We have hosted a lot of people at Hampton Terrace.   I know exactly the number, but it is hard to wrap my mind around a figure so large.   The good news is we can only handle about 28 at a time, and most stay for more than a night.   And they hang around the common room fireplaces, our private bar, or at breakfast.    I attempt to get to know our guests personally…..way beyond a superficial introduction, because I always take the attitude that every guest potentially could begin to treat Hampton Terrace as a home-away-from-home…and many do.

One who did is Mick Quinn.    Easy to know, and sporting a think Irish brogue, Mick’s latest book, "The Uncommon Path" has become the #1 seller on Amazon.com, in the category of consciousness and thought.    Mick does not preach religion, let’s make it clear, his message is one of self fulfillment and personal growth.    I just spent a lot of time clicking around his website, and I have to tell you, I am planning to order this book.   It received a 5 out ot 5 rating from Amazon readers, and earned press incredibly elusive for books serving this niche:   features in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN, and hundreds of similar articles, radio and television exposures.     Not your average tome spending its life in the spiritual rack at Barnes & Noble.

Mick came back on my radar just this morning when he posted an entry on my Hampton Terrace Facebook wall.    Just asking how things were going.   Said he saw a recent blog of mine, floating out there somewhere, and wanted to say hi.    It is not like we are out of touch.   I get his e-mail newsletters and he gets mine.   He always presses "reply" to see how we are doing.

Mick spent several weeks here at one point while writing one of this books.   He had already been here several times…but out of the blue he contacted me and asked if he could camp in one of our rooms in the back for a period of time to work without distraction.  Of course, I agreed.   Since then, each message from Mick has been from a different locale….New Jersey, Portugal, Spain, Utah….    He married a girl from Spain.

Living in the Berkshires, and knowing many of the people who are associated with Kripalu, I am not unfamiliar with spiritual people or their messages (which are personal, therefore always diverse).   Mick’s message comes from a different background, probably explaining why it is resonating with so many people.    Highly educated (a degree from Columbia), Mick founded two successful technology companies in the 1990s…the kind of companies who are sold to larger enterprises for their intellectual property.    So unlike many people who are seeking a personal identity through spiritual self evaluation, Mick’s identity was quite defined, as was his lifestyle.   But he felt deeply that there should be more to existence than that which he had found.    So gleaning from his reviews, it seems his approach is practical and results-oriented, and his writing style concise.     If the book is as efficient and navigable as his website, it seems clear that Mick wants to make sure that the reader is not wasting valuable time.

I met Mick ten years ago, right at the point when he was transitioning away from daily office duties   Fortunate timing, because his company was located on the 79th floor of the World Trade Center..   We also were in a transition.    My former employer had just left the Berkshires, and I was looking for a reason to stay in the area.   One of my former co-workers had something in the works, which attracted both Mick and me.   Ultimately, that project did not materialize, but a friendship  with Mick did.      He was a witness to our early progress here at Hampton Terrace, and even sent his brother here for a series of stays.

So I chose to write about my friend Mick Quinn, not to laud his success as an author or life teacher, but to offer a toast to his future success.    Good work, Mick.    I am looking forward to seeing you again.