The mid-August morning was exquisite. The mountains were clear, the dawn’s early light creating subtle red on the horizon. I had just put the diesel nozzle into my car’s fuel tank and started the pump when a scarlet Harley Davidson glided into the island beside me. I watched intently as a woman swung her leg off the motorcycle, gently letting the machine lean onto its side stand. She smiled at me, improving an already grand morning. With a deft motion, she removed her helmet and a mane of beautiful, gray hair cascaded around her shoulders. As she turned away from me to remove the gas cap, I could not help but notice how well she wore her leathers, tucked firmly into knee-high black boots. I pretended not to stare, but she knew I was watching. Cocking her head back towards me, she said, “You like this bike, don’t you?”
“It is a stunning motorcycle and you complete the picture.”
“Thank you,” she said, with a broad smile. “It is going to be a beautiful day and I am off
to enjoy it to the fullest,” she said, carefully putting the gasoline nozzle into the spotless,
shining gas tank.
My diesel pump had cut off moments before and she noticed. “You don’t seem to be in
a hurry,” she said, with a grin.
“As a matter of fact, I am running a bit late and need to get going. But, I’m very glad I was here when you rolled in,” I said, attempting to be as suave as possible. “Being here when you came in will brighten the rest of today for me.”
“You work all the time, don’t you?” she commented as if she knew.
“It seems like it. But I’m paying for my choices in life and actually I’m very fortunate.”
Making a move towards my car and preparing to say goodbye to her, she turned directly towards me and said, “Today, buy stock in American Flag and Emblem Co., Inc.. You will be very glad you did.”
The comment felt like an order. She was putting the nozzle back and turning away from
me to her bike.
I asked, “Why should I do that?”
Looking over her right shoulder, her great hair falling over her face just a bit, she said, “Just do it. If you don’t, you will regret it. See you soon again, I’m sure.”
With that, she pulled on her scarlet, black and gold helmet, swung a streamlined booted leg over the bike, straddling it like a pro. I wished for my camera. She was certainly a picture. The Harley kicked over and I was left with my mouth open. Not a becoming sight, I was an aging man with a drab Mercedes 300TD station wagon, dressed in a shirt and tie for a day in an office, and this captivating vision was off on her scarlet Harley, leaving me behind shoe throbbing exhaust pipes as she left the
station. I think she gave me a slight wave with her left hand.
***
Timing is everything! Katherine and I have learned that again this year. We are so blessed and
much of it, in reflection, has to do with timing. I won’t go into the details, except to tell you we
are very fortunate. Especially, looking around at the world scene, the hopeless war in the
Middle East, the miserable and endless situations wherever one looks, Katherine and I seem to
be bathing in some kind of golden light.
Meeting the biker woman that morning was the first of three meetings with her. That
first event was the third week in August, 2001. I got to my office and called my stock broker,
who manages my small retirement fund, a SEP/IRA, and I told him to by American Flag and
Emblem, Inc., which was selling in July for $8.50 per share. Just taking a chance, feeling lucky
after meeting Ms. Harley, I bought five-hundred shares. The stock broker asked why I would do
such a thing. He said, “There’s nothing remarkable about how this company has been doing.”
But, going on what she had told me, I went ahead with the order.
Because of the dreadful events since September, I am embarrassed to write, buying this
stock when I did made all kinds of things possible in the last couple of months. After the tragic
and traumatic catastrophe of the 11th of September, known as the “9/11 Event,” the American
Flag and Emblem Co., Inc. (www.amflagem.org) has gone crazy. The orders for American flags,
bumper stickers, lapel flag pins, and other patriotic items made by this company pushed the
stock up to $750.00 per share. So, Katherine and I cashed out in late October at that amount,
having realized a profit of $370,750.00. Of course, there are taxes out of that. But, you all will
rejoice with us on our good fortune. I owe a great deal to that woman on the Harley Davidson.
