by cheri
Last week, we stopped in a college town, San Luis Obispo, on our way south.
At a local coffee shop at the end of Higuera Street, I waited in line for a dark brew for me and a cafe mocha for my husband.
Unlike the franchisian assembly line that is Starbucks, this establishment had one (yes, one) old lady barista doing everything–taking payment and making coffee. The process was glacial; I noticed my impatience and tried to tone it down by engaging in a conversation with the woman in front of me.
Her turquoise-rimmed glasses, magnifying dark and dancing eyes, emphasized her persona. Spiky hair, long flowing skirt and billowing blouse all said, ” Boomer-Hippie.”
We traded early morning polite conversation.
Where are you headed? she asked me.
Los Angeles, I replied.
Me too although I am going to Santa Monica, she added.
What are you doing there?
I’m taking a seminar on ….on…well…on energy.
Maybe it was her garb, maybe I had a momentary flash of ESP, but somehow, I knew she wasn’t attending a solar conference. Definitely not Chevron.
Are you a shaman? I blurted out on a hunch.
Why yes, I am, she said. How did you know that?
Oh, I muttered modestly, I feel your energy.
* * * * * * *
I love people with positive, silly, mystical, curious or intellectual energy. Always have, always will.
And so in Disneyland this past weekend, to celebrate my birthday, in the company of a 5 and 3 year-old and their 30-something parents, I sucked in more exuberant innocent energy than I have in several years.
At lunch at the darkened Blue Bayou Restaurant, listening to the splash of boats and screams of riders on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, sitting around a table under a southern sky illuminated by tiny fireflies and a large harvest moon, and cooling down in the air conditioning after waiting outside in 95 degree heat, I joined in with my granddaughters who insisted that I, like they, MUST order a drink (albeit $7.00 but who cares?) with a glow cube.
A glow cube! How cool is that?
Our drinks arrived; we squealed with energy.
I’ve never seen or heard of a glow cube, but I heartily approve. (Does this mean a glow stick is merely an overgrown swizzle stick?) Happy belated birthday — obviously, it was a good one. I’ll be having my 70th on this trip — what could be better? Well, having one is pretty good, but being able to celebrate without a piece of sandpaper in my hand is even more cool.
Happy travels, and safe ones to you, too. I’m going to explore the possibility of mining out a crystal or two here in Arkansas. If I ever get to Sedona, I can get it all charged up with cosmic energy.
Happy Birthday to you, Linda! Perfect plan to be on the road for a 70th Birthday. Were I too be at your table, I surely would have dropped a glow cube into whatever you were drinking! My dear friend Susie lives in Sedona. Let me know if you are going: I know the hot spots (and where the vortex is…)
Happy Birthday! You may have stepped over into another dimension complete with glow cubes. Sounds wonderful.
I like that idea…of stepping into a new dimension. In fact, Ron and I think we might like exiting this depraved culture and entering a fresh new dimension! And thank you for the birthday wishes. I’m just home from a long road trip…with a terrible cold!
While wondering how to respond to this charming post about childhood wonderment, and browsing secondhand books, I chanced to come across this quote from some work or other of Robert Louis Stevenson:
It is quite possible, and even comparatively easy, so to enfold oneself in pleasant fancies that the realities of life may seem but as the white snow-shower in the street that gives a relish to the swept hearth and lively fire within that paints images brightly in the darkness and puts an edge on almost anything.
Thus is the effect of much of what you write on this blog.
I absolutely LOVE this paragraph from RLS. As the world continues to deteriorate, I find myself “enfolding” in other places, places that are tattoo-free, edgy-free, immodesty-free and full of dapper hats, twinkly eyes, and the smell of after-shave.
Shine little glow drink–glimmer, glimmer. Hey there! Don’t get dimmer, glimmer…
Excellent advice. I will take it.