Real Eyes Pave-The-Path Fundraiser

Our lives are made up of paths and walking them makes us who we are - from the path of each soul’s evolution to the physical paths our bodies walk, run, and drive. Each is unique and has its scenery and its obstacles, its origin and destination, and yet none is linear and all converge into the spiral. Some say that each of us is called onto a path by the soft whispers of Spirit. Some of us are more attentive listeners than others but none fail to move along theirs. Each path requires both commitment and surrender.

One such path leads off from the Riding Stable Road, through the fields peppered with slow-grazing horses. It goes over a creek, up a hill, into the woods and to one of the best “third places” I’ve ever encountered, Real Eyes Meditation Center. If you’re not familiar, a “third place” is a term for a destination that is neither home nor work. Ray Oldenburg, an American sociologist, created this term to describe the places where people go to socialize with others and connect with community. No one is obligated to be there and cost does not prevent people from attending. It is a place where you might meet up with friends, run into acquaintances by chance, or meet people you have never encountered before. It is a meeting ground to build relationships with others. In the case of Real Eyes, it is also a place where you walk the labyrinth deeper and deeper into yourself, building and rebuilding the primary relationship with your higher Self and Spirit. There is no dogma, no oppressive rules but only the gentle guidance and support of Phil, Theresa, Kathryn, Shawn, Bill, Zach, and a host of others who lovingly hold space for your organic unfolding. All are teachers and all are students.

As some of you know, and others may discover, Real Eyes feels like a place for which your soul has been searching without your conscious knowledge. One day you see a social media post, have an accidental encounter at a museum, or hear from a friend in yoga class about this magical place in the woods in Burtonsville, MD. It’s a sparkling breadcrumb calling you out of your comfort zone. When you arrive, there is an instant sense of recognition and peace. Later come the smiles, laughs, hugs, gentle conversations with humans who seem to see and welcome the inner you. You may not know your new friends’ stories, but you feel their hearts. And with every new person, the community expands and magnetizes new seekers whose paths feed into the communal.

As you may imagine, the steady and growing traffic, rain, snow, and winds all take their toll on the physical path. And despite Phil’s tireless efforts to keep it safe and drivable, to fill in the holes, add gravel, sand, fortify the passage over the creek, the road continues to disintegrate becoming harder and harder to maintain. This past winter, Phil (I will never understand how?!) managed to plow the snow and ice off gravel and keep us from sliding backwards on the path – physically and figuratively.

So what are we to do?

I am not a builder and do not own a paving business but if I did, I would take on the project pro bono. Instead, what I can do is write this appeal to all of you who have ever wondered into the woods and followed a path less traveled. Let’s pull our resources together and help Real Eyes build a path that will last longer than a rainstorm. The quote Real Eyes received for the bare minimum pave is around $20,000 with another $11,500 for the culvert that would go over the creek, but these estimates do not account for anything extra that could arise, nor do they account for all the other things Real Eyes could use, like a new furnace to cut down the exorbitant cost of heating the meeting space in winter, or a tepee to replace the well-loved one they will be retiring soon. So we are setting the goal at $30,000 with the understanding that Real Eyes will be providing updates regarding progress, and any additional projects that come out of these donations. In addition, Real Eyes has applied for 501(c)(3) status and will at some point (hopefully soon) be able to provide receipts for charitable contributions.

Let’s come together and support Real Eyes in gratitude for all they do and for the space they hold for all of us. (But let’s not forget that this is also really a gift to ourselves and the poor brakes and shock absorbers on our cars).

No donation is too small (or too large!).

Thanks you so so much!

Milica (Millie)