When you trust mankind to be kind will they?  I take for granted that people will be kind, I take for granted people won’t steal, I am naïve. So I ask this question; “will a stranger not break into your car and steal your belongings?”  If they do how will you respond?  A few weeks ago I went to the beach, put on my wetsuit, stashed my key in my gas tank cover… only to come out and it not there?  Picture this, wetsuit, sunglasses (thank god) towel and nothing else!  Fortunately I put on sunscreen.   As I walked up and down the beach trying to figure out a plan, I decided to report it to the state park people so they know my car is there, not much they can do as there is zero security at the beach. At the beach state beach HQ they let me use their phone, I phoned my credit card companies and shut the cards off, they are very kind at the state park office. After making my report I went and gathered my boogie board took it into the little convenience store on the beach and asked the fellow there if I could store my board, the fellow that runs the store offered me his car; I turned it down for a much harder route, I am unsure why but in my mind I kind of wanted to have an experience of suffering, I wanted to experience life at some other level and I am unsure why?  Barefoot and in a wetsuit, I began to walk, do you know what walking on concrete will do to barefeet?  A few hundred yards isn’t much, but you start to walk a half mile, or a mile and you begin to notice your feet in a brand-new way, grateful for footwear, I had no idea how important it is and I wished for a pair of sneakers. I began to look at the shoes the homeless people wore…  I trekked barefoot over to the Huntington Surf and Sport thinking they would be compassionate to my situation, along the way I ran into a guy named Jake and his girlfriend; Jake was teaching her how to ride a skateboard, I asked them if they wanted to do a good deed for the day”? They stopped, apparently these two are light workers and are on the path, I told them my story, and asked for a ride, unfortunately they had to pick up their children. Jake tried to give me a couple of bucks which I refused, I really wanted a ride home, I thanked them and kept on walking. I walked down by the water for about a mile or so and then came back up towards the pacific coast highway or PCH, there was Jake and his girlfriend, Jake walked over and said, “I’ll be offended if you don’t take my seven dollars”, little did I know how that seven dollars would get me home.  Arriving at Huntington Surf and sport told them of my plight and the gentleman in the store looked up yellow cab, have you tried to call a cab recently?  Impossible, I called the yellow cab and waited, and waited. Oh yes, I worked on patience, I meditated, I did handstands and no yellow fucking cab. Then the young woman at the convenience store comes out and shows me a bus map; says “the next bus is at 4:39,” “what time is it now?”I ask, she says “its 4:05.” I think “oh great, here I get to wait a little longer”. I walked to the bus stop and waited, I thought; “when was the last time you rode the bus?” Then I began to notice who was on the bus, I started to wonder what their lives are like? What makes them happy?  When the bus arrived, I got on paid my $1.50, told the bus driver I wanted to go to Cerritos, he said “this bus is going to La Palma,” what was I thinking this isn’t a taxi! I rode the bus, the driver a very kind man helped me with the transfer, gave me clear directions. I got off the bus walked to the other bus stop and waited some more, got on that bus with my transfer took it to my stop got off and started walking.  The walk is an important part of this because I was lacking in the footwear department. Do you remember the television show kung fu? As I walked I thought of David Carradine and his teacher, in my mind I saw the rice paper and every step I became conscious of which part of my foot I placed on the ground first, I exerted pressure lightly and slightly and thought not to break the rice paper.  In doing so I believe this act saved me from less suffering due to the blisters on my feet, none were broken open which will give the skin underneath time to begin to heal. 

Upon arrival at home I begin to diligently go into my accounts and make certain they were protected and shut down, I had called from the state park office at the beach and this was the double check, I had owed American Express $400.00 or so and paid that, the card said it was frozen or turned off.  The next morning, I wake up and check the accounts again, no issues noted to all accounts except American Express; today my balance was $12000!!! The theif took the card to 4 different best buy stores, I think this helps with their quarterly numbers no need to make sure the name matches the ID?    

