My Journeys Through Death
December 19th, 2008
Part one, the encounter
I wanted to dedicate this to my great aunt (94), but I would not want to cause her any stress, so I wont.
In case there is anyone out there who has an interest, take from this post what you might, but everything that I describe herein, happened, and should be taken as fact, you might not believe me, but you weren’t there, I was.
I shall begin.
It all began in 1985, however I didn’t know it at the time; but on one particular night I went to bed as usual, and this is where my life as I knew it ended.
Perhaps I should start a it earlier. I was extreemly (as I know now) depressed, something that I struggle with even now, I would work long enough to get UI, and then sit arround for the next year watching TV. An almost total wast of a life, Smoking, drugs, and booze, so much booze.
On August 3rd 1984 I had an interview with Harveys in the west end (Edmonton, 107th and 107th), and on the 4rth I started work there.
A few days into the job I remember having my hands elbow deep in dishwatter and thinking, I wish I was happy, dear god if only I could be happy.
This was also the time when I stopped doing drugs, you see I bought some coke at a bar (Smitty’s bar at WEM), and after spending $180, and getting no effect, I just quit. Everyone else got high, but it just had no effect on me. I just couldn’t keep doing it.
Harvey’s was about three miles away from home, and it was early enough that there were no busses; so I walked, wich over time really gave me a lot of time to think (this was before ipods).
within a few months I had worked into a nice steady routine, I would come in, set up, cook breakfasts, and then make the fries. Now Harvey’s fries were great, I don’t know if they still are, but at that time, I made them from scratch. I would spend my mornings, peeling, slicing, blanching, and then pre frying; and I must say, they were some mighty good fries.
About an hour spent walking and three hours in the fry room in the never ending routine of making fries, gave me a lot of time to think, and to a great extent was the crucible in which the future me was formed.
I lasted one year there, and strangest of all, I lasted another, and another, another, and then another eleven months; but back to where we left off.
On that fatefull night in 85, something happened that I had never experienced before (well, mostly, but the falling into bed dream, I will try to work in latter, or in another post).
I seemed like an ordinary dream, but it ws in colour, and now that I think about it, my only previous dream in colour was my childhood, falling dream. Maybe I will relay that now, as maybe it is related (personal growth moment just happened).
I was about five, and all that I remember seeing and feeling was walking on a long peer that I used to visit, then looking over the edge, falling into the water, and instead of hittting the watter, falling through this hole in my roof (that opened up) and gentily landing on my bed, then drifting quickly back to sleep, never to have another dream experience like it until 85.
As I said, I had another dream in colour, he first thing that I saw was this smoke, thick smoke about chest high so one could look down at it. Off in the distance (and nearby) every so often a whisp of moke would rise up about a foot, and then settle down the way smoke might.
Every time that this happened, I felt something, I just, well, like I just knew stuff, and the more smoke whisps that came and went, it was like, the more that I just knew. It wasn’t like I had to think, the knowlage was just there, and then, it was like I was one with the smoke, and all of a sudden, there were no questions, just all the knowlage from everywhere, everything.
I wasn’t scared, I felt this completely non emotional joy, this oneness, which I can only describe it as, well knowlage. and for once I was complete, perfectly happy, at the risk of being clecheic, I felt that I was one with, everything, perfect bliss.
Now this happened overnight, but believe me, it could have been a few moments, or eternity, it was the most perfect experience, and one that I chased for many years (the smoke will be important again latter).
The next morning I walked to work feeling exilerated, and more alive than I thought possable, everything was still perfect, until I got to work, and around people.
If you know what is coming next, perhaps I am not alone here.
As soon as I encountered people, I felt scared, I felt odd and very nervous. After a while I was in the fry room away from people and started to feel better, and began to realize that when I was near a person, I just new everything about them.
I didn’t have to think about it, the knowlage was just there like it had always been there, and yes I freaked out, I didn’t know what to do.
Fortunately this thing that was happening was less and less intense with every hour that passed, and I not knowing what was happening I just wanted it to stop.
For the next week, everytime I passed anyone, I would just know everything about them, personal information, there deepest thoughts and fears, and everything that they had experienced or thought. I didn’t have to think about it, it was just there, once again, like it had always been.
This should have been a happy blisful time, and one of extreem growth.
Unfortunately at the time I was terrified and just wanted it to end, and unfortunately over the next week or so, it did. It just happened less and less, until, for the most part, it just stopped happening.
For the most part.
Once I calmed down and began to realize what a guift that these experiences were, I began chasing “the smoke” and years latter, I came close, twice; but that is another story,
Be happy, be good to others, and remember to be good to yourself.
Glenn