Angels and I, Part 2

Angels have been part of my life since I was a baby. My drama queen mom told me that when I was 3 months old I had Pneumonia and died early one morning. It was still dark and she had held my little body and prayed. Asking that my life would be spared. After a few moment she said that an Angel came to her and touched my still body. After that touch color returned to my face and I was breathing normally, totally healed. The angel told her that god had a plan for me and that many people would be saved from the work I would do when I grew up. As such I wasn’t allowed to pass from this world to the next.

Over the years I have thought about this. When I was in college I couldn’t then see anything that I would do could make this “story” of my mom’s true. Remember she is a drama queen and as such her word can’t be trusted. Today I can see that I touch many lives, but not in the epic way I feel my mom was told. My hands channel energy that heals people in 5 minutes or less. Wounds close, pain goes away, and range of motion is restored and so on. Not everyone can be healed in this way. I do like the angel story she related to me. Surely the fact I didn’t turn out to be a priest disappointed her. As a recovering Catholic I see the church in a jaded light, all those priests having homosexual sex with little altar boys, not good. I still give my Cousin Alvin a bad time about that as he was an altar boy when we were kids. I can’t respect an organization that is supposed to keep children safe, but in reality abuses them and protects the abuser. Bad pope, bad! No new red dress or girly man shoes.

I went to my 1st sweat lodge at Pine Ridge Reservation in 1998. Don’t go to anyone’s sweat lodge unless they are Native American and have been trained to do it properly! If not done properly you can die in there as the heat is intense. Accept no wanna be Native Americans in this spiritual practice. I was told when I accepted the invitation to the sweat lodge that my 1st time getting to the sweat lodge would be a test. Of course I was skeptical, how is traveling going to be a test. It really was a test.

It was June, and my son was out of school. As a single parent I needed him to be taken care of while I was gone for a couple weeks. So I asked my oldest sister to watch him for me. She loved the idea as she doesn’t have any children of her own. I was driving from Seattle WA to Santa Rosa CA down Interstate 5. I had planned 3 days for the trip to South Dakota. About 11 PM as my son and I were going up the Ashland mountain pass, I heard a loud popping sound at the back passenger side tire. That tire had blown out on the side. I pulled over into what looked like a large truck park. It had those pinkish mercury vapor lights, and 5 inches of gravel. As soon as I drove onto it my speed reduced quickly.

I had visibility for about 150 yards in front and behind me. To the side about 80 yards or so. There was a mist that I had passed through at the time my tire blew, but here hardly any mist at all. My son and I got out of my little Bronco II and had a look at the damage. A large gash on the outside of the tire explained the problem. All I had to do was change the tire with the spare. My son held the flashlight and I put the X shaped tire on the lug nut to remove it. It wouldn’t budge, it felt like it was welded in place. I carefully put the tire on again, and then stepped onto it. Putting all my weight and hoping a little to break it free. Nothing happened, no movement at all. I was about to tell my son we are so screwed here, when I heard the sound of someone walking in the gravel from behind me. We had only been on the gravel as short time maybe minutes. If there was someone coming I should have seen them giving the visibility. Over the years I have passed this way many times, that area with the 5 inches of gravel and 300 yards of visibility isn’t there. A pocket universe perhaps, but nothing like that exists in that area of Interstate 5.

The man that approached was a tall man, about six foot four inches tall. He had a Peter built ball cap, denim jacket and denim pants, new yellowish work boots on and wire rim gold glasses, and a blonde mustache to match his short hair. He said, ‘I saw your tire blow out and though you might need a hand.’ I said that would be very helpful, as I can’t get this lug nut off, seems like it is welded on. He then said, get the spare tire off while I get this tire off, it won’t take but a minute. So saying he took the tire iron and put it on the tire, hit it with his hand and it began to spin like it was powered. In seconds he had the 1st lug nut off. He said you should get that tire now. I had spent a minute at the back of my Bronco removing the tire cover, and taking the wing nut that held the tire to the back off. I asked where he came from and he said, back there around the bend. You can’t see my truck from here. When he came back to me and handed me the blown tire and grabbed the spare from my hands. By the time I had the blown tire in place he was done putting on the spare. Maybe 3 minutes had passed.

I thanked him and we shook hands. His hand was huge, warm and strong. He told me to buy all new tires tomorrow and to make sure they were top quality ones. I said I would and he walked back the way he had come. I had just put the tire iron and jack in the car and turned to my son and said. Hey we were almost in big trouble there. I couldn’t get those lug nuts off the tire. Did you see how he just hit it with one hand it just spun right off, amazing! I should have bought him dinner or given him some money. I got out of the car and went to look for him. Looking the way he had left there was no one, back towards the bend no one in sight. 150 yards and only a couple minutes had gone by, there was no way he could be out of sight in that time, yet he was. I looked at the ground and my foot prints and my son’s foot prints but no others were to be seen. None approaching and none leaving.

Sometimes Angels are like that, they just do what they need to and are off and gone moments later. I have a friend that had a similar tale to tell. She was also on the Interstate 5 headed south. Somewhere before Eugene Oregon there is a rest stop. Her truck had a leak in one of its hoses. A man similar to my description came over to help her. The difference was he was only five foot eight inches or so. Same outfit and he also disappeared right after helping her with some duct tape and advice.

After dropping my son off at my sisters I took the airport shuttle to Oakland airport. My flight would take me to South Dakota about 200 miles from Pine Ridge. My friend would pick me up and take me the rest of the way. One layover in Denver and my flight would be on its way once more. On the way down our flight was hit by lightning. After landing we had to get off the plane as it had to be inspected before it could fly again. I was told to go to the customer service area where I could get an overnight kit and a hotel room. After 20 minutes I found the customer service desk. I was 2nd in line! The woman in front of me was treating the attendant so badly. She screamed about had stupid the attendant must be, how incompetent the airline was run. She was inconvenienced by the airline and all she wanted was an overnight kit so she could brush her teeth. After 5 minutes she left in an angry rush, no kit. I felt so badly for the attendant, I apologized for all rude clients and said, that woman that just left was probably an abused child. Then I asked for whatever help she could give me as I was stranded without my luggage till the next day when I would hopefully be on my way once more. To my delight the attendants smile came back. She said I can get you a nice hotel with a shuttle that comes by every 15 minutes. Here is $100 in free airport food. Your flight will be out of here tomorrow at 10 AM. Then she reached under the counter and gave me an overnight kit!

The next morning, rested, showered and eager to go I arrived at the airport. I stopped and had a great breakfast. While I was waiting for my flight I saw a mother with a small child asking for something from the food vendors. I heard the mom say that is not in the budget honey. Here I had $85 of airport food I wasn’t going to be able to use. I got up and introduced myself and said the airline has been so good to me that I can’t possibly use all the gifts they gave me. Here use this for whatever you like. They tell me it is just like money here on this level. She smiled at me and thanked me for my kindness. We both went away with smiles on our faces. As I boarded the plane the flight attendant took me aside and said there has been a change in your seating. I was in 1st class for the last 2 hours of my flight! I loved it! If this was a test, I thought I am doing well!

Angels are around us all the time. Sometimes watching over us even though we haven’t a clue who they are. Can you pick out my airport angel? These experiences have changed me. When I meet someone that helps me out these days I watch them till they are out of sight. You just never know who or what your meeting in our world.

May your Angels watch over you, may you be blessed with love in your life. May you know when to complain and when to comfort those you meet.

Walks With Thunder.