GETTING BY WITH YOUNG AND OLD

Monday, January 5th, 2026

Alachua, Florida

It was my second day of fewer steps taken. I’m kept busy. From Titusville I was driven by Jaya Gopal to the Alachua ISKCON Temple. There, I participated in the AM sadhana serving our guru, Prabhupada, in homage to him. Then I delivered a class from Canto 4 of the Bhagavatam. I naturally had a concern. A well of religious seriousness experience. There are a good number of residents living here that are seniors to me. What can I do to enthuse such mature brothers and sisters? I did not have a sneak peek at the verse of the day, but all went relatively well. There were some light moments that triggered some laughter. No one fell asleep and questions followed. I guess I passed the test.

Ram came over to the place of my accommodation. A massage therapist, he does an excellent job on a guy who gets stiff from too many trips in planes and cars.

Then my good friend, Mahavir (origins Hamilton, Ontario), comes over along with wife Jaya Gauri (origins Brazil) for lunch. Fresh bread, a salad, and more, delicious as they are, become secondary to our conversations which begin with, “Remember when…?”

My final happy encounter with devotees today was at Devala’s place. When I walked the States in 2016/17, I would often times be on the phone with this younger Vaishnava who now has his own new house and a fiancé. Glad to see his progress. Progress, yes, can be had when a fair balance is preserved from the point of view of both matter and spirit.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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