I also wonder if her insider tip was legal. I guess I’ll never know. And there is more to this story.
***
I was at West Marine Hardware in Newport in late October, buying fixtures for the
trimaran sailboat I’m building. I could not help but notice a woman with great , gray hair
standing in the paint department of the store. This was the second meeting with Ms. Harley
I could barely wait to tell her what had happened to that stock. Approaching her, feeling
excited and a bit awkward.
She turned to me just as I reached her. She said, “How good it is to see you! I know you are feeling grateful for the advice on that stock, but just think of that as as small return on something you did a long time ago.” I asked, “What was that? I don’t recall having done anything for you or even ever having
met you before. Believe me, if I had met you before our morning at the fuel station, I would never have forgotten you.”
She said, “Oh, you’ve never actually met me. But you did something for which I will be
forever grateful.”
“What was it you think I did?”
“Perhaps I’ll tell you someday, but just take my advice when I give it and some of my
debt to you will be paid,” she said, adding, “You’ve never truly believed in yourself and I can help change that.”
I watched her intense brown eyes, smiling at me. She had a slight tan and her gray
hair framed a beautiful, slender face. She came up to my shoulders and I couldn’t help but wonder how it might feel to give her a hug. Of course, I was thinking of appreciation and affection, being a very happily married man. But , I must be honest. I think a hug would have been very pleasant. She was dressed in faded jeans, with paint splattered on them. Her blouse was tied into a knot just above her slender waist. Her Topsider deck shoes added authenticity to the picture. I was suddenly aware, even though she was looking at the varnish brands, she knew I was studying her.
With a slight twist towards me, she said, “Check your messages when you get home
today. Be sure to return the second call right away. Tell the man who answers you are very interested and will see him as soon as possible. Then, today, put the plan into action that you’ve had in mind for the last six months. You know, the plan about the satellite prayer link.”
“How could you know about that? I’ve not mentioned the idea to anyone,” I said, being
even more perplexed and suddenly a bit wary of this woman before me. In order to dodge my feelings, I asked her an irrelevant question. “What are you painting?”
“I have a thirty-six foot wooden sloop, The Spindrift Two, and she is in need of some
varnish on the hatches and the taff rails.”
Immediately, I was speechless. This woman rode a Harley and now I learn she sails,
having a sloop of her own. She interrupted my spell with, “I became interested in boats because of what I learned about you years ago. That is another good thing that came from our non-meeting so long ago.”
Before I could recover enough to say anything, she had taken a gallon of Sikkens Cetol Marine, West Marine’s most expensive varnish, from the shelf and was walking away from me.
I just stood there and watched her leave. I was on overload, mystified, and could barely recall
what I needed for my sailboat-building project. Moments later, driving from Long Beach to
Claremont, I remembered three things I had failed to buy at West Marine. ‘Oh well. I will use
the catalog,’ I thought.
When I arrived at my office and checked my voice mail, there were two calls. Both were from Citrus Valley Health Partners, offering me the part-time chaplaincy position at the Covina
hospital. I returned the call to Tom M., accepting the position. There were lots of details to work out, but the gracious administrator quickly affirmed we could work out anything I wanted. By now, of course, I have been on the job for some time and it is working well.
Although it involved much more complicated time and energy than I had planned. I had to give up my very pleasurable socilizig with my men friends in Claremont, working half time at the hospital and full time in my private practice. But the spiritual and positive rewards are worth all
the changes and effort.
***
Katherine’s life is very busy, too, as she runs her Estate Assist business, her real estate brokering with Curtis Real Estate, and now, the best thing of all, she is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Gerontology at The University of La Verne. She is burning the midnight oil and getting “A’s” in everything she does.
