Love on Ottomatic

OOOTTTOOO!!!

Otto is a force of nature. He is loyal, stubborn and caring . He’s been on my mind and in my heart – a lot. This weekend is an anniversary to the people that he’s affected and the lives that he changed. Memorial Day weekend is perfect since it’s been a mission for Otto to remind the people he touches to be aware that there’s more one can do.

I’ve dismissed that sometimes and he’s always been there to remind me not to be selfish and that there are actions we can take.

GIVE THANKS! to the people that protect us, that give us strength and the fortitude to continue to help others.

We each have our Otto stories and experiences that we can recite to remind ourselves and others to be our best. One thing that I’ve taken since knowing him is that we should all make a difference.

No excuses.

Thanks for kicking my ass again Otto.

Much love and respect and thank you for being you.

Let’s spark one for the big guy!

Dae Han

Holiday Greetings

In a tribute to Otto, I want to recruit you to my lending team, Team OPS, on Kiva, a non-profit website that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in the developing world. You choose who to lend to – whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq – and as they repay the loan, you get your money back.

If you join my lending team, we can work together to alleviate poverty. Once you’re a part of the team, you can choose to have a future loan on Kiva “count” towards our team’s impact. The loan is still yours, and repayments still come to you – but you can also choose to have the loan show up in our team’s collective portfolio, so our team’s overall impact will grow!

Check out the Team OPS lending team, and learn more about lending teams on Kiva in general, by clicking here: http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=2893&_isc=7e4029fe-1e83-102c-a1af-72907bb92db6.

Thanks,
Lita Tabish

A day at Machu Picchu

We had a beautiful moment celebrating Otto in various ways.  Each of us saying what we needed to say and using music to go deep into the feeling. Cy, I love you man! Shannon, you mean so much to so many.  Thank you for all you’ve done.

Team Otto, please take a moment to reflect upon how you said goodbye to Otto.  In fact take two moments. Think back to how you met Otto and the time you laughed the most. He touched everyone in a very different way.  Give Thanks!

Our day on Machu Piccu with Otto is posted here. Click to read the posting.

Derrick and I arrived yesterday with no real snags. We prolly could have done a bit more research on hotels and neighborhoods.  We stayed in Central Lima at a $350 per night room set in the middle of a horribly impoverished area.  Protest marches have left the streets covered in rubble and it is clearly not a safe place for Westerners at night.  The Sheraton bar will have to do.  Good thing too because a walking the city and visiting several museums has left us wiped.

One major stop was to the Church of Santo Domingo where we learned about Saint Martin de Porres. He was the first black saint in the Catholic Church.  Canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII, perhaps this is a good sign of change.  Barack Obama is gonna need all the help he can get! I’ve attached a photo of de Porres holding a broom. My initial reaction was “We get a black Saint and he’s the MF’n janitor?!?!?!” Born the illegitimate son of a Spanish Nobleman and a former slave from Panama, de Porres was the patron saint of mixed races. Gobama! So pious was he that once when his order was strapped for cash he had asked them to sell him into slavery. He was known for taking in the injured and ill. Often being reprimanded for offering his own room to strangers in need of medical attention. Starting hospitals in Peru, his miracles included spontaneous remission for many sick people. Give Thanks! I dropped one of Otto’s cards into a chamber holding a holy relic from de Porres and it landed face up.

The real work is being completed by James Chippendale and Shannon Foley.  They are meeting with health and travel officials to finalize a plan to help educate the countryside.  Doctors in rural communities are unaware of the free treatment options available in Lima.  I hate to think how many people have gone untreated unnecessarily. Lots of work to be done.

We look forward to hanging with the crew tomorrow night in Miraflores.  See the www.Peruocks.org site for more photos and details of today.

FOLLOW THE PERU ROCKS JOURNEY!
WWW.PERUROCKS.ORG

STARTING OCTOBER 6, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE PERU ROCKS TEAM AS WE EMBARK UPON OUR 10 DAY JOURNEY TO MACHU PICCHU.

1. Send us messages that we will receive on the trail.
   
2. Watch podcasts of incredible acoustic performances by Fastball, Nick Harper and members of The Fixx and Alarm.
   
3. Read daily journals from our cancer survivors and supporters.
4. View photos by photographer Gary Noel.
5. Join us as we pay tribute to Otto Schutt, one of our team members whom we lost to cancer in May. As promised, Ottos best friend, nephew and travel buddy will finish out his “victory walk” by carrying his ashes up the Inca Trail.
6. Celebrate with survivors like Tracey Callahan. Tracey was told she had no chance of surviving 5 years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Tracey is celebrating her 5th year since diagnoses by hiking with LHS.
   
7. Send someone with us in spirit by donating to the Love Hope Strength Foundation and adding their name to a prayer flag that we will carry with us. See Below for more info.
   

