We asked for gratitude posts to be submitted about Bishop, California. We’d love to spotlight this post “A Healing Space” by Jennifer Wong. We’re grateful for our guests and love to share their stories.
A Healing Space
By Jennifer Wong
Although I was raised and continue to live in Southern California, Bishop and the Eastern Sierras have been my place of peace and beauty for half a century. When my Mother’s best friend and her family moved to the Owens Valley in the 1970’s, we had the gift of visiting them every chance available. At seven years old, entering into the valley below the majestic Sierra Nevadas donning their white glacial doilies, I knew I was in love.
The enormity of the monoliths and the enveloping energy only palpable to a youngster not bogged down with the worries of everyday living, penetrated my soul. Luckily, I spent a majority of my childhood romping around the desert, creeks, and rabbit sage looking for lizards and the perfect fishing hole to satisfy my sense of adventure. There were times when I attended the small elementary school with family friends during the winter when the Los Angeles and Owens Valley school districts had overlapping holiday schedules. The small town was very welcoming and kind.
Bishop was the “Big City” of the Valley. This is where the fall school clothes shopping and movie watching happened. Our mom’s would load up the station wagon and we would make the 45 minute drive from Independence to Bishop with excitement of what we could buy with our coveted pocket change. My store of choice sold the best homemade beef jerky around. Today, a visit always includes a stop at Mahogany Smoked Meats where we load up on delicious jerky to share.
As a teenager not old enough to drive, I met a local boy who knew our family friends. On a double date we attended the Bishop movie theatre to see “Weird Science” and later took a dip at Keough Hot Springs. It was in that boys 1981 Chevy Camaro I had my first kiss and my first beer while the fragrance of desert sage drenched my senses and a million stars filled the sky. These rites of passage adventures deepened my love for the land as they held a safe container to my growing need for freedom.
In my mid thirties a sudden health crisis caused me to reevaluate my life and know what was most important. Other than my children and family, it was clear that my connection to Nature became a prominent value I had to explore. My values shifted and a dedication to a life blended with community and nature emerged. An invitation to visit our family friends that lived in the Valley brought me back to Bishop where I was able to heal in good company, nature, and a session with my dear friend, Skandar Reid.
I met Skandar in the early 2000’s at a spiritual conference in Las Vegas where we discovered a common connection to Owens Valley and Bishop California. We became instant friends. His open heart, artistry, connection to nature, and energy healing skills drew me in. When my health took a mysterious dive and the doctors couldn’t figure it out, I consulted and met with Skandar. As a Vibrational Alchemist, he guided me to reset my body and spirit so healing could take root. This jump started a healing journey that weaved me back to my essence and a life of meaning that continues to this day.
In October of 2021, I discovered Skandar had passed away while sipping a latte at the Looney Bean just 24 hours after attending a celebration of life for a loved one who lived in Bishop. My friend was pointing out how the Looney Bean displayed art by local artists. I remarked, “This looks like a place Skandar would share his work.” My friend inquired, “Did you say Skandar?” Feeling excited that she may know him I replied, “Yes, do you know his work?” She pulled out her iphone and began typing. Seconds later with comfort in her eyes, she held up an article and I read the news of his passing. Shocked as tears blurred my vision and a hollow thud hit my heart, I blurted out, “No, No… that can’t be right. I just sent him a message.” Scrambling through my phone to find my last message to him I realized it was sent months prior. Skandar had shared his upcoming walkabout into the desert, but didn’t respond to my final question. Feeling like I had let Skandar down, my knees went weak and I sobbed outside at a table on the sidewalk.
My friend shared information about the memorial held at the C5 Studios gallery where Skandar was deeply connected. Too late to attend the memorial, but desperate to connect with those who knew and loved him, I headed to the studio. The woman behind the counter was friendly and gentle as she witnessed my grief stricken face. Her sharing of his art, community, and storytelling brought me back into a flow with his spirit. My adult daughter and I purchased two of his pieces to hold his legacy and beauty alive.
On our way out of town we visited the sculptures he created at Keough Hot Springs. A short hike along the creek and sage was an invitation by the land and water to hear my cries of grief and blessings of gratitude to know a man of many talents.
To this day Bishop and the Owens Valley have been my home away from home – a place where my body, mind, and spirit rejuvenate and heal. The ancestors of land and place hold parts of me that feel untethered, then stitch me back to wholeness with a breeze or view. In sacred reverence, I have led my daughters and close friends to venture through the wilderness and view the changing colors of the fall in Bishop Creek, Lake Sabrina, South Lake and other spots I’ve been privy to from the locals. My soul always finds its way back to spaces where my heart resides, and one is the beauty and sweetness of Owens Valley and Bishop.
