The Dalai Lama? The last time I ran into him he was getting out of a show-room new, pure white, Rolls Royce. I had not seen him for years and that was back in India. I wondered what he was doing in Washington. I really enjoy hearing his little laugh, so I said a few things to prompt his giggle. "Glad you didn't leave Tibet empty handed...." I said, as I touched his high-dollar automobile. Then the rub; " it makes me think of all the hungry peasants still living about Lhasa...."

I wanted him to come by my hotel. I had recently removed an ancient "Tibetan Ceremonial Robe," that I keep safe in a bank vault. I needed the damn thing dated. I bought it a long time back from a Tibetan Lama who must have been 110 years old. The bargaining over the price took about a month and before that he had refrained from even showing me the robe. He had tried to pass other antiques off on me. The robe he held under lock and key in a small trunk wrapped in red silk. There were at least two weeks of back and forth BS before he showed the real goods. It may have been a mere trust issue. To this day I don't know. I bought it and carried it back to the USA along with some other items. The old Lama demanded payment in US Dollars, he had no interest in local currency. And, before you say or think naughty things about me; this all took place long before the "antiquities law" had kicked-in.

The robe is beautiful. It is made of an unusual golden- yellow silk, with intricate motives woven into it with silver and gold thread. The liner is newer; obviously replaced at least once and probably several times. I had taken it the day before to the Freer Gallery in D.C. to our national experts on those things "Asian." I caught their eyes lighting up as I removed it from the caribou skin bag I carried it in. I wanted a date from them, the experts. I gave them the provenance and the little history I had. They were like all excited, like children on the night before Christmas. They could not date the damn thing, except to say that it was very very old. Hum.....They did say that it was a "ceremonial robe" and something that should never have left a monastery. Sure, I had wondered about the ancient Lama who sold it. Was this dude on the up and up? Was he some bad guy dressed in robes to fool me? I stopped thinking that when in the six weeks of doing business many lamas had stopped by his home and laid apples and other items at his feet, a sign of respect. Others had prostrated themselves before him. My Tibetan was poor at that time.

The Freer experts went on to say that it was a robe that had been worn on "special religious occasions" by either a Dalia Lama or a Panchen Lama. I thought perhaps during one of their astral-traveling parties....greasy tea and BBQ Yak. They could not give me a year or even a century. They did ask if I would like to donate it to the gallery. I knew that the Smithsonian and for that matter the top floor of our Department of State keep more stuff in their stacks, the basement, than we, the common people, will ever see. As I recall, it is the ninth floor of the State Department where the goodies are. The entire floor is a ware house of art and antiques; most of it labeled. A chair, " a gift to Thomas Jefferson from the queen of...." A desk to Ben Franklin; amazing stuff, art all over the walls by the great masters. I did read last year that the Vice President and his wife had been loaned, by the State Department, a Hepplewhite dining room table and a bunch of matching "Shield-Back"chairs for their home. Nice that it is being used. Anyway, I asked what they would give me for the robe. "Donate," they said and I would get a little plaque with my name on it as a gift from me to them or the American people. No go Joe, you may display it for a time and it will end up in your basement until you decide to roll another exhibit around. I thanked them and walked to my favorite DC bar, a block from the White House.

The folks at Sotherbys and that other big auction house have expressed an interest. They have qualified their remarks by saying that."in this economy, world-wide, prices realized are not what they once were.." In my travels around America I have met some really good people. People who do great things and ask for nothing in return. They don't care if they win a Nobel Prize, make the CNN Top Ten, or get some medal from the President. Many of these groups carry a heavy load and do their good deeds without any recognition from the public.

At my age my needs are few. I pay my taxes, buy heating oil, and eat. Even with keeping all things simple, growing my own vegetables and canning most, the price of food has grown to be a burden. I wonder how the average family of five in America is able to eat. How in this world...? Yesterday, at the grocery store, they were asking 88 cents for a single orange. A dozen eggs are over 2 bucks. I worry about the elderly widow and how she is able to keep warm. Heating oil is more than gasoline, much more, at close to $4.00 a gallon. I don't need to go on, you too live with this.

My intention is to sell this robe and give the money to people who work to save the lives and hearts of American children. I have read that there is a Hollywooder who is a Tibetan Buddhist. His name is Richard Gere. I would like to offer this robe to him for sale at 1.5 million. I do not know how to reach him. Please someone send me his email address. They say he is paid 20 million dollars for every movie he makes. Relatively speaking I am asking a small sum for a museum quality, very rare item.

The money will go to Focus Adolescent Services, Focusas.com. They save the lives of American children and have for 2 decades. There are many things I respect about them. They refuse to register as a non-profit, a 501c. I was told by them that that the non-profits, as they pay no taxes, are really bottom line, subsidized by we the people; the tax-payers. I also find their demographic to be very different from most. They say they are helping the children from our middle to upper middle class. That is just the way it has worked out. They do not pay their staff high salaries, many donate their time. They seem to be able to squeeze a nickel and do. If you can help me in selling this robe I would like to send them money and perhaps, "Wounded Warrior," and maybe "Free Tibet." In the mean time perhaps you may want to send them or paypal them a dollar or two. They depend on the goodness of people to run their free national or world-wide help line.