n the early 80's I was volunteering with The Cascade AIDS Project in Portland, Oregon. In one of our trainings, Shanti Volunteers flew up from San Francisco and trained us on Active Listening skills and in how to meet people where people are at rather than bring our agenda in and try to fix, talk, or judge. The Shanti part of the training was so powerful and useful that almost 20 years later I carry those lessons with me. To go even further, I've been trained and trained and trained over the decades and Shanti's training still is the most long living and most useful training I've ever had.   Currently, I'm a facilitator for a Gay Men's spiritual organization and our goal is to ease suffering and create connection to oneself and to one's community. I must say that my strongest skills in helping others are those skills taught to me by Shanti. The ability just to be with people stripped of all our social egos, expectations, desires, etc. and to be able to connect human to human is what Shanti taught me.   I say that I'm a friend for life and Shanti taught me how to sit in silence at many bedsides of my friends, when prior I would have ran from death. When it's my time to go, I trust that there will be Shanti love around me to ease me into my leaving this world, but more importantly, I have Shanti love around me to keep reminding me to live life and love full out.   My thanks go to those many trainers, volunteers, and staff members who have provided openings to greater connection and more fully expressed love.   Finally, I believe that the G/L/B/T community came together like no other community in history to confront AIDS. Our efforts were monumental and were a beacon to the rest of the world of how love can transcend the worst of times. Shanti was a major component in showing the world that we can care for each other, build lasting relationships, and change the way we view life and death.   —David Gutierrez       CONTACT THIS CONTRIBUTOR