Herman Beck-Chenoweth

Herman Beck-Chenoweth's life took a huge turn after his numinous experience while cutting hay on his farm in 1995. Thoughts just shot out of nowhere at such a pace and with such power that I had to turn off the tractor, pull out my pocket notebook and write as fast as I could. After the experience was over and I looked at what I had writte I was stunned.

In my "earlier" life I had grown up in a family of entrpreneurs and farmers. I had worked in the family business since age 8. When 14 I sold 1,000,000 advertising matchbooks to a large manufacturer of packaged concrete. At 27, with mentoring from Dave Thomas (the founder of Wendy's) I set up my first public company.

Now, here in a hayfield in a poor Appalachian area of Southern Ohio, this upper-middle class, former Lutheran was being told that it was to be his job to re-connect people with the harmony of Nature and the Universe. Unpredictable things begin happening, like the day a car pulled in the driveway and out stepped a Cherokee Elder who began discussing the Spiritual Power of the land we were living on. And how members of the Cherokee tribe had stayed on our land when they came to their Hunting Grounds from the Carolinas every year.

He gave me some gifts and then asked my if I had a pilot's license. I said "yes" but that I thought my flying days were past. He said, "keep it--the Great Spirit has a lot of work for you to do. You need to learn the Old Ways, teach them to others (including Indians who had lost contact with the skills of their Ancestors) no matter what their Color."

Before he left, I asked him how he knew about my experience in the field since I had only shared it with my wife. "The Great Spirit" he said as he left.

Back to my early years on this Planet: I had always made all my own decisions about what I was going to to, what success meant to me, how to become rich. Now, at the age of 52, I was being told to open up, let the Great Spirit (use whatever name for God, the Great Mystery, Holy Spirit you feel comfortable with) lead me to be a bridge between cultures and to live my life by a new set of rules. Here are a couple of the hardest ones:

People will remember what we have done for Ete ity. When we meet again in the Spirit World those whom we have wronged will remember, those we have helped will remember. Sins are not forgiven. If you wrong someone you need to make it right, right now.

Be Truthful at all times and under all conditions. Remember, lies come in many forms: not telling the WHOLE truth, lying by omission, failure to do what you promised, failure to Honor rules and agreements you have made.

Gaining an understanding of the Sacred Teachings is an ete al journey. It is my deep Prayer that the Great Spirit will bless and guide my every step on this Journey into an ever greater Vision of Beauty, Truth, Wisdom and Justice.