Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 17, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 17, 2022 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN 
GUATEMALA 


[This has been modified from Nyerges’ book, “Til Death Do Us Part?”, available from Kindle 
or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com. Nyerges is an educator and au-thor, whose books can be 
found online.]

 I was sitting in a bus, driving through the Guatemalan countryside when I got the 

call that my brother Richard had died. I was troubled, and upset, and saddened 

that I‘d not see Richard again. I closed my eyes and began to think over some of our life together. I 

thought mostly of childhood incidents, and they mostly made me laugh. 

But mostly, when I heard of his death, I was sad. He‘d not be around anymore, even though we probably 
only talked once a month or so. The last time I saw Richard was just two months earlier, at the 
memorial for his own son Jonathan who died in a motorcycle accident. I realized that life is short 
and precious, and we don‘t always get all the time we think we need, or deserve. 

The following two days in Guatemala were particularly painful, not entirely but partly because of 
thinking about Richard. One night I spoke with a friend, Doug, and Doug told me many things, 
including that my pain wasn‘t because of Richard‘s pain, but because of my own fears about life. We 
had a long and insightful conver-sation. Doug told me that Richard would appear to me that night in 
my dreams. But Richard did not appear to me that night. 

The following day, I was sitting in our shamanism class at the upper room of the hotel at Lake Atitlan, 
learning about the esoteric meaning of certain Mayan glyphs. The instructor, Miguel Angel Vergara, 
led us in a meditation while light mu-sic was playing. 

When I closed my eyes, I found myself on a large flat mountaintop, not unlike the top of one of the 
many pyramids we were visiting. Richard was there with me, smiling. He didn‘t say anything, but 
we held hands and began to dance in a circle, slowly at first. We smiled and laughed as we held hands 
and twirled. We laughed, and Jona-than joined the circle, as we talked lightly about how much fun it 
was. Dolores joined, and my mother and father joined, smiling. My mother said, "Aren‘t you going 
to invite us to dance?", and we all laughed and continued to dance in this circle. 

It was such pure, child-like enjoyment, and others, seeing our delight, quickly joined. Helen joined 
the circle, and Tom and David and Gilbert quickly joined. Pam, Michael, and Jeffrey joined. Spouses 
and children joined and the circle got bigger and louder and we were singing and smiling and it was 
like a Michael Jackson We are the World songfest, except the music was more like the Jewish folk 
song Hava Nagilah. [If you don‘t knoew this song, you should listen to it right now on YouTube to 
get a feel for my dream]. 

We went round and round and friends began to join – I saw the neighborhood friends join with 
Richard – Lee Keller, George Sotello, Robert Haddon, Jim Billups, and I saw the many family friends 
join the dance – Paul Martinez and Carlos Frausto and the deFazios. People kept joining, friends 
of Richard and friends of his friends and the circle got larger and larger, and the music was like this 
celestial an-gelic music and we moved as one and we smiled and we felt a oneness that you just want 
to feel on earth but you rarely do. 

The circle got larger and larger and as we danced and moved we all began to see that we were all one 
family, one organism, and we recognized that if I hurt you, I hurt myself, and that if I steal from you, 
I steal from me, and that if I cause pain to you, I cause pain to myself. We were all moving and there 
was no fear, no pride, no lies, no prejudice, no Democrats, no Republicans, and Richard in his bright 
green shirt, was smiling broadly. 

As the circle continued and everyone felt their oneness with each other, and with Richard of course, 
I saw flashes of bright white light all around us – believe me, this would make a great music video!
While we danced, Richard was on the far side of the circle and he said, "Don‘t cry for me." I said, 
"People are sad. Why not cry?" He said, "Don‘t cry. Just live better. Live your life, and be good. Live 
better and respect each other and be good to each other. Do that in my memory." 

My meditation ended. I opened my eyes and realized I‘d been very far away.
In Richard‘s name, I thank every one of you for being a part of this wonderful circle. 


INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ABOUT DOGS 

Here are some more quotes I found via Google: 

Thurber, my yellow Labrador, has been a part of 

“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but 
my life since Feb. 20, 2021. 

I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.” –Bill 

Murray 
I still have trouble putting into words how much 
he has enriched my world. 

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, 

there are things you get from the silent devoted 
But thankfully some of our most beautiful minds 

companionship of a dog that you can get from no 
have shared thoughts that can help others under-

other source.” – Doris Day 
stand the beauty of the canine soul. 

“It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a 
I found these quotes featured at AKC.com: 

dog who has a good sense of humor.” – Kate Di-

Camillo (children’s fiction author) 
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” – Charles Schultz 
(cartoonist, “Peanuts”) 

Bill, I couldn’t agree with you more. I will never 

understand people who do not like dogs. 
“A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you 
more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings 

Doris, a lifelong dog lover, knows a lot about our 
(American humorist) 

canine family member. I was very sick for a week 

with the flu last April (not Covid) and lay on the 
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I 

bed like a lump. Thurber comforted me, never 
want to go where they went.” – Will Rogers 

leaving my side. 

