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March 21, 2010 | Revealing The Dark Side
My meditation for this morning could not have been more appropriate. After posting my thoughts about my current financial situation the night before, a family member who had been following my journey on a daily basis became so upset by what I had written that she contacted her father, my brother, and within minutes had most of my family logged into my site and reading my journal.
Panic swept across my family, and suddenly everyone had the impression that I was stuck out in the middle of the desert, stranded with little money and writing messages to my dead mother in the sand, asking her to send money so I could get home.
Meanwhile, I was chatting online with a guy from San Antonio who had stumbled across my profile and took it upon himself to say, “Good Morning!” He had sent me an instant message to say hello, and before I knew it, the two of us were chatting. And then out of nowhere, this fellow asked me to join him for breakfast tacos at a famous taco shop in San Antonio. Since I was undecided about my day, I jumped at his invitation.
I gladly checked out of my motel, hurried across town and made it to the taco shop by 11:08. I parked my truck, walked across the parking lot towards the line that had formed outside of the restaurant, and discovered Taylor patiently waiting for my arrival. We then began a conversation that seemed to appear to others that we had been friends for years.
Taylor and I spent the next hour or so getting to know each other. I shared with him details about my journey and the events leading up to it, while he shared with me details about his life in San Antonio. The conversation flowed very smoothly between the two of us as if we had known each other for quite some time. I had to remind myself that we were complete strangers.
As our lunch was about to come to an end, Taylor asked me what my plans were for the day. When I told him that I desperately needed to do several loads of laundry and that I needed to get my oil changed in my truck, he politely reminded me that it was Sunday and nothing was open. I had spent the entire morning thinking it was Monday.
Taylor then invited me to his home to use his washer and dryer and because I felt so comfortable around him, I took him up on his offer and followed him to his house. Suddenly my journey was headed in a completely different direction.
The first thing I noticed about Taylor’s home, the moment I walked in the door, was his refrigerator. Having been an “Act Up” member for many years in the 80’s and 90s, Taylor had covered his fridge with various magnets and photos from the past. I loved it.
As he continued to take me on a tour of his home, I was utterly amazed at the number of movie posters hanging in every room. He had everything from Annie Hall, to Evita, A Beautiful Mind, Brokeback Mountain, The Lion King, and Places in the Heart. But it wasn’t until he showed me his movie/DVD collection that my jaw dropped to the floor. Being a massive fan of film myself, I stood in complete awe of his collection.
After discovering that we had the same taste in movies, I knew we had a lot in common. I interrupted our tour, however, and asked Taylor if it would be okay if I started my laundry. While my clothes were washing, I asked him if he wanted a card reading. Since he had never had one before, he jumped at the offer, and we sat down and did a reading at his kitchen table.
I ran our compatibility chart first. I wanted to get a glimpse into the energy surrounding our meeting. After reviewing our chart could see that we were very compatible. I then proceeded to do a reading for Taylor, which went on for about thirty minutes.
Our reading and my laundry finished at the same time. I took a moment to hang up all of my clothes and then Taylor took me downtown for a stroll through one of his favorite neighborhoods. The houses were magnificent.
Our walk continued to San Antonio’s famous River Walk district, where we grabbed a bite to eat. It was a beautiful, sunny day in San Antonio and the trees and flowers were beginning to bud.
After lunch, Taylor and I made our way back to his car and began our drive back to his house. David Gray and Annie Lennox sang “Full Steam” on the car stereo.
Later that evening we attended a dessert sampling at a local food show that was being held by one of his close friends. After filling up with various sweets and chocolates, we left the food show and returned to Taylor’s house abuzz from all of the sugar. It was 9:00 PM. Taylor then offered me his spare bedroom for the night, which I gladly accepted.
He then told me that he was going to call in sick the next day so he could spend some time with me. I got excited and was very grateful for his hospitality. I looked forward to a good night’s sleep and the following day together.
After we both watched a concert on his home entertainment center, I decided to check my email messages before going to bed. I logged onto my computer at 12:35 AM. That’s when I discovered several urgent phone messages from my sister and a couple of email messages from my niece and nephew.
My niece had sent the following email: “My phone was beeping dead last night, and I didn’t get home till later. I’m sure we will be in touch today. Anyway, no uncle of mine is going to be homeless in the back of his truck in Portland. Come home! It may not be the most fab place on earth, but it will be fine while you get back on your feet. Stay long enough to save money and look for work. I’m not saying root yourself here. But it will have food and a warm bed with people that love you. So…COME THE FCUK HOME!!! At least for the summer. Sweat your ass off with the rest of us!!! I love you!”
And then her brother, my nephew, surprised me with the following message: “You know a journey isn’t necessarily measured in miles. I have lived in this county my whole life, on this road for 23 years, and in this house for 14. I have been with the same woman for 11 years, and I am 32. You know I feel like my journey has been pretty damn rich. That being said coming home to share in the journeys of brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews could be a fulfilling journey in itself. For it to be so, I think it is a journey that has to be embarked upon voluntarily and also without somewhere else to be in 5 minutes, or sometimes 5 hours, or sometimes five months. Remember the stuff we used to do when I was a little kid? I would love nothing more than for my children to have memories like that of you when they are 32. Anyway, we all want you home but only in your own time. Haven’t traveled very far on my journey but what a long strange trip it’s been!”
Touched by all of the phone calls and emails, I went to bed feeling missed and loved by my family. After receiving the messages, I knew I had to eventually make my way back to North Carolina to visit my family. Portland, Oregon would have to wait.
Before falling asleep, I expressed my gratitude to my spirit guides, angels and teachers for all of the messages from the day, and for bringing Taylor into my life and giving me a safe place to stay. The trip from Tucson to San Antonio had put me to the test. I truly needed a break from the road, and Taylor’s place was perfect.