Manifestation and the Universe
Story time again. A friend actually got me thinking about this experience, and in the spirit of starting new years afresh, it seemed appropriate to mention.
I usually coin this story “My Second Date to Hell,” (I have 3), but truth be told, it was one of the best experiences in my life. But, as the name would suggest, it was borne of some tribulation.
It starts when I was studying at Gonzaga University, majoring in Organ Performance and Pedagogy. A fellow organist called, and very excitedly told me about a great organ concert by famous organist Stephen Cleobury that was to happen that evening… in Seattle. I had time, and was excited, so called another friend to go with me, and just an hour later we were off on the 4-hour drive.
Half way to Seattle, tragedy struck. I’d never made the drive before, so didn’t know there is a very high mountain pass on the way. As we headed into Snoqualmie pass things seemed fine at first. But then dark clouds loomed, and a heavy snowfall prevailed. It was a freak snow storm, and we were caught in it. Traffic came to a dead stop, and was backed up for miles and miles.
It stayed this way for hours. My friend and I passed the time as we watched the clock tick — the opportunity to experience a great performance wasting away. We were stopped for 2 hours before traffic finally started again at a meager crawl.
We resumed our journey filled with anxious hope that we might catch some part of the event. Even seeing the end would mean we didn’t go for nothing. But then, tragedy struck again. I had called the Cathedral of St. Mark’s ahead of time for directions. Unfortunately, the person helping me gave incorrect directions, and we got terribly lost. Seattle is not the easiest town to navigate.
By the time we got back on course, it was too late. Just barely too late. As we drove up to the cathedral, the audience was leaving. In fact, who was crossing in front of our car? None other than the friend who had invited me. I was so disappointed. My friend and I walked into the cathedral, just to see it. It’s an amazing piece of architecture. There was a poster for the event hanging on the wall, and I asked a person cleaning up if I could take it. We got to talking and I mentioned our difficulty getting there, and that we missed the concert.
Turns out he was the assistant organist. He had made a recording of the concert, and said if we came back the next morning, we could get a copy. It seemed better than leaving empty-handed, so we took him up on the offer.
The next day, we went back. The organ there is truly amazing. I explained different aspects of the organ to my interested friend. (Well, she acted like she was, anyway, lol.) The assistant organist noticed that I was familiar with organs, and invited us up into the loft. Cool! As we talked, I told him I was a student. He was impressed, so flipped the organ on, and let me sit down and play.
Ok, I was in heaven! The clear, powerful sound of that organ was such a pleasure, and getting to play the instrument was even more so. I started by playing quietly, gradually playing louder, and more difficult pieces, until I had pulled out ALL the stops, filling the giant cathedral with majestic music.
After finishing a piece, the organist yelled up from the main floor. He was very impressed. He ran back up to the loft to talk. He invited me to play at the weekly radio show that the cathedral puts on. I was floored. Never, never in my wildest imagination would I have imagined that I could see the organ loft. Even less would I have thought to play, or be asked to perform on live radio.
That, my friends, is the reason for this story. I want to illustrate that we never know how things are going to turn out. Being present in every moment will allow you to make the most of every situation — especially those which you have no control over. I could have sat in that snowy pass, angry and resentful. But I didn’t. My friend and I made the most of that situation too, getting out of the car, talking to other drivers, having a snowball fight with a group of kids.
The moral of the story? Trust. Trust yourself. Trust the Universe. Trust time. Believe that what the Universe is cooking up for you might be even better than you could have imagined. Be present for EVERYTHING that comes across your path. See the opportunities in all things.
This is life, friends. Enjoy it. And what you don’t enjoy — appreciate.
January 1st, 2010