July 18 2010
In that split second, when I first realized that my new red cell phone must have fallen out of the beach bag, into the sand, my vision of the long expanse of Virginia Beach—filled with tourists on a summer Sunday, and which had recently seemed so delightful— seemed like an image of hell.
My tight schedule of imminent deadlines flashed before my eyes, and I hollered to my friend, Darlene, “Sh*t, I’m just gonna have to kill myself!”
She rolled her eyes. It was enough to remind me. Get centered, breathe. Go up the scale. Relax so I can feel my guidance system. I know this stuff, I can do this. What happens is a result of my attitude, not my outer circumstances. I’m in control of the outcome.
Suddenly I felt better, hopeful, and then I moved into knowing, that somehow I’d find my phone. I’m happy to say that this little journey, which might have taken many minutes, or even hours, years ago, could now be measured in seconds.
And Darlene, who was clearly less stressed than I was, did the obvious, practical, action journey: she called my phone.
No answer.
Right. I'd turned off the ringer because the battery was low.
My guidance was to go directly to the beach, immediately, back to where we had been sitting.
So we started walking, and on the way we bumped into just one person, a local fellow that Darlene recognized, carrying his huge bodyboard. He said that the waves were perfect, so he’d gone back home to get his board. He looked at us, gals in streetwear, walking with determination, no beach gear in sight, and asked what we were up to. We told him we were on a search and rescue mission to recover my phone.
He smiled and asked, “Is it a red one?”
(What are the chances?)
“Oh my God!” we both exclaimed simultaneously! “Do you have it?”
“No,” he said, “but I know who does. When I was walking back to get my board, I passed a woman on the beach who was talking on a cell. I overheard her say she was leaving a message to the last person dialed that she had found a red phone in the sand.”
(What are the chances?)
By this time we were on the wooden walkway that leads into the beach, and I asked if he could point her out – “over there, those two gals sitting with the green tent,” he gestured, as he headed for the waves.
And they were quite surprised when I marched up to say, “I understand you may have found my lost cell phone …”
We all laughed, as I told them the story of the synchronicities, and said I wished I had something to offer them in appreciation … and they responded ..”Oh no, we don’t need anything – someday you’ll find someone’s phone and return the favor to them”, smiling, “that’s how it works, you know!”
And even though they had found my phone where I had dropped it, halfway up the beach, these gals were sitting in the exact same spot that Darlene and I had been in, an hour earlier. So even if we hadn’t bumped into the bodyboard guy, that spot is the only place that I would have gone to look.
What are the chances?
Inside the Vortex, they are 1 out of 1.
(Aside, to Arita- I am having such a good time!)
