This is a day of drying out!!! Or trying to dry out. The tents are leaking.. many of the Walkers have soaked luggage and sleeping bags. Maybe it would be good reading if I said "we endured the struggle with the wet sleeping bags and the onslaught of hungry mosquitoes and biting flies with a grace and humility that we never even knew we held" ... but I'm not that good at creative writing. After all.. this IS a Journal of the Walk for Wellbriety.... not fiction....eh?

One thing we did retain though... was our sense of humor. One of the younger Walkers was really upset about being so wet... she went into great detail telling me about how wet she was and how miserable being wet was... and then when she finished I asked her "Where you going now"? "To the Pool" she replied !!! I couldn't help but laugh.. she waits all night for the rain to stop and to be dry. And the first thing she's doing this morning is going to 'get wet' in the pool. She laughed too. One of the most powerful medicines we carry with us is our sense of humor.... and we use this medicine constantly and generously.

Today's profile is Larenia 'Mouse' - She is Dine' ... from Kayenta, AZ and lives now in Tucson. Here are her thoughts on this Wellbriety Movement and being a Core Team Walker on the Journey of the Sacred Hoop 2000:

Today's Profile

Larenia -

I was planning on moving and I called my Mom... cause I needed to tell her about those plans to leave Arizona and move to New York. We scheduled a day to 'do lunch'... and it ended up being 'dinner'. She started telling me about this thing she was doing... as a co- facilitator with the Firestarters Program. She was showing me the workbooks and pamphlets and stuff from White Bison for the program... and she started telling me about this Journey.

She said she wanted to do this Walk for Wellbriety.... and it sounded good. She invited me to come with her. I smiled and said "that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about".. I'm planning on moving in a few months... and the time is soon... and I explained how I felt at the time.. beiing in Tucson and why I wanted to move and she said this sounds like it might be good for you. The more I thought about it.. the better it sounded. So I began making preparations to leave and went to Phoenix to meet everyone.

The attraction was the focus on domestic violence.. for women and children.. cause I've been there.. the drug and alcohol abuse.. cause I've been there.. the suicide.. cause Ive been there. The conferences topic and the Wellbriety it'self.. I could relate to everything I had read about this Walk. And if I can learn and spread that message to people.. just one person.. then I have done what I needed to do.

It's been difficult... change is always hard. I get used to my little realm.. my little world.. and I look at things that I've stuffed inside.. like the suicide conference.. I had to face a lot of personal 'stuff' during that conference. I still have a lot of questions and not that many answers. My sponsor used to tell me.. "I'm only here to help you find the questions.. you have the answers." I have to learn to set aside all the anger, that pain, that fear .. and underneath all those little barriers.. my answers lie in there.

I love the running.. it gives me time to really think and not be distracted by my feelings. I do a lot of praying.. I sing a lot of songs.. and I spend time with myself and Creator when I'm running. I think that's where I've been finding my answers.. when everything else is at 'bay'.. I get to do a lot of soul searching and sometimes I get clarity.. sometimes I don't.. but that's ok too.. it will come.

Vette Asks 'Mouse': What do you hope to get out of this Journey?

I don't know.. I think the more I go.. the longer I'm here... more stuff comes up.. and I'm dealing with that as it happens. I think it all depends upon whether I'm willing to talk and who I'm willing to talk with. For others out there... I hope this Journey brings some peace.. and a sense of serenity.. knowing that whatever bad things are going on their life.. there is an outlet.. there is an option.. there is somewhere they can go. They can walk thru that fear.... knowing that others have walked thru that fear.. and at least become 'willing' to make that change. That's the biggest step to healing... to be willing.

My hope for everyone.. is that they know first and foremost that they know they are important.. and that Creator is there in all times.. good or bad.. and no matter what happens they can turn to Him for that strength they don't have.. and that guidance they don't have. Rely upon it... use it.

HI to all my friends and family... I miss you - you've all been a big inspiration and given me a lot of hope for the future... thank you.

- 'Mouse'