The Wishing Chair for real!

You may have heard of some unique dreams in your time.  Enid Blyton is the British author who wrote a child's fantasy The Wishing Chair. In case you missed it, this tale is about a flying rocker that was wished to destinations.  But, did you ever know anyone who aspired to travel high into the sky on a regular lawn chair? The weekend of July 7th, this is what really happened.  And no, this really isn't a whopper...

Ken Couch decided to fly this way from Oregon to Idaho.  I'm unsure if he was a boyscout, but he didn't float up unprepared.  He took instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system (GPS) device in his pocket, and four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast (he could turn a spigot, release water and rise).  He also took a parachute.  Never can be too careful?   Almost nine hours later, the 47-year-old gas station owner came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, short of Idaho but over 193 miles from his home.

Couch was inspired by Larry Walters, who, in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons, just to prove he could. Walters surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters had to pay a $1,500 fine for violating air traffic rules.  Would you say this leisure activity is for those as crazy as the birds?

As it happened, this was Couch's second flight.  Back in September 2006, he had a trial run where he floated off the ground for six hours.  Modeling Walters, Couch used a B-B gun to pop the balloons, but he went into a rapid descent and eventually parachuted to safety.  Apparently, that experience wasn't enough for the thrill-seeker that dreamt about a far more challenging dream. 

He clocked a time of ~25 miles an hour.  Below him, a three-car caravan filled with friends, family and the dog followed him and watched his peaceful journey in awe.  He said later he could hear them from his serene vantage point.  He made a wish to reach safety and, it worked!

When he decided to land, he popped enough balloons to set the craft down.  He only suffered minor rope burns. Yet, after he jumped out, the wind unexpectedly grabbed his chair, along with his cam recorder, and the remaining balloons and swept them away. He's hoping to get them back.  If by chance you know anyone who saw a mysterious lawn chair floating along videotaping  backyard, or you have any information that could lead to its wherabouts, do let Ken know.  Although people in planes and control towers filmed some of his record-breaking flight, he likely captured the most incredible footage himself! If only he could find it?

His wife hasn't decided if she'll accompany him next time. And yes, he's already suggesting there will be a next time, destination to-be-determined.  It may depend if he can rig a floating love seat? Now, if you had the choice, would this adventure interest you, to be swept away on a lazy afternoon?

Sir Arthur, the Spiritualist?

Despite the apparently curious and fantastic dreams and claims of spiritual mediums and Spiritualists, many well-known writers embraced a level of truth in such beliefs. This may not seem so difficult to believe. Writers and artists have historically been associated with the esoteric. Their creative minds think -out-of-the-box' or go against the grain of the status quo.

Consider Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He devised the logical and rational Sherlock Holmes detective. Holmes became a respected novelist and committed Spiritualist who believed in connections to "The Other Side." He participated in seances and incorporated his spiritual beliefs into some of his many best-selling books.  Doyle was adamant about focusing on concepts that redirect attention from materialism. The famous character Sherlock Holmes himself questions the existence of the soul.

At the base of all this is a fundamental question: why would we desire a religion we can prove if the point of religions appears to be to shroud human existence in perpetual mystery?

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." -Oscar Wilde

"Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed.  What would be left to strive for if everything were known?" -Charles de Lint

Apparitions, hallucinations or prophecy?

According to some people, near-death experience (NDE) only provides superficial insight into what its like to die. These people argue NDE doesn't prove life after death exists because the survivor hasn't actually died with a sense of finality. The supposed survivors are back with us in physical form, as if nothing happened, even if they claim it did. The concepts of life reviews and conversations with the technically- dead don't appear overly convincing. Skeptics point to the possibility of daydreams, hallucinations and unresolved conflicts or emotions with the deceased.

Believers in life beyond the grave point out that where they live life to the fullest, they don't fear death and don't always consciously invite supranatural visitors. Many NDE survivors aren't necessarily believers before their experience. Ask Dannion Brinkley. He claims to have died and returned from NDEs twice in his book, Saved by the Light.This is but one of many accounts which reveal another take.

