Better Late than Swim

My good friends Gary and Rhada Bello once told me: it is never too late... even when you think your ship has sailed. In this case, I knew it sailed. Some of you are wondering if this is me standing on the shore line looking at the ship sail away. Well the clear answer- to the relief of my father- is absolutely not! However it might as well have as this was the view I saw of my ship as it sailed away to Nassau, Bahamas.

The fact that I woke up late the morning I was supposed to join the ship, was not even the most stressful event that happened that day, but it sure got my heart racing! Forgetting the shower, and thinking I could brush my teeth in the car (I saw it done on an episode of Mr. Bean) I caught a cab to take me the 30 minute distance from Orlando to Port Canaveral.

Now, I have always been a chatty cathy when placed in stressful situations, like being in a stuck elevator, or doing a tandem jump with a stoned skydiving instructor (meh...I was schnockered at the time so what did I care), but today, I was praying...praying for a silent cabbie, I was in no mood to chat. Gary and Rhada, who consider themselves to be space gypsies and have studied and taught yoga in India for years, and have even attempted to teach me how to meditate, would want me to take this opportunity to meditate and give my stress to the universe, but with all do respect to the Bello's I would need a bit more of a stronger meditation tool other then just a silent cab. I have learned a type of meditation called Cousin Steve's meditation: so I poured my self some wine from my thermos, sat back, and looked to the sky.

About ten prayers later, bargainnig with Jesus that I would attend several Philipino bible studies if he would just do something mechanical to delay the ship, I heard the most stressful sound on the planet. I heard in the distance the fog horn that told me a ship was pulling out of the port. "Please don't let it be my ship...okay, I will start a bible study in the entertainment department" - I laughed hystericaly.

Ever heard that saying, "So close and yet so far"? Well, I lived it in that moment.

Two minutes later, not even waiting for the cab to stop I jumped out and saw my ship 20 yards away from the dock. Maybe if I jumped and screamed, they would hear me. I even though about hurling myself into the water. Surely they would think I was a "Man Overboard" and rescue me, but then I would be missing my luggage, so I hung my head down low and went back to the cab, and made a very dreadful call. Eight years, and this has never happed to me before.

Head Quarters, forgave me, and could not be more understanding: The next day I took two propeller planes and a long bus ride to reach the ship in Nassau, and I could not be happier to have joined my team. I dropped my luggage at my door, sat on my bed, crossed my legs and started to meditate, no noise, no stress... and no wine.