From the curving shore line of the Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon; to the heightening mountaintop of Corcovado, where Christ extends his arms for the hope of better today’s and tomorrows for those who are here and those yet to come. I am again reminded of how fortunate and blessed I am to be living at this time and conscripted to further develop my mission for building a world class Personal Growth and Leadership Development institution that allows the least of us to further develop a place for those willing to engage themselves in higher level discussion and action, through service and sacrifice, for the betterment of others.

Thus I digress, in Rio I found the gentle embrace of a woman’s arms and heart who was solely concerned with my pleasure and the desires of my heart being met. Her name is Alexsa Opara. While not only being another example of how God befuddles Man with the beauty of Woman, Alexsa reminded me of what it is to have someone stand for your upliftment and happiness just because they feel connected to you and enjoy your company. For me, this was more than a pleasant surprise and subtle disappointment for I thought I had removed myself from any chance encounters that might open up my heart to allow for anyone to nurture, care and allow trust to emanate from a place where lust might often prevail. What I found through Alexsa is that you can allow yourself to connect with someone without the fear, trepidation and expectation of what tomorrow may bring. Now I know that might sound incredulous to those of you attuned to the sound of yet another man ranting on relentlessly about potential sexual interludes with no strings attached! This, however, was not that!

You see what Alexsa allowed me to experience was the innocence of sharing with someone just because you felt a kindred spirit imbued through their being. She and I shared many moments of narcissistic delight from the constellation of Gemini. Our likes and dislikes were similar, eccentric and borderline egotistical. We found ourselves delighting in discussions about the one dimensional nature of many of those whom we encountered and their inability to really appreciate us for who we are. I found it intriguing that such a beautiful woman felt so often alone and misunderstood because of her beauty. Don’t get me wrong because she, like me, was no push over. I delighted in her ability to demonstrate absolute care in one moment yet feign indifference in another. She was most attractive when she was feisty but most beguiling when she allowed me to see the depths of her intelligence; the gentleness of her heart; and the subtlety of her vulnerability complemented by a profound eagerness to learn more.

But don’t get me wrong for this chronicle is not merely meant to be an offer of acknowledgment for Alexsa’s kindness, albeit so!

It is more an opportunity for me to explore how guarded I, as we, become in pursuit of our ideals as evidenced in a tendency to withdraw from others. Several times in Brazil I found myself being the cerebral Katwy that is loathe to wondering the nefarious nature of others motivations. Not to suggest that I am a pessimist but I had to look at how I can often be removed from the scene while being a part thereof. Perhaps I do this as a defense action to guard myself from potential threats and harm. Perhaps I’ve developed this as a coping mechanism to safeguard myself from being exposed to the dark sided nature of others when they feel their needs are not being met.

Perhaps it was because Brazil was one of my first real attempts to travel to a foreign land alone and that truly scared the hell out of me!

Admittedly, knowing that I knew no one there was at first scary. And then it was liberating. By the end of the trip it was just awesome to have just stepped out there on faith. And put it all out there for I felt truly deserving of the reward.

Many a “perhaps” and many other questions still remain. However, suffice it to say that this quick jaunt to Mesoamerica has left me fulfilled and ready to dive back into the work that lies ahead.

Thank you Brazil! Thank you Alexsa! Thank you GOD!

And so it is!