You Never Know Who or What the Universe Will Send Your Way

Until last night, Julia and I were mere internet buddies on Facebook. She would usually "like" or comment on my posts. 
 

The other night I finally met her at a dance.  She even danced with me. And boy, can she dance. 
 

Last night there she was again. Right on my path at an outreach concert. Coincidence? 
 

There was just something about her.  Ever fascinated by people,  I brought Julia home, where she spent the night. 
 

Julia has a college degree   in recreational therapy.  She made it a point to spell out words that she thought I didn't know about. 
 

She worried about her pet goffin cockatoo named Ipolani (heavenly flower) and told me about how the bird would tell her "I love you" everyday.  Made me think of getting a similar bird too. 
 

She has held respectable jobs. She was a concierge for travel broker Expedia. At one time, she also sold shoes. She called herself Imelda Marcos and said she even owns men's shoes. 
 

Her 88 year-old mom has written two books and has recently been asked to write a screenplay -- gives a lot of hope about being an octogenarian. 
 

Julia has been living in Honolulu for more than 30 years now but flew to the Big Island to check it out.  She wants to buy into a health-, nature- and spiritually-conscious community near the ocean. 
 

"I plan to go into agriculture and sell my produce," she said. At the same time, she talked about setting up a free medical clinic. And then she invited me to go on a cruise to Tahiti in May and a trip to Cuba in November. She's not wasting time or life. 
 

I had only met Julia and initially I thought she was another "good crazy kind," which I tend to attract. 
 

But this really drew me to her: On the door of one of her closets in her house, she has a collage. The collage is divided into three: 1) photos of her friends; 2) words of affirmation, e.g. love, trust, faithfulness, abundance, peace, good health etc. ; and 3) Julia's favorite photos of landscapes, gardens,  flowers and birds, etc. 
 

Although Julia laughed and described her collage as somewhat juvenile, I didn't laugh at all. 
 

Then she asked: If you were to do a similar collage of what you value most and what you want affirmed, what would you have on there?




Julia

- Ariel Murphy