Yesterday, I decided to listen to some music on the internet. I like a variety of genres, from opera, classical, trance, to oldies, raggea, etc.....but yesterday, I just wanted something soothing, like an ambient instrumental sound. I came across Sky.fm. The sounds evoked in me a spirit of total acceptance of others, a complete unconditional love, a fearless desire to reach out knowing that not even my enemies could hurt me, for perfect love casts away all fear. It was quite a powerful yet peaceful feeling. It felt so right, so centered, so innate. My mind connected to a higher form of love and I longed to be home again with beings who love like this. I know God is Love, and this is most likely the kind of Love he feels for all of His children, wayward, or good.
What unfolded next was an outreach on my part. I began emailing people I hadn't written for a long time, or people who had slighted me, and asked them "what is new with you?". Nothing more. Within minutes I started receiving replies. One reply came from Erika Erwin, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest professional model in the world. She stands at 6' 8" without shoes. We had met in a gym back in 2006. She is also featured on the back cover of my book. She replied with an invitation to a party that evening. She is flying to Toronto next week to start shooting a TV program she will be starring in for the next six months. This is her debut in showbiz. She also goes by Amazon Eve. The party was being held at the Culver City Hotel, a short walk from where I live, and close to Sony Studios. I learned that morning from someone that the little people who played in the Wizard of Oz stayed in it for a whole year. I had also promised her an autographed copy of my book, 93 Things We Learned From Our Last Eleven Marriages.
We were delighted to see each other again.
That's us last night.
Now comes, the chain reaction. I met her assistant Chantelle at the party. At first, there was no immediate resonance, no sparks were flying. She would be about the same age as my oldest daughter.
In my book, 93 Things, the sine qua non of a solid foundation is getting to know a person by asking questions. Chantelle asked me a lot of questions, and she listened without interjecting her own stories. She is a single mother of a 2-year old girl, loves opera as I do (I can sing five arias -- self-taught), and she understands the complex dynamics of relationships, the difference between dysfunctional and whole. She is artistic, sensitive, low-key, and clearly a Giver.
Who else was at the party? Well, Erika's CFO, some of her friends, a screenwriter, and her boyfriend.
You should have seen their reaction when they asked me what I would like to drink. I explained that on that particular day I had already started a "fast" for the next 24 hours, and that meant no liquids or food. Chantelle was the first to enquire: and what path are you on? My reply: I am a Latter-Day Saint, also known as a Mormon.
Here is the rest of the gang. We have a saying in our Church: be in the world, but not part of the world. In other words, distinguish yourself by your actions. I think this picture captures the essence of this:
The Church is more of a hospital than a retirement home. I've said this before. As members of the Church we are encouraged to bring others to Christ, who will heal them of their afflictions. How can a doctor be of any value if he is not willing to go where he is needed most?
Meeting Chantelle was an exceptional experience.
And this is what desiring to listen to soothing music produced today.
Earlier that day, I had attended a church beach pic-nic. I met a gentleman who had been in 10 car accidents, all of them rear-end collisions. He's had ten bones broken in his body, some several times. He thinks he has an invisible bull's-eye on the back of his car.
We joked about it.
I told him that in our pre-existence we each had opted for various trials to test us, and as he went down his checklist, he had opted for car accidents. I, on the other hand, skipped wars, car accidents, famines, and opted for five marriages.
8R89X4ERDG5V
I wish for you a happy ending
ReplyDelete