Home: Where Everyone is Welcome
Victor Fuhrman: I understand that, if you listen, you can hear Deepak singing on this one. Is that correct?
Paul Avgerinos: That’s right. Yeah, that was one of the big thrills of this item was getting to work with Deepak’s singing voice. He has a lovely voice, as we all know from his narrations and guided meditations and all. I also talked him into singing. Here I am singing, especially on the opening track called Home, and on this track called Queen he sings quite a bit, and it’s just really lovely to be able to share that with you.
Victor Fuhrman: Aside from your father’s poem, do you have a personal favorite?
Paul Avgerinos: One of the ones I really like a lot is called Father, and it’s inspired by Krishan Chopra, Deepak’s father, it’s just a very transcendental poem that expresses a lot of the deeper wisdom that we have about existence. So, that’s one that always struck me very strongly.
Victor Fuhrman: And who are some of the other luminaries that inspired your poems in this?
Paul Avgerinos: Well, we have poems dedicated to Albert Einstein and to Audrey Hepburn and just so many amazing immigrants. Not all famous people but people that are inspiring. Survivor, for instance, was inspired by William Hemano, which is a Columbian immigrant. He was the first responder in 911, and he rushed into the tower, was trained to help save people. Everyone in his squad perished except for him. We dedicated a poem to him, and the music is called Survivor.
Kabir serves in the military. He tells about how many of the people fighting for America risking their lives are not even US citizens, yet they’re out there risking their necks for this country. So, I think we should appreciate them more and honor their sacrifice and the tremendous giving that they do. It’s not correct, it’s not right or Dharmic, to repay goodness with contempt.
Victor Fuhrman: Absolutely. And I think the recent natural disasters that have transpired with the hurricanes and the earthquakes demonstrate clearly that the first responders include immigrants who, as you say, put their life on the line for others, which is the greatest gift anyone can give.
Paul Avgerinos: Sure. Look at that dreamer who was in Houston, was out there working without sleep day after day, day and night, and while he’s doing that he hears that his program has been ended. We need to think more carefully before we take these rash actions. This is one of the plagues of our day and age that people don’t think carefully enough about what they do that affects so many other people.
We have to think of others first. As my Guru Amma, the Hugging Saint, says, think of other people, serve other people, do some good for other people, and then you’ll find your life gets better. If you’re only thinking of yourself and being self-absorbed like that, nothing good will come of it.
Victor Fuhrman: Words to live by – The Message From Home, Where Everyone is Welcome: Poems and Songs Inspired by American Immigrants.
Listen to more of Victor Fuhrman’s incredible interviews on Destination Unlimited, every Wednesday at 8:00 PM on OMTimes Radio.
