photo by Arpan
Today the 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race was visited by about 40 ‘mystery guests’ who drove up in an old green and white school bus. The two organizers of this trip, Jason Eppink and Matt Green, called the trip ‘The Quest for Immortality’. Each weekend this summer, for seven weekends, different people are chosen to organize a day trip somewhere in New York City. No one in the group but the two organizers know where they are going to go or who they will meet. Even the restaurants and food are mysteries to the willing participants in this adventure group they call, ‘Going Places, Doing Stuff.’
On this trip they would witness the 3100 mile race, Ashrita’s Guiness Record demonstration and a private buffet meal at Annam Brahma Restaurant, where they also watched the wonderful documentary style video of Suprabha and the 3100 Mile Race. The adult group in their 20’s and 30’s seemed quite surprised and impressed with the whole experience at the race site. They asked many questions about the race and Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the 3100 Mile Race. After Rupantar gave them an enthusiastic talk about the race and its history, I was able to walk with them around the course, telling stories and answering questions about the race from a runner’s and helper’s point of view. Afterwards, they were so inspired by Ashrita’s Guiness Records demonstrations with Bipin that they hung around the playground and tried to create some of their own unusual personal records for fun. Although there was nothing official about the records, they were able to bring out their own enthusiastic creative expressions while having fun and giving each other innocent joy.
The group then walked to Annam Brahma where they were feasted with a great vegetarian buffet and watched the video on Suprabha and her accomplishments in the 3100 Mile Race, which she has completed 12 times. As the satisfied guests were leaving, some seeming a bit overwhelmed, I talked to Jason and Matt briefly about the group. As part of a program of the Flux Factory, which is ‘a not for profit arts organization supporting innovation in things’, they helped to organize this particular trip which they named ‘The Quest for Immortality.’
They also enthusiastically told me, among other interesting things, that the bus which they are borrowing from another organization runs on fuel made totally from used vegetable oil. Indeed, these young people seemed to come to the right place when it comes to arts, athletics, innovation and enthusiasm. Perhaps they could have used some of the vegetable oil from the restaurant to ‘fill up’ the bus before they left for their next mystery destination.