Monday, September 18, 2006
Ray of Light
Last week, I sat in a Starbucks just on the perimeter of Chinatown in Washington D.C. I was drinking an iced latte, and finishing up the Timothy Leary Bio by Robert Greenfield. I was on the page where Leary is close to giving up the ghost, and he's saying that we are "light-bearers." Now it just so happens that just as I was reading those words, a ray of light was breaking through the clouds, was refracted through the window of the shop, and a glimmer of light was magnified by my reading glasses. I looked down at the page I was reading and a tiny spot of light danced on the page in front of me. I had to be sitting just so or it would not be possible. My glasses had to be perched at that exact angle, the window had to be facing that exact side of the street, it had to be that exact moment at that particular time of day, etc. A million (?) factors all had to converge at once, for me to be illuminating the page with my glasses as I was reading the words "light-bearer." I did not fall to my knees. I did not praise the Lord. I did not rejoice. I noted all of this, I paused, lingered over the moment and wondered what it all meant. I remember I did say to myself..."I'm light too." I guess that is what we call an "epiphany" (a sudden comprehension, or realisation of something). Although in this case, I didn't just comprehend, I experienced, I manifested the thought. I finished the book, I walked back to my hotel. I went back to my day to day existence. But, I haven't forgotten this moment...I don't think I will...