I met a psychic on a plane on my last trip to see my California kids. That’s the same trip that Sutton’s song, The Ghost’s Perfume, made its debut. Coincidence? I think not.
I had an aisle seat with a single window seat to my right, so I didn’t buckle up while I waited for my seat mate. I didn’t know who it might be, but I expected one as it was a full flight. It was one of those airplanes with eight seats across. Two on each side and four across the middle. BIG.
I had the “author’s copy” of my book with me. I had originally packed it in my large bag but took it out at the last minute so I could review it again on my flight. I’ve read it about 200,000 times now.
I stepped into the aisle when my seat mate arrived. We both sat down, and I started examining my book. That’s when she said, “That’s an author’s copy. Are you and author?”
“Yes, this is my first. I write a blog and I’ve compiled some of my posts to make this book.”
And then she said, “I’m an author too. I’ve written six books. I’m a psychic. I had a near-death experience twenty years ago, and after that I discovered my powers.”
I followed that with, “I live in The Villages. I just attended two classes about life after death experiences. I lost my wife thirteen months ago and I know she’s nearby. I’ve experienced several things that convince me of that. That’s why I’m trying to learn more about life after death.”
And we were off.
If she told me the details of her near-death experience, I’ve forgotten them. We talked about so many different things. She asked me about my book and told me of hers. She was on her way to California to share her most recent composition. She works with people who have “the gift”, helping them to help others.
She asked me several questions about my experience and told me about hers. We related well to each other’s observations. Early in the conversation, I told her one of the reasons I was heading to California was to discuss the possibility of starting a podcast with my daughter. I had met with a podcaster the day before the flight to learn more about what’s involved. That’s when she said, “I’ve done two-hundred podcasts. You should do it.”
The more we talked the more I knew I was supposed to sit next to her. She knew things I wished to learn. She shared her experiences openly and seemed genuinely interested in mine. She ordered my book before we took off and said, “It will be there when I get home.”
I never talk to strangers on a plane. Heck, Ruth and I seldom spoke. My seatmate and I talked the entire time. She encouraged me to “keep writing and sharing your stories. Do your podcast too. We can all learn from each other if we’re willing to take the time.”
Our flight from Orlando to Atlanta lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. If I added up all the time, I’ve ever spoken to anyone on a plane, it wouldn’t have been that long. When it came time to deplane, I reached down and discovered I never buckled my seat belt. Once our conversation began, I was so engrossed in our discussion that I just forgot.
I do believe I was supposed to sit next to her. I don’t know what causes the things in our life to occur, but there are very few coincidences. Things happen for a reason. I’m more convinced of that every day.
During the flight I asked her for her take on organized religion. Ruth and I had trouble with the concept. We were both raised as Christians. I was raised Catholic, and she was raised Baptist. Both churches profess to be the “right” path.
I know a bit about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam but not much. They all have subgroups, and each believes they are a correct path. And then there’s Hindus, Buddhists, Shinto, Confucianism, and on and on. I wondered what the psychic’s take was on all of this.
Simply stated, she believes that we’re all linked. We want a way to connect so we seek like-minded people as we make our journey. She compared life to a pool of water. Each ripple in the pool represents a group that travels together. We’re more comfortable if we’re not alone. That interpretation speaks to me.