Dinner with Richard and the Stars

I had the fortune again to sit across from Richard tonight at dinner.  He is truly an outstanding individual.  He has some great stories from the scary night when lightning struck the Great House during a hurricane and started on fire with his mother, daughter, nieces and nephews, and friends all in the house.  I'm sure you may have heard it on the news, but Kate Winslet was one of the guests and saved his mother.  He tells the details of that night which sounded pretty darn scary.  Most of all he owned here burned to the ground, but he was just happy that no one got hurt.   I've got to know his nephew (who is here as the photographer for the conference) while I've been here and his nephew says despite the fact that it was Richard that lost the most, he was the first one to rally everyone around being positive and thinking of how great the new rebuilt house will look.

He is kind, generous, humble and a genuine nice person.  He loves his lemurs (as do I now after being with them today) and loves Necker Island and his game reserve in South Africa, both which honor Mother Earth/Gaia.  I admired him since I read his book last year and was a big reason that I applied to come to Necker Island - he has done nothing but increase that admiration for what he is trying to do.  I am honored to get to know him better this week - what a chance of a lifetime!

2nd floor of Beach House - sorry blurry IPOD photo.  It is a beautiful venue.

Same room with comfy couches on either side of long banquet table.

Chris Lintott, my new favourite astrophysicist and new friend, was showing us the 9 billion history of the stars tonight.  He brought his gigantic telescope and we started with Jupiter and her moons, then went through nebula, moved to clusters, saw single stars, and admired dying stars.  I LOVE astronomy and the stars (I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little).    Man, it was cool!   It was a perfect night - clear, warm and a night sky absolutely FULL of stars.  I cannot look up into a starry night like tonight and not feel the presence of something so magnificant, so meaningful, and so magical.  

Now for a bit of reflection as I feel like I have been in a state of bliss ever since arriving here (other than missing Amber terribly).  This trip is beyond description in terms of how much it has meant to me.  Almost everything I love, that I am passionate about, that I enjoy, that I think is important is part of this trip in some way.  I am filled with inspiration with almost every conversation, discussion, event, and quiet moment.   The magnitude of gratitude I feel exceeds any words I could give it.  Richard commented last night when asked how he was able to accomplish what he has...."if you see a need or something that can be better and you have the means to fill it, you just do".   I know I will be asking myself after this conference - what can I do to fill the needs I see?   I hope that I can inspire others to join me in that question.  One person can make a difference - that one person could be each of us.  And if one person, turns into 2 or 4 or 10, wouldn't that be BRILLIANT!