Signs

Just to show you how strange it can get, when we went out looking for land to build our future on, there was a 3"x5" colored slip of paper lying by the side of the trail. My wife, who is equally spiritual but in a Cherokee way, refused to pick it up, as she was convinced it was a tarot card and "didn't even want to know" what was on it. Her friend did pick it up, and imagine my disbelief (or rather my belief) when I saw that it was a group of Native Americans riding a sea turtle, and the caption read: "Turtle Island". Whoa! Stand back! This wasn't a bible card with Noah and the animals on it (that itself would have been truly amazing). It was an even rarer "myth" aimed directly at the two "squaws" who were there to pick it up. The topic was a previous incarnation of exactly the reason why we were there in the first place. My science and its probability laws convinced me on the spot that this little "sign" was truly of "cosmic" origin. As if to punctuate that thought, the next time we were there my son found an arrow sticking up out of the ground. A modern arrow, no doubt, but now interpreted as another sign. As if to say, "You are on the right path".

The first site I looked at was near a place called Fortville. The second on a road called Mount Carmel. We almost went for that place. It was beautiful, but nearly unaffordable. Then I did my research on the web and scared up an earthquake zone map for our state. There are only two major faults shown. The first is the Fortville fault, the other is the Mount Carmel fault. No kidding. Sent a shiver up our spines to say the least. Not that any place would be exempt from the big one we're all expecting, but to set up camp on top of an existing fault seems sheer lunacy. I know I'm reading things into everything these days. Think of it as my way of coping and let's get on with the story.

We looked at another place, it was cheap, beautiful wooded countryside, and just maybe I could beat the site into submission for my needs (i.e. wind power, earth sheltered, etc.) As I stood there surveying the land, and exactly as I was coming to the decision, "Yeah, this could work, I'm gonna go for it." our friend was in the process of freaking out not fifty feet from me. She had a wave of what could only be described as visions come over her from every direction, visions of death, drowning, dead people! Aggggh! She fell and hurt her back in the process. She has never had an experience like this before. She felt so strongly about it she said if we built there she'd have to make other plans. Of course when I did my research into the topography of the area I discovered it was below 700 feet, in a main watershed valley that would surely flood out during the coming events. Was someone helping us with the decision?

Another concern was the cutting of trees. Nobody wanted me to cut any trees. Now how can you build on a wooded site without cutting any trees? They were right, but we got into a big argument about it (kind of like those floating around the TT-list lately). The following weekend a realtor called us about a place that had just come on the market. The price was right, it's on high ground, it's partially wooded, and I don't have to cut a single tree. Not a one. We now joke about our arguments, since it seems "someone" always just makes the problem go away. Now that we have found a place that fits all of our needs, both my wife and our friend are convinced that this is the place they have been seeing in their meditations and dreams for years. We looked at a lot of property in our quest, and every place else just doesn't have the same character as the final site. We also found two eagle feathers while we were there, and this is the Midwest, not the West. Another sign?

On the same vein, I myself do not usually have dreams or visions. I'm Mr. Spock, remember? I have only had three vivid dreams worth recounting in the last ten years, all of them about five years ago. In one I'm standing at a window watching what can only be described as special effects from the Ten Commandments movie, billowing clouds rolling toward me at great speed. In another, I saw construction workers mounding up huge piles of dirt outside in our yard. We live in an older rural subdivision on well and septic. They put in the new sewers last week. And as I stood watching it felt strangely like the dream. My last dream was of the family standing in the 15 acre field across from the subdivision, watching what could only be described as strange lights in the sky. I'm talking psychedelic stuff like nothing I've ever seen before. Whirling colors and iridescent effects. It's only since we've purchased our new property that I've realized that the view from our new homesite is identical to that from the field across from our present home. I'm not waiting around for the boiling clouds, I'm ready to start digging in!

The only physical advice I could give to anyone is to do your research before you plan to do anything. And it appears that sometimes even if you don't "someone" else will let you know what's right or wrong. Trust your gut. Mankind is always looking for signs, "Let me know if this is right, Lord". Of course those requests are seldom answered, and we usually choose to ignore the real ones. Ah... human nature. That little colored piece of paper is on my refrigerator next to the School Lunch Schedule as a constant reminder to us of just how cosmic this all is. If you've ever had the eerie feeling that you were being led, or that there was some purpose to your life even in these Trouble Times, perhaps you're right.

Offered by Ron.