It gets better, next I phone my car insurance company, I have roadside assistance so I used this to get my car towed.  Why am I towing my car and not using the spare key I have on my dresser?  Oh, because I followed the old adage; “never do today what you can put off ‘til tomorrow” you know, when it always goes down the on the list of priorities?  Well this one has come back to deliver the lesson in CAPS! I go to the beach in John’s van, and wait for about 2 hours calling them only to find out when I googled Huntington State Beach I didn’t realize there was more than one!  I had been waiting and so had they, at the other location!! DOH!  Once I got this straightened out it took about another hour to get a new tow truck and come pick up my car; I had researched where to get my key programmed, it was at an import place over in Costa Mesa which is really awesome and down to earth, we dropped the car and I felt such a relief wash over me!! Felt so good to know I was moving forward.

The next day I wake up and do what I do, which is the same thing so far since coming to California, I don’t do Yoga (unmotivated), instead I distract a little on this, I distract on that this is the beginning of falling asleep but that is another subject altogether.  The Import car place phones me up and says “my car is ready”; I say “great, I’m going to ride my bike there, it should take two hours according to Google Maps” and hang up the phone.  Then I continue to do what I do, time passes and John wakes up, I make him breakfast, Del (the postman) comes over and we have coffee and talk it is really nice John enjoys the company and I have helped Del with his back pain.  By now it is about 2:00 PM I have to go as the place closes at 5:00 PM, I set out and at 4:36 I ask this young man at a bus stop where “Placentia Street is? And do you have the time?” He responds; “Placentia Street is a long was away, you get there by riding down to the 7-11 and turning right, ride a few miles and there is Placentia.” Knowing I had to get there by 5:00 PM I got back on my bike. And pedaled my ass off, by legs had been cramping before and I had to push harder!  I can do this, I can do this, mantra after mantra, breath after breath, I pedaled.  MY mind wanted me to stop, I experienced sensation in my legs and did not want to endure a ride in the other direction, I pedaled. I was going the wrong way in the bike lane, sounds crazy?  At least I would see them coming; anyway, someone was pulling out and though it best to advise me of my stupidity, like I wasn’t already aware? I arrived at the Import Auto place at 5:15 and they were still open!  One of the mechanics came out and offered me a bottle of water, really good shop and very friendly!!  I paid my bill and had to figure out what to do with my bike?  Just kidding!  I loaded it on my roof rack and headed home to make dinner, life is good.

I love going to the beach but I never want to experience this again, one mistake and the people who live in constant fear and come from the place of lack will act violently towards you, as long as they think they cannot be caught.  I have to and need to be able to properly secure my belongings, this has been my lesson since joining the US Navy. On Day 1 of Boot Camp I left my locker unlocked and had to do 75 Pushups,  I could barely do 30 much less 75.  The next day I could not move my arms and experienced tremendous lactic acid build up due to the toxins coursing through my unhealthy ass. Then there was the time I was out to sea on the USS Connole, I worked hard 16 hours a day with some days only 4 hours of sleep, Second Class Petty Officer Woznock or something like that was trying to slip my locker open…I busted him doing that and then he was busted writing bad checks and sent to the brig.  You see there are omens in my life, signposts and hind sight is always 20x20.  In my life I have encountered a number of good people and a few bad ones, I know there are kind people out there and I vow kindness over all else. This is the karmic path, work to do good in the world and help others.   

Sometimes taking the harder road is necessary, the more difficult path wasn’t necessary, the convenience store owner offered me his car, I turned him down; I don’t know why?  In my mind I want to have the experience of getting home a different way, I needed to learn what I learned.  Here are the main lessons:

1. Memorize John’s phone number or an emergency number.  I have been lazy with regards to memorization and it is a trait that serves me well.

2. Have an emergency key, on your car programmed and working.

3. Use a lock box like realtors use to hide your key, read your owners manual rearding the electronic keyless entry FOB’s and how to protect from broadcasting.

4. Realizing there is no 411, hi can you rescue me?  Seems small but I rely on my phone for everything, without it I needed to take notes and write stuff down like addresses and phone numbers but didn’t, this caused a lot of delay.

5. There are really fantastic people in the world.

This experience gave me a chance to pause to slow down and notice the people riding the bus, it made me think about how I look at people and it made me sad, sad because this life can be so hard, perhaps we make it so perhaps not.  Blessings to all, may all manifest the destiny that which you choose.  My mental faculties are the path to happiness and success as I age; well, I suppose these may go luckily and with much gratitude I have friends that help me grow, help teach me kindness, show me the hard and the soft, connect me to spirit and make me feel grateful to be alive on this Earth.