The Universe Abides

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 – Chewelah, WA

Weird things have been happening lately, but in a good way. It’s like the Universe heard about my bucket list and decided to make up for the Great Social Security Fiasco.

I can’t tell you what one of these good things is yet, sorry, but hang in there; it will be worth the wait. The other one is coming up.

First, I have a story to tell about that whole Universe thing. You know what I’m talking about: the idea that when you put your intention out there, the Universe hears you. I just googled and discovered this is what the Law of Attraction is about. I don’t subscribe to that at all, but then there is this little story. Make of it what you will:

San Diego, summer of ’99

I am walking up a long, steep hill from the bus to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting that I’ve decided to attend out of desperation. (No, this is not a success story about miraculously losing all the weight, sorry—but it is a success story nevertheless.)

It’s hot. I’m sweating. And wondering if the effort is worth it.

I start to think about the whole Twelve Step thing. Ten years earlier, back in my home state of Minnesota, I had found great solace in Al-Anon meetings near the end of a disastrous marriage. I’d gotten to the third step before getting free of that awful situation, but hadn’t continued with the meetings or the steps.

Now, as I walk and sweat, I remember Step Two: “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

I remember how I had struggled with that, since I no longer believed in God, and how I had looked out my window at a snow-covered field and decided that I could accept Nature as my higher power.

I’m lost in thought about this as I come to a street corner where a large black truck is stopped in front of me. I need to figure out what my higher power will be for the coming struggle with food addiction.

I wonder if I should upgrade Nature. Should the Universe be my higher power from now on? I decide yes.

Just as make this decision, I kid you not, I look up at the shiny black truck in front of me, and finally see these words painted on it in brilliant colors: INCREDIBLE UNIVERSE.

It’s as though the Universe has heard my thoughts way in advance and contrived to place that truck smack dab in my way.

Was it real or did I imagine it? I don’t know but I do know that the Universe has answered my question.

Flash forward several years

I am driving on the freeway through San Diego’s Mission Valley, telling this very story to my passenger, when a shiny black truck passes us, with the words — you guessed it — INCREDIBLE UNIVERSE gaily painted on the side. Mind. Officially. Boggled.

Back to the present

I now know that Incredible Universe was a chain of electronics stores, now sadly defunct. The two truck sightings still seem more than coincidence to me, but probably not. I just want to believe in magic.

But does the Universe really hear us?

Magical trucks aside, I think this ‘Universe’ is really the hive mind: ordinary humans responding when the question/intention is compelling enough. It’s not as much fun to think about, but sometimes it works.

Take last night, for instance

I have harbored a dream since I got my big white van, to juice it up with some gorgeous, huge O’Keefe-esque poppies painted on the sides. A friend offered to do it for me awhile back but nothing came of it. It was probably for the best, I told myself. Life went on.

Then, while staying up too late on Facebook last night, I got a wild hair up the wazoo and decided to ask for what I wanted. I posted the above photo and asked, “I want a hippie van. Anybody good with a paintbrush?”

Within a few minutes, I got my answer: “me“

Soon, I was PM’ing with a real, honest-to-god artist named Barbara Martin. I asked her what it would take to paint my van, thinking she would quote a number far above my means. Nope. Barbara said she would do it for $20 for coffee and her favorite protein bars, if I would cover the cost of the paint and share on the blog and social media. She even suggested I crowd source the money for paint.

My answer: Hell, yes!

She was excited about the idea of such a project, and I was excited that she was excited. I looked up Barbara’s photos on Facebook, found one of her gorgeous abstract paintings, and decided to forget about poppies. Far be it from me to tell a true artist what to paint. Besides, who wants a copy when you can have an original? Not me.

So the deal was done

We’ll talk more soon to iron out details, and I will meet Barbara in Portland, Oregon in late September or early October after my Canada trip, and the work will commence… followed by an unveiling party! HOW COOL IS THAT?

So, if you live in or near Portland, get ready to party. And if not, get ready anyway. We’ll party online. 🙂