Life on Mars?

and what about Life on Earth?

Hello beautiful people,

First, how are you?

The general feeling I’m getting from a lot of folks I interact with lately is, what the actual fuck is going on in our world? We are shocked, and for good reason, by the news we are seeing. We are dismayed with how our leaders are leading.

I’m right there with ya.

I just got home from a little hike with a dear friend. She took me to see a labyrinth that I’ve never been to. And, unless you are new here, you might have noticed I like labyrinths a lot. Not the tall hedge mazes that are designed to confuse you, but the contemplative, walking meditation labyrinths. The ones that people have been walking for 3000+ years.

This was ours today, on the top of a peak overlooking the Pacific Ocean:

I let my friend go into the labyrinth first, waiting a second before following behind her. When I typically walk into a labyrinth, I like to begin with clearing my mind, focusing on my feet on the ground, hearing the sounds around me. I like to move really slow and intentionally and slow down my breath. I began this way today.

I noticed, however, that my friend kept stopping to pick up a rock that was in the way of the path, and put it to the side to help reinforce the labyrinth lines. She would then pick up some twigs and brush and throw them to a side. She was just trying to make the path more beautiful. Trying to help cultivate and maintain the garden.

And at first, if I’m being so totally honest, I was reluctant to help. Because I had in my mind that I wanted to walk the labyrinth like I normally do. I wanted to get freeeeeaking zen. But the labyrinth needed some help. My friend noticed this, and without thinking twice, helped. And after I got over myself (something I try to do at least once a day), I began to pick up rocks too. I began to help. And pretty soon, I actually enjoyed cleaning the path.

Labyrinths are typically always one way in, one way out. I like to pause when I make it into the center, try to go inward. Into my heart. It’s the place where the little voice of truth is always waiting for me. My friend and I made it to the center together. We smiled and hugged and then headed back out the way we came in. This time to a clear path! I said to her, isn’t it nice that we cleaned it up on the way in and now on the way out it’s clear for us? She replied, beautifully, yes, and it’s also clear for everyone else now, too.

And that’s just it—we don’t clear the path, ever, just for us. We clear it for ourselves and anyone else who may need it.

And we never clear paths alone.

Love you all. Thank you for being here. May we all tend to our paths this week…

Yours,
Jake

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This week I participated in a wonderful musical celebration of David Bowie, led by my dear friend, Mike Garson. Mike Garson was David Bowie’s longest-standing band member, playing piano for him for over 50 years. Mike has also become one of my favorite angel-humans on this planet. We get sushi regularly and talk about everything from the Universe to Nina Simone.

We played three shows in West Hollywood and performed Bowie songs the past few nights. Gosh, it was so fun to be in that Bowie frequency and perform with Mike and friends.

Here is Mike and I performing “Life on Mars?”. I had to clip two videos together, so I’m sorry about the awkward transition in the middle of the video. Hope you enjoy!!