Alias Jones: World Wandering…

- There are no coincidences.

- Everything in life has a purpose.

- We are here to receive lessons, and to grow from them.

- One challenge prepares us for the next.

These are some of the many lessons that I’ve learned in the past 90 days on my little adventure. Simple lessons, yet profound; all of them.

On Thursday, my mother asked to be taken to the hospital. She hates hospitals.

On Friday, they found fluid in her chest cavity.

On Saturday, they found cancer cells in the fluid.

Further tests revealed that she has a late stage, small cell lung cancer.

I’m now in Houston, Texas, and as soon as Continental Airlines delivers my bags to my home, I’ll be on my way to Austin to be with my mother and the rest of my family.

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Life has its own way of delivering the most sobering of circumstances. It doesn’t request permission on whether or when or how, its just puts each of us in situations that we must deal with.

Yes, this is a reminder on how fragile our lives are. I have friends and acquaintences who have had some form of cancer themselves, and who have struggled through it. I really don’t understand or appreciate what it took for them to prevail, and I have to believe that any celebration for having done so was a quiet one… a very personal one.

I also have many friends who have lost somebody they care about much too early, at least in terms of our being prepared for such things. And again, I’ve never really understood or appreciated what it took for them to cope with their situations. My love has gone out to them, and I’ve shared in their sadness, but without really understanding.

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There is a strange beauty to me in all of this that I can not explain here at present - It will require a great deal of focus and effort, and I’m saving those for other things at the moment. But trust me… its there. The sequence of events, and the beauty in them will continue to be revealed to us for some time.

That doesn’t ease the challenge that my mother and family faces in the near term, nor does it make everything alright. But for those of us who are witnessing it first hand, we’ll find that it is wrapped in blessings, and we will acknowledge them for what they are.

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I’ve spoken to my mother each day since Friday. She’s spunky, absolutely lucid, has her sense of humor in tact, and is open to all possibilities. She’s a lighthouse of strength for us all. And its not just a face she’s putting on for us. Its as genuine as she is.

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I’m not sure what’s next for my little trip, or this site. I’ll be putting some thought into that as we go, and will keep you posted, but you’ll understand that other things take priority.

I know everyone out there will be sending some combination of love, hope, prayers and positive energy. We are grateful. Love, hope, prayers and positive energy are always welcome and appreciated.

Likewise, my thanks to those in my “adopted home countries” of Portugal and Spain, who have helped me so much already in dealing with this, and with the logistics of my return. I am forever grateful.

That’s it for now…

Peace, Love & Great Hope for Everybody Involved,

~ Alias

Ok, so I’m now a full-on fan.

But… before I get started on why, I have one gripe I need to get off my chest about this game you call Futbol. According to the World Cup games that I’ve seen, including 5-6 different teams, it seems most of the players went to the NFL Punters’ Drama School. Anytime two players get within spitting distance of each other, one falls down holding his ankle, knee, or some other part of their body. They fall, wince and roll around on the ground, and then, like a 5 year-old, they looks up to see if anybody’s watching. If so, they milk it. If not, they pop up and get after the ball.

Now, set aside everything I just told you…

Tonight Portugal played Holland (1-0 to Portugal). It was the most exciting futbol game I’ve ever seen, too. And I can tell you that it was full-on, and full-contact. I think there were 2 or 3 people taken off the field, 4 or 5 red cards thrown (player ejected), and who knows how many yellow cards. I was told the papers today said it was a World Cup record for penalties.

This game sort of makes you reminisce for more wholesome fun… Something like NHL Hockey.

Ronaldo, Portugal’s 21 year-old star who plays professionally for Manchester (think A-Rod a few years back but at Portuguese scale) was intentiionally cleated in the thigh and had to leave the game. And a short time later, Figo, Portugal’s team captain and other star forward, head butts one of the Dutch players (yellow card) during a stop in play. Not long after that, Figo catches an intentional elbow in the face from yet another Dutch player (red card ejection) and that was all in the first half.

Toward the end of the game Holland was shelling the goal with shots. The 1-0 could have easily been lost on any of a half dozen shots. Yet somehow, Portugal held on to win.

Portugal has this monster of a defenseman, Miguel. One minute he’s single-handedly disarming the entire left side of the attack, the next minute he’s stealing the ball and running it down the length of the field before delivering a great feed to the middle. He wasn’t voted MVP of the game, but he controlled his share of it.

Holland’s coach look like a pretty annoying guy - if you saw him, you’d know what I mean. He’s even more annoying-looking than Mexico’s coach (Davo… Why did you get a coach from Argentina? With that beard? That wears a suit with a tie with a dragon on it? Its the same tie every game, man. What gives, Davo?), so that was one more reason to pull for Portugal.

After the game this whole country erupted. Here in Costa, cars drove the road that circles downtown for hours, honking their cute little European horns. It was kind of a parade. Lots of Red, Green and Gold. The police cars even ran their sirens for about 15 minutes after the win. It was something to see.

I think we (we!) have England next, but I’m not sure. This will be fun to watch. And of course I’ll be keeping my eyes on Brazil, Spain and Mexico as well.

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I was planning on heading south today, but I know that won’t happen. Will be back to you in a day or so with an update on the travel plans.

More photos coming… stay tuned.

Peace, Love & Going Where the World Leads You,

~ Alias