Well, Charles, my warm puppy is now a healthy 

Kate, I’m blessed to have a dog with an incredible 
24-month old pup who still warms my heart. 

sense of humor, and fall in love with him imme


diately I did! 
Josh, I dare say I love my dog more than I love 
myself. 

Thurber is the first pup I’ve had since we got my 

childhood family dog, Jingles, when I was 10. I 
And Will, I couldn’t agree with you more. 

was 58 when I brought Thurber home. 

I fully believe I will see all of my loved ones again 

He was a lot of work those first few months, but 
when I leave here — and that includes my child-

he made me laugh so hard and feel such love and 
hood puppy, Jingles, and Thurber, my “angel 

affection so deeply, I cannot now imagine my life 
without wings,” who makes me laugh out loud 

without him. 
five times a day. 

I’m a new dog dad trying to learn and understand 
Here are more dog quotes from Goodreads.com: 

how I can love and care for him in the best way 

possible. 
“If you don’t own a dog, at least one, there is not 
necessarily anything wrong with you, but there 

The training is going OK — he’s training me as 
may be something wrong with your life.” – Roger 

fast as he can! 

A. Caras (wildlife photographer) 
He’s teaching me to be more patient, silly, cheer“
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know 

ful, more curious about the world — and humble. 
evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on 
a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in 

The great humorist Will Rogers explained better 
Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it 

than anyone how our dogs teach us humility: 
was peace.” – Milan Kundera (novelist) 

“If you get to thinking you’re a person of some 
“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; 

influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog 
they give unconditional love. For me, they are the 

around!” 
role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner 

Roger, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to get 

Tom Purcell is creator of ThurbersTail.com, 
Thurber, now that I know how much more joyful 

which shares helpful pet-care tips and funny stolife 
can be. 

ries and videos featuring Tom’s beloved Labrador, 

Thurber. Email Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com. 
Milan, I enjoy several moments of Eden daily 
now. 

Gilda, you were a wonderful role model for being 
alive — the dogs you loved surely taught you well! 

Catch breaking news at:
mtnviewsnews.com
HAPPY HENRY 

HENRY is so 
sweet. He’s 7 months old, and follows 
in his pack family of 3 siblings 
and 2 doggies. Hops to high places 
to watch the happen-ings around 
him. He loves gentle head butting, 
especially toes, just to say, "Hi, I 
am here in case you didn't notice." 
Soooo polite. Loves car-rying his 
plush toys and softly humming 
when he does so. Henry is es-pecially 
talented at stealing hearts! 
We’d like him to be adopted along 

Pet of the Week 

Simba the Siberian Huskymay not be the king of thejungle, but he will surely ruleyour heart. He’s a little over ayear old, and this big puppyis as playful as they come.
Simba’s favorite thing to dois to happily run around inthe play yard, chasing toysand rolling in the grass. experienced home would be 
Simba enjoys walks and perfect for this handsome 
hikes and the occasional boy. Can you feel the love 
trip to Starbucks for a tonight for Simba? 
puppuccino, but he also The adoption fee for dogs 
needs the opportunity to is $150. All dog adoptions 
run. He would love a home include spay or neuter, 
with a yard where he can microchip, and age-
explore and get the zoomies appropriate vaccines. 
out. Simba can be a little New adopters will receive 
nervous with new people, so a complimentary healthit’s 
important for him to be and-wellness exam from 
able to meet strangers slowly VCA Animal Hospitals, as 
and on his own terms. well as a goody bag filled

 An active and dog-with information about 


LA County Animal Care grants girl's 
request for unicorn license -- if she can 
find one 

LOS ANGELES -- A 
girl named Madeline, 
with a vivid imagination 
and re-markable 
awareness of how bureaucracy 
can dash 
dreams, got her wish 
when she asked Los 
Angeles County animal 
control authorities 
for a license to 
own a unicorn - if 
she's able to find one. 

The first-of-its-kind 
permit came with 
strings attached, however: 
The mythical 
creature must be provided 
ample exposure 
to sunlight, moonbeams 
and rainbows 
and have its horn polished 
at least once a month with a soft cloth. 

Director Marcia Mayeda of the county Department of Animal Care and Control 
sent the girl a heart-shaped, rose-colored metal tag with "Permanent Unicorn 
License" emblazoned on it, along with a white fuzzy unicorn doll with pink ears, 
purple hooves and a silver horn. 

The department's response came after the girl wrote it a brief letter last month: 
"Dear LA County, I would like your approval if I can have a unicorn in my backyard 
if I can find one." 

Mayeda commended the girl for her "sense of responsible pet ownership to seek 
permission in advance" and for thoughtfully considering "the require-ments of 
providing a loving home to animals." 

The agency posted images of the correspondence, the license, the medallion and 
the stuffed toy on its social media accounts, with the girl's last name ob-scured. 
Its five conditions for unicorn ownership also require that any sparkles or glitter 
sprinkled on the animal be nontoxic and biodegradable, and that it be fed 
watermelon at least once a week. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
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