the light at the end of the tunnel

Three days after receiving my 30-or-so boxes from Toronto, I'm seeing counters and floors again and most of the crap is hidden away, stuffed into cupboards and drawers. It took me all weekend and I've filled 3 large cartons with decent stuff to give away to ESRA or WIZO, the local versions of Goodwill. I'm truly shocked and dismayed by the quantities of sheets, towels, blankets, cutlery, dishes, glasses and papers I've accumulated and refused to part with all these years. It doesn't bother me so much that I bought them (some of them were gifts), but that I have been unable to pass them on when I've stopped using them -- in many cases, for years. And of course, while waiting for it to arrive, I had to buy just a few little things to tide me over, and now they're helping to clog the cupboards as well!

But this is a depressing period, working hard at nothing it would seem. I barely get out, except to go to the gym, shop for groceries, and chauffeur the kid around. I love sitting around reading endlessly on the internet, but I need a job just to get a social life. Today I met my pregnant-with-twins friend for coffee (she drank decaf), and she's already enormous at 6 months. Although she's a highly intelligent Yale law grad, we were able to discuss nothing more than her impending motherhood of 3 babes under age 3 (her first child will be 2-1/2 when his sisters arrive) and my sad jobhunt. Downer.

After that, I sulkily dragged myself to the gym for my first workout in a week, and then moped over to the local grocery store that I hate, in search of comfort food.

And then a sort of miracle happened.

I had just tossed a head of romaine into my basket when an elderly man approached me and handed me his card in a sort of ingratiating manner, the way people who are soliciting you on the street often do. I assumed it would be nothing of interest, but I'd be polite. He said something about offering his services in the field of healing and photography of auras, and in surprise I looked down at his colorful card in my hand (without really focussing because I don't read Hebrew quickly), and asked him what this was about and where he'd acquired a Kirlian camera -- I guess they're widely available now. But he made it clear from his comments that he didn't need Kirlian photography to "read" me -- he could already see everything, he said. If I report what he told me, skeptics will immediately guffaw, but since I was and am open to the paranormal -- even though I haven't really been conscious of experiencing it -- I was cheered by this encounter. He said he had a near death experience (NDE) 14 years ago. For over a year, I've been reading everything I could find on NDEs and have been intrigued by reports of what has happened to many people who have experienced this. For many, it does seem to cause life-altering changes in their psyche and many have reported psychic abilities that have developed after the experience.

We stood and talked for 10 or 15 minutes, and he urged me to come have a sitting with him, telling me that he charges 200 shekels (about C$50). Immediately creating a picture in my mind of the outrage such an idea would cause in my husband, I told him that I was very interested, but that I have no money at the moment, as I'm unemployed and job-hunting. He said forget about the money right now, he won't charge me; he told me that I need his help and he very much wants to help me, that this meeting was no accident. Feeling I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, I agreed to go see him tomorrow at midday.

I will report on the encounter tomorrow.

Meanwhile, this gave me a good laugh: It's a clip of Conan's "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" interviewing spinmeisters following the 3rd presidential debate recently, "as America attempts once again to decide which toilet to drink out of". Go to IFILM - Viral Videos Channel and click on the "Poop Valhalla" link in the list. Hilarious!