“I thought you would get more out of it this way.” Michael placed his hand into mine. “Hey, it’s your birthday! I never pay much attention to my birthdays anymore. That’s probably why I forgot yours.”
We arrived in Santa Barbara where Michael was staying. He unloaded my luggage, while I walked up the orange tile steps that lead to a Spanish-style home. The house was very close to Miramar Beach and I could hear the sound of the waves in the background. “The backyard has a great garden too,” said Michael.
“How did you find this wonderful place?”
“That’s the way life goes for me,” said Michael. “You send out the thought of what you want and let the Universe take care of the rest.”
After settling into what would be my home for the week, Michael took me on a tour of downtown Santa Barbara. The white stucco buildings with red brick roofs gave the town the flair of a Spanish village. “It’s very beautiful here,” I sighed while taking in the sights.
We went into a Japanese restaurant where Michael’s friend Tony was waiting for us. “Thank goodness you’re here,” said Tony. “I’m just starving and I was about to start without you.”
“The food here is great,” said Michael. He suggested that we share an entree filled with a variety of seafood. “I hope you know that sushi is raw fish.”
“Really?” I asked with disbelief. “If you can stomach the stuff, then so can I.” My trip was definitely going to be one of new experiences.
“There are wonderful places to explore around Santa Barbara. You will have to stop by my crystal shop too,” said Tony. He owned a store that carried quartz crystals from all over the world.
The waitress brought our soup and a plate full of raw seafood. My stomach began to churn with disgust, as I saw what resembled a few pieces of thinly sliced fish from the supermarket meat section. Prawns, squid and red snapper looked different when cooked!
“Go ahead and try one,” Michael prodded with a grin. “It’s good with a little horseradish.”
Reluctantly, I popped a prawn into my mouth. “It’s good!” I said in amazement. The three of us greedily devoured our meal without any misgivings about the fact we were eating raw fish.
We drove back to Miramar around midnight. Before retiring for the night, I decided to take a shower. It had been a long day, and I was tired. The warm water felt marvelous as it rolled down my body.
Michael was in the living room sitting in front of the fireplace. “Where would you like me to sleep?” I asked as I towel dried my hair.
“You can sleep in my room.” These words brought a ray of hope. I wondered if Michael would remember what I had asked months previously.
Silence filled the house as I waited for what seemed like an endless period of time. Michael finally climbed into bed and he snuggled very close to me. Michael had remembered my request. My past relationships with men had been traumatic experiences. Michael understood my fears and he respected them. He became the first man that I could trust completely.
The next morning, Michael and I went for a drive into the hills where a Buddhist temple was located. The view of the surrounding area was absolutely stunning. The countryside was green and alive with vibrant rainbow color. Mountains stretched across the horizon behind the temple and the ocean lay before us, way down below.
As we viewed this gorgeous scene that surrounded us, I felt an incredible unity with Michael. For a brief moment, I lost myself in Michael’s soul and it felt like I became him. It was a feeling beyond the description of words or my understanding. A strange look came over Michael’s face. I wondered if he had also experienced the unusual connection. “What are you thinking about?” asked Michael.
“Nothing really,” I replied, avoiding the question. I still wondered what had taken place.
Michael stretched his arms above his head. “I was planning on doing some type of exercise every day when I first arrived here. I haven’t found the motivation to do it yet,” said Michael as he watched a woman running down a path.
“The key is discipline,” I said. “But when I force myself to do something, the result is frustration. I want things to happen easily and naturally.”
“All we really have to do is stop believing that our goals are difficult to achieve,” said Michael.
“That makes sense.” However, was it that easy? A balance was needed between discipline and spontaneity.
“Children’s lives are about play and cherishing the simple joys of life. Adults need to learn from this example and take more time for things like this.” Michael sat on a wide railing, and swung his legs back and forth like a five-year-old.
“I want to spend more time having fun, but fears seem to get in the way. A few weeks ago, I went through a phase of being afraid to leave the house. That’s never happened to me before.”
“I went through the same thing a few weeks ago,” said Michael.
“You mean we were experiencing the same fear at the same time?” I asked.
“That’s interesting,” said Michael.
I looked out across the water and sighed. “Why can’t life be this much fun all the time?”
“It can be, Wendy. It can be.”
We entered the doors to the temple and quietly took a seat near the back. A woman was at the altar doing a ceremony. We watched closely as she completed the ancient ritual. The altar was finished in gold and was very elaborate in comparison to the simplicity of the room.
Silence and peace permeated the space, allowing me to hear my heart beat. Energy began to move up my spine at an amazing rate. I wondered why I felt this energy with such intensity when I was near Michael.
I closed my eyes and began to visualize a white light surrounding my body. There were books written about people with cancer helping themselves through visualization techniques. A temple seemed like a good place to do a meditation for healing.
My thoughts began to drift as I pondered over life’s mysteries. I wanted to know more about God, not from a doctrine point of view, but from the knowledge that was within me. It was my belief that the different religions had the same basic message of love. Love was the key to all knowledge and harmony. It saddened me when people separated themselves from others because their beliefs were not the same.
Beside the temple, there was a quaint little bookstore where the smell of sandalwood incense filled the air. “These books are about Eastern philosophy and reincarnation,” said Michael. Reincarnation was the belief that we have lived many previous lives for experience and learning.
“Do you think I have known you in another life?” I asked curiously.
“Probably,” said Michael as he glanced at his watch. It seemed like he was avoiding another one of my questions. “I told Tony that we would stop by this afternoon. Is that alright with you?”
“Sure. As long as I have time to eat dinner before Sage.”
Tony was in the kitchen standing on a ladder when we arrived. “You two can help me paint,” said Tony.
“I don’t have time,” said Michael, to my relief.
“Oh, sure you do,” insisted Tony.
“We have to pick up some groceries for dinner and then I’m dropping Wendy off at the community center. It’s the first night of Sage,” said Michael. These words made my muscles tighten.
“I’m going to a seminar in San Francisco next weekend. You should do it too,” said Tony as he looked at me. “Dan Millman will be a guest speaker.” I was interested in seeing this author because I had talked to him on the phone. There were