But what about the second item Ms. Harley, the wooden sloop woman mentioned? She
somehow knew I had been working on my satellite connection business. A couple of my up my very pleasurable socializing with my men friends in Claremont, working half time at the to start it. Now, with some of the profit from the American Flag and Emblem investment, I had all I needed to get this business going. We call it Reflected Glory, Co., Indeed! It is working well. We receive retainers or subscriptions on a sixty-day basis. What I do, being an Episcopal priest, is to put those who subscribe and any message they want on the computer link. The message is beamed to several satellites that send it by triangulation through a complex GPS (Global Positioning System) procedure, and then that same message is beamed exactly to where the person, family, or cause mentioned in the subscriber’s request is living, working, traveling, or happening. For instance, I am now assisting at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Covina. So, I program into my prayer and message the Longitude and Latitude, to the second, to this fine, gracious parish. The Rector is given a computer blessing every day that is beamed via satellite to where she might be. From what I have observed, the system is enhancing her in every way. She reports feeling more effective and confident lately, which are benefits of this Reflected
Glory network.
If you know anyone who wants to be put into the system, just send your prayers and
other requests, which may only be positive in nature, to Reflected Glory Co., Indeed! , to my address, along with a check for $50.00 for the sixty-day subscription, and $20.00 per month to continue. If you are interested in stock in this new company, it should be available in 2002, perhaps by April First. Remember, we take only positive thoughts, requests, and prayers. We will refund your check, if you have a hostile message or ask something negative, e.g., “Please pray for my ex-husband to get severe hiccups or hemoroids.” I will be glad to send references and the high acclamation letters from many satisfied subscribers. Of course, the names and messages are as confidential as computer links allow, but we cannot promise an entirely discrete system. You all know the foibles of computer web connections. Nothing is truly secure on the Internet.
One of the most significant and wonderful results from this system is my sister’s
complete recovery. Dorchen is no longer in any threat, having been given only months to live last year and in hospice care. She is healthy, happy, and just completed a fifty-hour flight in her Cessna 172 with a friend of hers around the United States, visiting relatives, old friends, and her old airport haunts. She even has her driver’s license back and is going to get back her Flight Medical, too. That is the best testimony to the Reflected Glory, Co,, Indeed! prayer and thought transmission system.
***
The last time I met Ms. Harley was at Cable Airport. Walking to the Cessna Joe and I were
going to fly this perfect Sunday afternoon, just two weeks ago, I watched as a Starduster,
painted a stunning scarlet and black, with gold striping, taxied into the Visitor parking area. A
Starduster is a remarkable biplane, fully aerobatic, and tricky to fly. I have flown just a few hours in one, years ago, when John Krueger and I were flying together. (That plane belonged to John and he was a very accomplished aerobatic pilot as well as my original instructor.) The taxied Starduster stopped on the pavement markings and, as the propeller clicked to a stop, I ran to jam the chocks under the gear for the pilot, who was along in the second seat. I looked up at the pilot just in time…you guessed it….to see that lovely gray hair tumble out from under a quaint leather helmet and earphones. She smiled a glorious smile and said, “Fancy meeting you here!”
All I could manage, in my nearly breathless state, was, “You fly, too?”
She climbed down, carefully stepping with her left foot on the peg, her black boot
placed gently against the scarlet fuselage. I wanted to help her, but it was obvious she needed
no help from me or anyone. As she planted her splendid form beside her hot biplane, she grinned at me and said, “Well, you’re getting things worked out, aren’t you? I knew I could count on you. Chris, I’ve always known I could count on you. You should be feeling more confident. You’ll find an e-mail from me when you go on line. I also know you’ll be wondering where I will show up next, but you won’t be seeing me for a while. I’m going to be on a wonderful trip.”
Immediately, I felt some strange sense of loss and then, surprisingly, jealousy. How could
I possibly be jealous? I’m just some strange entity in the psychic life of this extraordinary
woman. The feelings of loss and jealousy informed me I was taking this anima archetype within my deeper self. Suddenly, I realized a clarity as to why everything in my life had been going better of late. Not only all the financial matters, but also the psychological and spiritual dimensions as well.