Are believers simply sucked into a world they envision? or something they might hope to (re)experience themselves?

Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die.
-E. Forrester Church

Signs of a certain presence

Sometimes you may find yourself hoping and waiting for events to unfold in a certain way. In your own life, you may question reasons for your patience about certain situations. Do you ever ask yourself, "how long is long enough?" Are you expected to wait forever? Could you be waiting for something when you may be missing something else?

Remind yourself you only ever see what you choose to see. Angel visits have been described. Yet, angel presence seems to be more widely felt through other senses and interpretations.  During the past week, I have been amazed at what I've noticed by widening my perception:

1) As I was entering a building to finalize last-minute travel plans, a girl passed me wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a guardian angel and yellow halo on the front.  The girl huddled near her mom with her head initially bowed to hide part of the image. When I remarked on the angel, she looked up, revealed the entire cartoon and smiled. 

2) I waited outside a shop for a friend doing an errand. The mall was closed. Most people had gone home. Still, a smiling man appeared and walked by me wearing a blazer with the words "Faith" embroidered in blue thread. I remarked on it. He said he just bought it, thanked me and left with a noticable glow. Blue colors the sky and twilight. The ancient Egyptians used blue lapis lazuli to represent heaven. A pure blue is associated with inspiration, sincerity and spirituality.

3) A white feather mysteriously appeared out on my backyard patio plant in winter.

4) A woman I passed at the grocery store was wearing a guardian angel pin. The miniature pin bell chimed and made a faint sound as she walked.

5) I came across a unique license plate with word "kaput" (owner said car never broken down). I had a revelation and looked up meaning of license word spelled backwards. The word "tupak" is a variation of the Incan word "tupac" which means 'revered glowing serpent warrior' or 'heavenly messenger.' The serpent image connected to the heavens by having them represent deity, creative powers, and healing. Feathered serpent in Meso-American culture is a deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind.

Get a bite out of dentistry

I know a man who evolved to spend his professional life working with dentists and orthodontists, though dentistry was never his ambition. I personally think he has already great teeth. He's not a dentist himself, but inadvertently learned about what they do anyway. Funny how life evolves!

After a variety of jobs, he decided he would begin to organize conferences to make his living. I'm unsure exactly why he zeroed in on dental professionals, perhaps he met a dentist he liked? Anyway, he recognized a market and that business was his choice. He was astute at researching which dental professionals were on top of their game, publishing developments and manufacturing technology in the industry. This man learned to persuade people about the benefits of what he had in mind. He invited individual speakers to present their ideas or innovative techniques to a group of peers. The seminar sessions lasted over a few days.

Now, this friend of mine happens to be Irish by birth. Somehow, he met and befriended a Scottish dentist. The Scotsman's popularity as a witty speaker led my friend to repeatedly invite the Scot abroad to participate in dental conferences. This friend of mine arranged the logistics for all his conferences and also introduced the speakers to audiences. His Scottish friend eventually suggested that the abrupt introductions could be improved with practice. So, my friend decided to become involved in Toastmasters (TM) public speaking.

For a long time, he attended TM meetings but only listened. Perhaps he couldn't decide if he really wanted to be there? Yet, as he built up his courage, he began to open his mouth. Much to his surprise, he sharpened skills he didn't know he had.  He developed his confidence and began to incorporate natural humor into his speeches. One thing led to another. The introductions he blended into his dental conference business became noticed. Audiences began to appreciate him so much, that dental professionals began inviting him abroad to speak about the dental industry. His career evolved from being in the background of speakers by choice, to become a major public speaker in their industry. It was unplanned, but most rewarding.

My friend still arranges professional meetings and conferences. Over 25 years experience helped him build a solid reputation in his field. What's really great about his own evolution is that he took steps to develop his inner self. What ensued were a variety of unexpected opportunities for personal growth, including public speaking, local and international travel, and professional networking in a discipline that began to attract him differently than before. He has taught me when you reach out to take risks to learn, life will evolve in ways you can't begin to imagine.

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing." ~Leo F. Buscaglia