The stewardesses' appreciation

The following morning everything went well. The plane took off for Honolulu. I did not feel like writing poems. I had wanted to write 200 songs during these few days but I ended up doing 150. Anyhow, I took out a notebook and began to draw birds. One by one the stewardesses went by and saw the birds. One would say, “Cute!” Another would say, “Beautiful!”

One stewardess asked me, “Are you an artist?”

Quite hesitantly I said, “I am an artist.”

They all came and watched the birds. They were appreciating my drawings like anything, standing there right in front of me. One particular stewardess was very soulful. On my right side there was an empty seat. She sat there and said, “You have to tell me: have you exhibited your drawings?”

I said, “At Kennedy Airport once, my friends exhibited a few thousand, but I do not know the exact number. Then in Ottawa, Canada, they showed one million or two million. I have forgotten the exact number.”

She just looked at me. Then she asked me more about my art. “Where are you going?”

I said, “I am going to Honolulu. There I have an apartment, but I do not know where my apartment is. My friends will come to meet me, and then I will go to Maui. I have been to Hawaii many times. I used to walk near the canal.”

She said, “I also live by the canal. Now I will give you my address, and what you will do, you will give me only your name. I don’t want an address from you. Only give me your name.” So she gave me a postcard with her full address, on Ala Moana. I believe it is very near my apartment. She said, “If you could send me something of yours, I would be so grateful. I can see that you are a very important person.”

I said, “I am very important? All right, I will send you something.”

She said, “You don’t have to write down your address or phone number. I don’t need that. Just write down your name.”

I wrote “Sri Chinmoy.” Immediately she put the piece of paper over her heart. Can you imagine? When she stood up, she reminded me once again, “Please don’t forget to send me something of yours.”

Some of the stewardesses looked Chinese or Japanese. This one perhaps was Hawaiian. They were all saying “Cute!” and “Beautiful!” They would come at intervals of half an hour or forty minutes to see my progress. I was going on, going on, drawing on large sheets.

So this is how my artwork received appreciation on the plane. It seems that people appreciate my art. They like the little bird drawings like anything!

I did keep my promise. I asked Pratyaya to write a letter to her and send some of our peace-activity books.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy visits India, Agni Press, 1995
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/sci