After sixteen years of marriage, Katherine and I had been getting along wonderfully. We seem to be more of a team. We had weathered my 50-year Citrus Union High School Reunion Committee and it had brought us closer. Lavon, my first wife, shared the committee with us, being one of the key organizers, and that was also a gift to us. Katherine and Lavon became “sisters” and Lavon seemed more tolerant of me after the reunion was put to rest. The reunion had been a success, largely thanks to the work of Katherine and Lavon. What a team! Katherine had gone through the first two classes she was taking at The University of La Verne with style and grace. Katherine, a retreaded scholar, had worked very hard and emerged from her beginning academic program toward her Master’s Degree, along with working full time, with more confidence in herself. We had found time to spend a few days on our anniversary in Cambria, having our marriage blessed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, there, and bless at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church just the week before, by Mother Judy and the Covina congregation.
The amazing investment with American Flag and Emblem Co, Inc., made possible the
founding of our new venture, Reflected Glory, Indeed! The proceeds from this venture are rolling in beyond our wildest dreams. We are thinking of investing in my son’s endeavors, his being now on line (Invitesite.com) with Helen Driscoll and her business, The Fine Paper Company, in Pasadena. When it becomes possible, we are hoping for more time with our extended family, for whom we are praying via satellite. It is somewhat like that eventful time when we let you all know we had bought the town of Harmony, having won the lottery. Some of you remember that Epiphany news several years ago.
But, what about Ms. Harley? On the occasion of writing this Epiphany story, I have found an e-mail from her. There is no return address on it, and the “Reply” feature doesn’t seem to
work. The e-mail reads as follows: “Hello , to my friend, Chris: If you keep me in mind, you will be able to write; you and your wife will continue to prosper; those who know you will continue to find themselves in good fortune, more joyous, and encouraged through every aspect of your lives. As a minister and therapist, you will realize you are being more effective than ever.
"All you have to do is to be fully in the present and keep me in mind, just ever so gently in that back row of your mind, where so many of your images live. You can never find me, but I can always find you. But, I will only find you when you are in the present. I will find you at strange time and places, especially if you keep on paying attention to your own spiritual messages.
"Yes, years ago you did something for me. You won’t be able to remember what it was or for whom you actually did it, but it had to do with many events in your life. What you learned was to recognize fear, shame, and guilt. You began to learn how to overcome them. Remember? First, the mistaken fear, shame, and guilt involved your parents; later, the Air Force—remember the napalm, thousands of civilians running, burning?; then when you were trying to be a husband and father, working and nearly always gone; later, still, truck driving, the constant loneliness; sometime later, a matter that took place while you were sailing; you might recall it as something happening in your doing psychotherapy, in your church – preaching and celebrating the Mass – how you agonized over wanting to share the love of God. I could go on, but it becomes too complicated.
"The mistake you have always made has to do with forgetting love. The gift you discovered and struggled to communicate, had to do with one’s being present with love overcomes fear, shame, and guilt. You see, Chris, you and all those you know are loved with an incredible love. You have been present with me, which is the only way I come to you. Being present is essential for love to work. Do not ever forget this. If you can help them in any way to remember, teach them they are loved. But, let me be an example. Timing is everything and there is nothing more important in timing then being in the present. I’ll be seeing you, but only when you are in the present. Always yours, Maya.”
***
Having read and re-read this message, I was suddenly aware of feeling grateful, very warm, and more confident in the midst of the woes of this world. It occurred to me to share this story with you, knowing, of course, it will be difficult to believe and even more difficult to understand. I gave up needing to figure things out a long time ago. Mystery is more okay with me now. In fact, mystery and compassion are my view of the evolutionary God, our life-giver. On the other hand, no matter what, the awareness of love seems to make everything work for the better. May the surprises of 2002 lift you and yours! May this New Year and every New Year become increasingly time of loving presence for you and yours!
###
Epiphany Written 2002