UNFURLING THE
"GATES OF VIGILANCE"

GROUND ZERO PLUS 1252 DAY--New York, NY, Sunday, February 13, 2005--Time and place are both perishable commodities according to Christo, the world-famous environmental artist who draped 23 miles of pathways in Central Park with what he calls The Gates.

Yesterday, he and his wife Jeanne Claude unfurled the 7,500 sixteen-foot frames marching through the 843 acres of Central Park and invited millions to walk through his artistic wonderland in hopes that some might pass from Terrorism to Vigilance.

At least, that's what I hope he thought.

Moments before the unfurling....

Otherwise, Central Park is filled with tens of thousands of square feet of saffron-colored material swaying to the exhalations of Mother Nature's winds.

But what does it mean?

....moments after

For those of us who focus on Vigilance, The Gates represent a passageway from Terrorism to Vigilance. They represent a line over which one crosses from one world to another, from the Fear, Intimidation and Complacency of life to its Courage,
Conviction and Right Actions for all the future generations.

In other words, The Gates are a triumphant arch through which many pass from bondage to freedom--if they gear themselves for that journey. (see Feb. 9, VigilanceVoice story).

To believe in the magic of art, one must believe in the magic of humanity. Are we capable of managing and controlling our individual thirsts for acts of Terrorism against one another--from the mundane act of yelling at child because we are upset to the physical abuse of our own selves by thinking and acting that we are a "loser," a "failure?"

Perhaps that question is best answered by the choice of saffron as the color Christo employs for his Gates. Saffron is a magic ingredient, considered the most expensive of all spices in the world. Here is some of its history.

THE MAGIC OF SAFFRON Saffron is one of the few things that truly is worth its weight in gold. This product of the crocus flower adds not only pungent and aromatic flavor to foods, but also a beautiful golden color. Luckily, the tiniest amount goes a long way, so in spite of it being the world's most expensive spice, it is still within the budget of the home cook. Saffron history According to Greek myth, handsome mortal Crocos fell in love with the beautiful nymph Smilax. But alas, his favors were rebuffed by Smilax, and he was turned into a beautiful purple crocus flower. Saffron comes from the Arab word assfar, meaning yellow, and was mentioned as far back as 1500 b.c. in many classical writings, as well as in the Bible. Saffron is harvested from the fall-flowering plant Crocus sativus, a member of the Iris family. It is native to Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years to be used in medicines, perfumes, dyes, and as a wonderful flavoring for foods and beverages. The red-gold threads were also highly prized by pharaohs and kings as an aphrodisiac, yet large amounts produce deathly narcotic effects. Saffron has been used medicinally to reduce fevers, cramps and enlarged livers, and to calm nerves. It has also been used externally to for bruises, rheumatism, and neuralgia. (Do not use medicinally without consulting your physician.) Most saffron is now imported from Spain. Golden threads of saffron Each purple crocus flower produces three stigmas, which are hand-picked from the blossom, dried, and permitted to ferment slightly to produce saffron. It is estimated that it takes some 14,000 stigmas to produce only one ounce of saffron threads. The labor-intensive process makes the cost of these bright red threads upwards of $50 per quarter-ounce. Luckily, a little bit goes a long way, and you can buy enough for a number of meals for under $10. One part saffron to 150,000 parts water will turn the water a bright yellow and still leave its distinctive flavor. Saffron is an indispensable ingredient in bouillabaisse, paella and Chartreuse liqueur.

If Vigilance exists in any form, it must be surmised to exist in the manufacture of saffron. Few if any products humans consume takes such tender loving care or costs so much per ounce, or, goes so far.

Vigilance is not easy for one to create in his or her life. Like saffron, it takes long hours of nurturing and a eye to the future benefits.

A parent teaching a child the delicate art of Vigilance over Terrorism must himself or herself know it first and be its student before having the capacity to pass it on. That means a parent must have faced his or her Fears, Intimidations and Complacencies with at least One Percent more Courage, Conviction and belief in doing the Right Actions for the Children's Children's Children.

T o be a Vigilant Parent requires passing through many Gates

This is not an easy task, for it requires us to pass through many Gates, to examine ourselves and our intents as human beings to rise above the primordial ooze of Complacency where we believe we are simply just another "grain" of sand on the beach who have no true impact on the world.

We arrive at the conclusion by listening to the Beast of Terror who mitigates our humanness and employs every possible tactic to force us to resign ourselves to the position that we are "nobody special," and that our lives are in a "rut" and that everyone else is a hammer and we are simply a nail that takes one pounding after another.

We know this to be shockingly true when we are asked to write down, without blinking, our Primary Mission in life. That Primary Mission is the single most important reason we exist. It is the fuel that keeps us trudging through the challenges of life. It is the spark that ignites the darkness around us when we feel we are being swallowed down the gullet of the Beast and are powerless to stop the ingestion.

By hesitating to answer this question, we know we are not prepared to teach anyone the importance of life because we are not sure of our own.

This is the importance of the saffron color of The Gates. Saffron is a precious color. It is without distinction in the world of color. Throughout history, the most important of kings and pharos sought its power.

So it is that saffron represents the Primary Mission of each human being.

Saffron is the color of the Vigilance Primary Mission

Sadly, a Terrorist knows his or her Primary Mission. To be a Terrorist, requires such focus. If one is willing to blow himself or herself up and kill innocents by the trucksful without blinking an eye, you can be assured that individual has elected a Primary Mission that overpowers his or her Fear, Intimidation and Complacency.

Only an equal and opposite force of Vigilance can counter such a Terroristic Primary Mission.

Saffron is the color of the Vigilance Primary Mission.

It symbolizes the cementing of one's Courage over Fear, one's Conviction above Intimidation and one's choice of taking the Right Actions that benefit all Children's Children's Children versus Complacency, or inaction.

When you walk through Central Park and pass through The Gates, you pass through not only a choice of Vigilance over Terrorism, but also under the magic of saffron. This magic color is the punctuation you can add to your conviction that you are a person of Primary Purpose, and that Primary Purpose is to be a Sentinel of Vigilance who teaches children how to have at least One Percent more Courage than Fear, One Percent more Conviction than Intimidation, One Percent more belief in what is right for the future generations than Complacency that everything will continue to be what it is despite individual effort.

Author Cliff McKenzie and wife, Lori, walking through the "Gates"

Saffron is the symbol of knowing one's Primary Purpose.

And, even if you cannot physically walk through The Gates in Central Park, all one needs to do is shut his or her eyes and imagine the passageway.

Every doorway in life through which one passes is a "Gate" from-to something. If you make each passageway a reminder of your Vigilance over Terrorism, you will never forget your Primary Purpose is Vigilance. And, it will help remind you that a Terrorist never forgets his or her Primary Mission is the Terrorism of you and your loved ones.

Be filled with Vigilant Primary Purpose. Take the Pledge of Vigilance Today!

 

Go To February 9 Story: Central Park's "Gates Of Vigilance"

Pictures of the unfurling of The Gates

Pictures of the unfurling of The Gates

 

Go To Newest Sophia Wisdom Story

"No Drugs, G-Ma" Be A Parent Of No-Drug Vigilance

 

 

 

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