||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER |||

Some people have an enthusiasm for life no matter what. I can’t ever remember running into Ezekiel Barr without seeing a smile on his face. After he composed the following list, we had the most fascinating conversation about his life. Love for others is what guides him, and he aims to always exude positivity. If others offer negativity, he quickly searches for ways to move those thoughts into optimistic territory. As you’ll see below, he gets right to the root and heart of every matter.
1. I like living in the present.
2. I’m always looking to offer my best gift of self in the present.
3. I am ONE with all – men are my brothers, women are my sisters, and all kids are my kids. 
4. I believe that separation, no matter how it manifests, is not real. It is something we make up and agree on.
5. I like to live in the positive. That is where I find Heaven on Earth.
6. I believe Orcas Island is Heaven on Earth.      
7. I like to tune into the flow of life. 
8. I like to say yes and pay close attention to the whys when I’d rather say no.
9. I tend to doubt doubt. It seems to be based on fear. 
10. I like to be conscious of being free to be the me that comes from my heart. 
11. Knowing that everyone has an abundance in their heart, I have been expanding how I share mine.
12. I Like to have something to share. I try to alway carry enough for three.   
13. I am a driver for off-island shopping and doctor appointments for the Senior Center.
14. I have been volunteering at the Food Bank for 20 years. 
15. I have been house manager, usher, and bartender for the Orcas Center. 
16. I love to dance. Once I took dance classes so I could dance somewhere. 
17. I play cajon, djembe, and recorders.
18. I have sung in many different kinds of choirs and acted in many plays.
19. I lived in an intentional community of 360 people. 
20. I was a shepherd with a dog, and hearded 25 sheep. 
21. I was a chandler and ran a candle shop, lit up pathways, and traded candles for wax.
22. Once at our Saturday Farmers’ Market, I was given a dozen red roses and was told to give them away. I gave them to young, old, and those who looked like they would like the feeling of an unexpected gift of a rose. Then I gave a dozen to kids and told them to give them to whoever they wanted. One eight year old boy tried to give his to a little girl and she ran away. I thought if she had stopped and taken the flowers she might have married him and always remembered when they met.   
23. I was a school bus driver for the Sandpoint Idaho School District for five years.
24. I stayed home with my two daughters and played the role of Mr. Mom.
25. On my to-do list are learning how to cook and learning how to use my new cell phone. 
26. I taught at a head start school for black children and a recreation center for people with disabilities.
27. I am drawn to things that are different and offer new choices.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**