ELIZABETH KUCINICH IN SEDONA AZ – Oct 14 2007

ELIZABETH SITING IN SEDONA AZ – Oct 14 2007

I was on my way to hear Elizabeth speak at the Raw Spirit Festival at the Radisson Hotel in Sedona, and the weather was perfect.

I hadn’t traveled this road in over a year, but the drive up 179 toward Sedona was a familiar gateway to the most intoxicating beauty on the planet, and I was excited to be experiencing it again. I turned on the CD player and the extraordinary voice of Paul Potts singing Nessun Dorma filled my car. I remembered how Dennis and Elizabeth had talked about Potts, the winner of Britain’s Got Talent, on the Ed Schultz show, (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=209670628&blogID=309588140 ) and how Dennis shared that he listened to Paul’s short version of this aria before each Presidential debate.

It felt like Paradise itself was filling my senses, and just as I heard Paul singing the last words of the song: vincerò, vincerò, vincerò! (victory, victory, victory!), I turned a bend in the road and saw the breathtaking view of Bell Rock, the beacon of red rock country. And in that moment it felt like a reminder of the bells of heaven.

The Raw Spirit Festival was held in a bucolic setting of duck-filled ponds, marsh grasses and footbridges against the background of enormous red rock under a sapphire sky. The main stage and scores of booths were set up on what was normally the Radisson’s golf course, all offering a smorgasbord of health and wellness. In an unselfish effort to provide you, my dear readers, with the broadest journalistic report of the event, I sampled several dozen varieties of deep, rich, raw (and healthy!) chocolate confections. Yum!

The sun dipped into the western sky and seemed to set the famous Elephant Rock afire in a glorious winding down of the afternoon, and Elizabeth arrived along with her traveling companion, her mother Julia.

I was delighted to have an opportunity for a short chat with Julia. She was enjoying her first visit to the American Southwest - very different from the English landscape at home! She said that the loveliest moments of the day were due to a traffic jam which slowed their drive into the Sedona area, and allowed them to really see every magnificent rock, reminding her of “a fairy dell”. And she said that in Sedona she felt such appreciation for “the power of the planet and the sincerity of the people.”

Julia runs a complementary healing and teaching center in England, and we chatted about health, wellness and the arts. We enjoyed a special moment of bonding when we realized that we had both been pregnant during most of 1977 - my daughter is just 6 weeks younger than Elizabeth. (A bit of objective journalism for the record: neither Julia nor myself look like we are mothers of 30-year-olds!)

The conference room was packed with eager listeners filling every bit of space – standing around the edges of the room, seated in the aisles and flowing out into the hallway. Dakota (this time, without the Black River Bandit) opened with a great song about Dennis. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IgMz-pGEys)

Then Elizabeth was introduced, and she captivated the audience with the story we all adore, of how she and Dennis came to fall in love.

She passionately shared about the issues on the campaign platform, noting that this campaign is not about only ending the war in Iraq, but to end all war as an instrument of policy.

She shared about the extraordinary timing of the day that she took her final exam for her degree in International Conflict Resolution – on Sept. 11, 2001. When Elizabeth finished her 3-hour exam, she returned to a different world, heralded by a voice message from her mother telling her to get to a television.

Then Elizabeth told us how she was enjoying her first visit to Sedona, and that she and her mother had spent time that afternoon in the red rock area. She noted that “you really understand the interconnectedness of life when you are in this place.” Then she shared that she had gone to Bell Rock that afternoon, stretched out on a stone in the sunshine, and in a private and powerful moment, sent out a heartfelt request to be a servant of humanity.

Elizabeth was eloquent and friendly, elegant yet humble, and her listeners were mesmerized. She had worked with Mother Theresa in India, and I was struck with how she seemed to embody the nun’s humility, combined with the regal yet approachable charisma of Princess Diana, and the soft-spoken magnetism of Jackie O. Yes, indeed, I was looking at our next First Lady.

The audience frequently broke out into applause at her moving and articulate responses to her listeners’ questions. One fellow asked what her special focus would be as First Lady. She responded that she had a variety of interests, but first and foremost was to “help Americans reconnect with their hearts.” She went on to say that there are many practical ways to do this, including looking at the way we think, and moving out of the places where we get angry, depressed and stuck. “My mum always taught me to turn a negative thought into a positive action.” Sitting next to Julia, I caught a glimpse of her proud smile.

Elizabeth finished with more heartfelt inspiration, and was appreciated with a standing ovation. What a full and rich conclusion to an extraordinary day!

Afterwards, Elizabeth, her mom, and I chatted with Rick and Angie Romero, who are co-ordinating Elizabeth’s Southwest tour. (During the last campaign, I had told my friends Rick and Angie about “this amazing Congressman from Ohio” – and they sure jumped on the Kucinich Peace Train – as I suspected they would - and now are the Southwestern States Co-ordinators for the campaign!)

Then, amidst hugs and goodbyes, Elizabeth and Julia left for their hotel, planning to meet up with the Romeros in Phoenix, tomorrow. And I left for my long drive, accompanied, again, by the music of Paul Potts.

Down the road, Paul’s Nessun Dorma aria came on again. I heard him sing of victory, and against the star-filled sky, I could just barely make out the dark silhouette of Bell Rock.