Conversations on the Street: Intro

During the final year of his life, Dr. Frederick Lenz (Rama) invited those of his students that were interested in teaching to complete a course of study. This course consisted of reading a number of books as well as seeing certain movies. Those who completed these assignments were invited to a special empowerment that took place in the fall of 1997. After the empowerment many of the students set up classes and began to teach. I was one of these students and taught an introduction to meditation class at New York City College in Manhattan. 

In December of 1997, as his final written assignment Rama had each of his teaching students write a five-page essay on each of these works. The following essay is substantially what I submitted at that time. However, rather than writing twelve unrelated pieces, I wrote an integrated essay in conversation form between a grandfather Alejandro Casona Vasquez and his grandson, Hector. 

Alejandro is of indeterminable age, but older than 60. He is about 5'10", has gray wavy hair and light beige skin. Alejandro works as a writer, theology and cookbooks, and travels a great deal. He maintains an apartment in Cusco and Santo Domingo. He is dressed in a pair of grey wool slacks, a dark blue silk shirt and a black calfskin jacket 

Hector is slightly shorter, with a tight fade, and dark bonze skin. He is in his mid 20s and lives in an apartment on 109th St with his girlfriend, Carlotta and her young son Chico. Hector works as a mechanic restoring muscle cars at his cousin's shop on Tremont while he works on his degree at City College. 

During the previous year Alejandro corresponded with Hector via email and gave him a number of reading assignments. Having just arrived in New York, Alejandro discusses the works with Hector. The conversations begin late on an autumn afternoon, on a bench in a small community garden in Spanish Harlem.