sometimes it all comes together.....(part 2)

so, its over...
finished

mud on the boots and scars on the heart to prove it

GB 08........ GB08....... Greenbelt 08......... Rising Sun.....

The sun set very late this morning around 5AM for the stalwarts of the the thistle bar, and today the event was laid to rest physically, but not mentally.
As as my great mate PIPBHP says i will be 'unpacking' the emotional side of what happened this weekend for weeks, months to come. Affected for all time.
Often the small things, the surprises, the unexpected are the things that resound the loudest in reflection.

On the business side of things, MP3 and recorded talks wise, man I have to say we rocked.
We took care of business.
We delivered
The whole team was class to a human.
Little John, Colin, Matt, Jacqui (and Matt 2 and baby Luke).
Steve P, Ben P, Beth P.
2 Robs, Stewart, the Daves, the Ians, and all the recording geezers
Ivor and the talks sales gang
My Jules, Grace and Danny
Pip (our Patron)

MP3 USB sticks sold very well, a brand new offering this year, they look amazing, and their value goes way beyond simple monetary, cash to the festival (which of course is much appeciated!)

No, their true value, as well as delivering the talks to your ipod / mac / pc / EARS is in the promotional and advertising value that they add to the festival as a whole.
That is impossible to quantify.
A memento, a souvenir, a badge - a statement.
Something to treasure, to share, show off.

SING ABOUT!!!!!!

Hallelujah


And my payment, my reward for all the bigjohn endeavours?

A kiss.

A kiss from the lips of God Himself.
God with skin on

Delivered by a young man with Downes Syndrome who was browsing the Talks 'menu' at the sales counter with his lovely sister.
I asked them if they were looking for something in particular - a favourite - he smiled at me and shouted "WORSHIP!" he wanted worship stuff.....
I thought he meant praise music so tried to direct him and his sis, who was kind of looking after him, to the G-Music tent next door.... "WORSHIP" he said over a few times...

His sister spotted a talk we had, which was on Downes Syndrome, and enquired about that...
"NO - I DONT WANT THAT! I DONT WANT IT!!!!" he shouted out.
"For mam and dad, you know they would like...." she softly says

"NO!!!!!!!" - he clearly didnt want it

I walked back over to the MP3 room to collect something, and straight back to the sales tent.
They were still there.
I approached him
I took his hand
I gently placed in it a Greenbelt USB stick
He looked at it.
He looked at me.
His face exploded into a sun
He grabbed me tightly

And he kissed me on the cheek

He whooped and hollered.
He was pleased.....
He kept looking at it and back at me
He was really pleased.....


The he asked....

"What does it do?"........................................ :-0


I said "You plug it into your computer and you open the folder and you......"

"You put stuff on it....stuff you can keep..... stuff you can share"

I had to leave, and I did, left him pleased, well pleased.

And I wept as I walked, and again as I type, and as I have done in tellng this tale to others.


So, what did you do this weekend?

I met God.
And He kissed me.