany-to-Chicago leg, with glimpses of lakes, rivers, and fannland. From Chicago to Kansas City, it was similar, but when I woke the next morning I was in western Kansas where rolling farmland was giving way to the foothills of the Rockies. Soon the jagged mountains appeared and we climbed to 7,000 feet, winding through mountain passes into New Mexico with its red rocks and mesas and sagebrush landscape. The desert Southwest finally opened up into the glitter and glitz of Las Vegas itself. I sat with a variety of people at meals — real food on real plates served in a real dining car. They have folks sit together as there aren’t many tables, and I met a fascinating crowd I would probably never meet in northern Vermont — a couple from ,.-.¢aoo-crou- talked about the challenges and Q .5 hopes of civil rights work. She $%\§e‘\ . talked of the beloved community (8 9' vvvoovbonno Australia seeing the U.S. A woman celebrating her 62nd birthday — the first without her twin brother. A lesbian civil rights prosecutor with the Department of Justice who kept saying over and over again, “I can't believe I work for John Ashcroft!” An artist from New York City who lives 2 blocks from Ground Zero and is still brutally unhappy at the turn of events in her life. A research sci- entist with the Army who has traveled solely by train for the past 16 years. A Unitarian Universalist from southern California traveling with her 3 kids to visitlher sister in Santa Fe. I read, and listened to music, and watched movies, and wrote. I had time to breathe and find inner peace as the rhythm of the train lulled me to sleep. This Convo's keynote speaker was Taquiena Boston, a Faith In Action Associate for the Unitarian Universalist Association, who spoke about her work for social justice and civil rights. Her words were inspiring. She is an African-American woman in her 50s who has worked tirelessly her entire adult life in this arena — in both her hometown of Washington, DC and for the UUA speaking with people all over the country. She __ on/e_(y gcoun try , I _ FROM:-'_I'H'E—» CONNECTICUT RIVER . ‘ _. A " ; TO ‘mi: , CANADIAN BORDER 5 REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE . _. "119 Main Street - Derby Vermont 05829 A. ’ phone (802) 766-2401 * 800-243-2401 fax 766-4731 * e-mail-micl