These are just a few of the many incredible moments and people this journey with celebrate. In conjunction with the amazing women of ALINEN, LHS will bring awareness and financial support to INEN, the main cancer center in Peru.

Give Thanks for your support!!!

http://www.perurocks.org/trekkers/lee-williams/

I remember the days following Otto’s journey into the universe… the sky was bluer, the clouds were fluffier, everything had more vibrance. I am in Sonoma right now and the sky looks as it did then. He is including us in his celebration of no more birthdays!!! Now he’s ageless and infinite.

LOVE YOU OTTO! Thank you for spreading your energy to everything!
If Otto touched you, take a moment to go outside and take a big deep breath of Otto LOVE! And then say GIVE THANKS!

xoxoxoxoxox
Gayle

Sharon Held is a beautiful spirit who became part of Otto’s life many years ago on one of those random Gabe, Dex and Otto nights. She was an instant addition to the family even though she moved to NYC shortly after meeting. She is pictured here making Otto some art in the Central Park a short time ago (Her son Vandon is hiding behind it). Diagnosed with cancer (Leukemia) 6 months ago, she was inspirational and inspired by Otto in their joint battle. Sadly we lost her this week and she will be deeply missed. Sharon always emanted positive energy and constant smiles as she moved through life. She handled her disease with dignity and grace and we are sad at how quickly it took her.

” Sharon meant a lot to me not only as a friend, but as a mom and a woman that embraced life, family & career”. – Sue Igoe.

Remembrance Gathering for Sharon Held

Saturday, August 9, 2008

3pm to 5pm

St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery

131 E. 10th St.

New York, NY 10003

(2nd Ave and 10th Street)

Kenny Ray Scallon

kennyray1@earthlink.net

212 729 3528

Please come together to remember and celebrate the life of Sharon Held with her Family and Friends.

This week gave us a chance to GIVE THANKS as well. I visited a friend Katrina Veerman on Monday. She had emergency surgery to remove cancer that was attacking her colon. I was a bit overwhelmed being back in the hospital under all too familure circumstances. Her infectious smile put me at ease as I presented her with a FUCK CANCER hat. I got a chance to visit with her mom and hang out for a bit but I really had trouble seeing her as having cancer. I jumped up and down and screamed GIVE THANKS when Pathology came back later in the day declaring her CANCER FREE! I am so thankful that the cancer chapter is behind her and she can go back to demonstrating how to live a dynamic and meaningful life. She starts her new job in renewable energy as soon as she heals. Give Thanks! BTW, I want the hat back!

I noticed something while reading Lee’s message, and Otto’s email (which made my eyes teary as well).  The words GIVE THANKS LIFE,  YOU ROCK IT!  were bold, and it struck me that gratitude was very very Otto.  he was always giving thanks and I loved that about him.  it’s something we can all use a little more of in out intention.

And so I am offering 2 limited edition bumper stickers, (see the attached document) for $5, with all proceeds to go to brother Lee’s effort to reach Macchu Picchu.  I hope to raise $500.00.  SO please spread the word, and send me an email if you’d like one (or 2 or 3), indicating if you want version #1 or #2.

amy8lam @ hotmail dot com

With love and thanks for all of you,
Amy

As some of you know Otto had planned to beat this cancer thing and make a victory lap around Machu Picchu in Peru. We agreed he was going even if I had to carry him. This was something he could look forward to while staring out his hospital room window waiting for another surgery on his liver (the 3rd or 4th). Below is from the last email he ever wrote me.

I want to be diligent about protecting the original vision and intention of this journey. For me that is to GIVE THANKS for all that have helped me along this path so far, to increase my own sense of what is possible to accomplish regardless of where/when you are in LIFE and to walk with trail with YOU…so far this journey has had so much metaphor…it’s time we sweat it out and make the journey with our flesh and bones, blood and sweat, I want to reach the top of that rock with YOU and then fuggin’ ROCK IT!

Guess I shouldn’t have added that because now the tears in my eyes aren’t helping me type this. I am keeping my promise and making that journey with Otto. My flesh and bones, blood, and sweat will be carrying Otto’s ashes along with his nephew Derrick. We are linked up with an amazing organization called Love Hope Strength whose mission is to help with cancer screening and treatment in 3rd world countries. To join this team of Rockers and Survivors I must raise $10,000. Your donation is Tax Deductible and all of it goes to support the foundation. I am responsible for the $3,500 in travel cost on my own.

I cannot do this without your help and am humbly grateful for all who can contribute (if not financially, please support me in your thoughts). Otto and I spent a lot of time thanking people who didn’t even know him who send well wishes and money in his time of need. I will never stop being amazed by the community of which we are all a part. Give Thanks! Please forward to others who may like to help.

Click Here for more details on how you can help. http://www.perurocks.org/trekkers/lee-williams/

Thank you for making this possible.

Much Love,
Lee