Delighted
There I was, circa 1978, in this tiny restaurant having lunch with two great men. On my right was my long time buddy, John Denver. Across from us was Buckminster Fuller, one of the most brilliant thinkers, inventors, and design revolutionaries of the 20th century.
Although John and I were deep admirers of Bucky and his work - which included the creation of the Geodesic Dome, and concepts/terms such as 'space-ship earth," "synergy," and "doing more with less" - neither of us had met him face to face. We had asked him after his presentation if he would join us for lunch. And, without hesitation, he had replied simply, "I'd be delighted."
Maybe that's the point. He was delighted, not just by lunch, but with Everything! Every person, every object, every moment. His eyes were perpetually moist with awareness, fascination, and compassion. He embodied what it means to be centered. This elderly, bald little man with a cane, one small bag and big coke-bottled glasses had the twinkle and energetic youthfulness of the ageless sages throughout history. When he spoke, we were his children. He mesmerized us with a tale of humankind's infinite potential to grow and to change, to transform the world by applying the 'principles of universe' to create a 'world that works for everyone.' The words commitment and full engagement took on a higher level of meaning as we sat, spell bound.
After lunch, John said, "Tom and I are headed to the airport to fly home to Aspen. Why don't you join us for the weekend?" Now, Bucky is an octengarian with a schedule that would kill most, circumnavigating the world constantly throughout the year. He looked at his watch, as if to detach himself from time itself, and said, "I'd be delighted."
Are you with me here? We talk about spontaneity, freedom, follow your bliss - but then we struggle, trapping ourselves with our hectic, scheduled lives, digitized and organized with such anxieties that the freedom - the flow - gets chopped out bit by bit. But this great man picked up his little bag and off we went!
That simple lunch led to a profound relationship that continued until Bucky's death and that inspires me daily. "Carpe diem?" I'd be delighted. How about you?
Tom Crum
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On Fuller Living
Would you like to hear more of Tom's stories about Buckminster Fuller? Tom will be giving a special teleseminar for the Global Energy Network Institute (GENI), an institute creating environmental solutions to global problems. Tom's talk will be on Bucky and is part of a free series, On Fuller Living, that includes Mark Victor Hanson, Bobbi DePorter,
Marshall Thurber, DC Cordova. Tom's program is on July 8. You can sign up for it on the GENI website.
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