Remembering My Spiritual Teacher
Yesterday I was clever and wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. — Rumi
“Right now, right here, you are free.” With these seven words George Falcon began each session. The topic was always the same. Who are we? How do we live a spiritual life and what does this mean? He was unknown to the masses but touched thousands of people and influenced multitudes of lives. He was a mentor, a teacher, a spiritual guide, a man of peace. To know George was to know God exists.
I met George at a Christmas dinner in 1986. George was married to my best friend Lee’s sister Belinda. George sat at the end of the table with his aging parents. He was professorial in appearance with a thick beard and olive skin that evinced his Latino heritage. He wore a blue Adidas tracksuit (his standard uniform) and was quick to smile and laugh. Dinner conversation was lively and entertaining, but George remained quiet. When the conversation shifted to spirituality, I expected him to say something. Instead he was content to listen in silence tending to his parents’ needs. After dinner, he took his dessert plate into the living room to watch the Bulls play the Knicks.
George loved basketball. This is how we first bonded. We talked for hours about the Lakers and their chances at another championship. He spoke about Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan and how they both hated losing more than…
