On December 21, 2013 at 9:11am, the Time & Day of the Winter Solstice
By Judi Curry
To call this beautiful remodeled house on the south side of Ocean Beach a “hippie house” truly does it an injustice. The new owner – Scott – has put a great deal of money into the house to make it liveable, and the fact that it is not the “normal” Pt. Loma residence is incidental. But….it is gaining fame, even though Scott and his significant other Layla, have just recently moved in.
First of all the views are spectacular. The scenery changes from minute to minute. What were high waves an hour ago are small little ripples now; the pelicans fly over going both north and south. The surfers are not there today – waiting the 72 hours after the rain – before dotting the scenery with their black wetsuits and multicolored surfboards. So why were we there this morning, braving the cold and wind, standing outside looking at a pole set in concrete , albeit in a beautiful design?
Today, at the beginning of the winter solstice, Scott was dedicating one of his two Peace Poles in an informal ceremony. How familiar are you with “Peace Poles”? They symbolize the oneness of humanity and the common wish for a world at peace.
They are a tradition that began approximately 50 years ago. It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 Peace Poles that have been dedicated in every county on earth. They appear everywhere from the North Pole to the Gaza Strip. They have been dedicated by everyone from President Jimmy Carter to Mother Theresa. As there are monuments to war, these are monuments to peace. The poles bear the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in a variety of languages of the world.
As we stood around the Peace Pole and held hands, we took a few seconds to chant “om’s “ in an effort to honor one another, our environment, plants, animals and all creation on Earth. The vision of global Peace will gradually become a natural way of life, a true culture of Peace.”
The eight languages on Scott’s Peace Poles included English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian, Hindi and Cherokee. Additionally there are 10 religious symbols on the pole – Om – Hindu; Cross – Christianity; Moon and Star – Islam; Wheel – Buddhism; Star of David – Judaism; Yin-Yang – Taoism; 9 Pointed Star – Bahai; Pentacle – Wicca; Torii – Shinto and Atom – for Atheism.
Yes, one does not usually see “Peace Poles” in the front yard of residences anywhere, particularly in this part of San Diego. But one does not see a lot of what Scott and Layla have in their yard and that is why it is so unique. It should also be pointed out that all of the plants are environmentally friendly California natives that take a minimum amount of water, and will strengthen the surroundings of the area.
I am not going to tell you what the address is – this is more like a scavenger hunt to find it. (You truly can’t miss it.) Just take a little jaunt along Sunset Cliffs – and when you see the ocean for the first time, you will also see the “hippie house.” Walk along the sidewalk; admire the artistry of local artist Adelaide Marcus; the one-of-a-kind hardscape from John Noble; and feel refreshed and newly energized.
And if you truly have good karma, you might be lucky to hear Scott and his band Liquid Blue rehearsing a tune or two on the front patio!
Judi Curry
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Welcome to Scott, Layla and Liquid Blue! Your kindness, positive outlook and good energy will be great additions to our neighborhood.
I had not heard of Peace Poles until reading your article. I will be carrying this forward by putting one in my front yard in the spring in our small town in Salem, Illinois population 8000. Peace, love, joy and gratitude to you Judi for another meaningful article!