Ripple
On the Grateful Dead, Pyramid, and The Path For Your Steps Alone
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn, and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
Ripple, The Grateful Dead
I remember where I was the day Jerry Garcia died on Wednesday, August 9, 1995. I was at my friend Liz’s in Naperville, IL. We weren’t Deadheads per se, but dancing bears were hard to escape in the 90s, and Jerry’s death was a moment. I remember we crawled out onto her roof from her bedroom window; I do believe we slipped on Dead T-shirts, and we smoked cigarettes before heading down to the river walk.
The ripple of the Dead would follow me to Boston when I was in my second year - circa 2000- at Berklee; I came home to my apartment on Park Drive to find a young man on my sofa writing cards. I lived with three (of my favorite) guys at the time, so random dudes on the sofa weren’t a surprise. I casually said hi and asked him what he was doing, to which he snarkily responded, “writing Christmas cards to my music agents.” LOL! Ok, jackass, I thought to myself. That young, moody man was a young John Mayer, the future leader of Dead and Co. We never crossed paths again, but he turned out ok.
Finally, when I arrived in NYC at Beth Abraham to start my music therapy internship, the ripple flowed again when Mickey Hart was a board member for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function for which I was a research assistant during that time. I never connected that thread until today.
In anticipation of seeing Summer Tour this weekend, I’ve been listening to a lot of Grateful Dead. Maybe it’s also just the vibe that counters the intensity of our world of late.
Ripple is a song I can listen to over and over and over again. There is so much wisdom.
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall, you fall alone
If you should stand, then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way, I would take you home
Pyramid will launch in August, sooner than I anticipated, thanks to an amazing advisor, Forest Young, who helped me cross the (V1) finish line in building the last two weeks. We who will use Pyramid are lucky to have people like him to shape the experience. There have been so many guardian angels along the way with Pyramid and more of their stories to come. It has truly been the experience of the ripple in still water.
Pyramid’s whole philosophy could be summed up in the lyric: And if you go, no one may follow, That path is for your steps alone.
Your pyramid will be unlike anyone else’s. What Pyramid will not do for you is categorize you. It will take you home in a way that no other process can. A beta-tester referred to it as: DANGEROUS! In the best way :)
There is a road. There is a fountain. Reach out your hand.
I can’t wait to share more starting next week! Until then:
Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known, there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
