The Magickal Mystickal Tour

Hey, gang! Welcome to my life – where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems. I’m Freedom and I’ll be your host, coming at you from within the depths of Geistopia.

DOC: Velcum To My Life ees a prochect, un experiment in Life unt ART. A living storyboard, if you will. Its premise ees zat life ees experiential, unt zat you can, unt do, experience ze life you choose. It ees based on Ze Veel of Life unt Ze ARTs for Ze New Millennium as life building tools. Yeah, it’s true.

WALT: Welcome to my Life is an I T.V. Studios/Geist…House Players Production, in association with the Center for Creative Inspirationalism. JustUs Productions, the parent company, would like to give a ‘Shout-Out’ to the following for their ongoing, and oft-times unknowing, inspiration and support:

Princess Cuddlebug

Princess Sunshine

Craze & Co.

The Shaman

The Pillar

F’n Bob

The Warden

The Entire Putt-Putt-Putter Clan

FaeriePrincess

Professor Siggy Chong

Hoagie Snowflake

Sparky Wentz-eclaus

The VanMan and General Ralph Glossop (may they R.I.P.)

The Messengers of The Galactic Federation

The Looch

The Bassett Hound

Bert-On

The Baker of the Cornbread

Andy Pandy

The Mudder

Zason

Oh, Danny Boy

St. Diane & You

Brother John

Thing 1 & Thing 2

The Nameless One

Good Man, Charlie Brown

‘Jim’

The Rox

CCPA

Senoll #5

Superstar

Sir Richard Slouch

The Wix-ians

The Socialite

The Village of Idiots

Piz-Niffer

Dancing Queen

Downtown Encyclopedia Brown

Baby-Mama Rabbit

Belle

The Witch Baby

Aaaand, of course, a very generous sponsor who (not-so-much) wishes to remain anonymous.

It is…Sunday, August 23, 2020. Time...Initializing.

Theme – Relax, Release, Realize

Lesson – You Never Know How You Will be Led

Observation – The Magic of Letting Go

The Post

I don’t want to say that I had expectations for this trip, but I certainly did have hopes. I had hoped to share with The Princesses some of the subtleties of Questing, living life. (They really are one and the same.) But, I had also hoped to share with them some of my own Questing experiences. Mystic, CT was a very unexpected stop on my very first Quest. I will never forget the experience that was that evening. Honestly, looking back, I would have to say it was a turning, or changing, point on that Quest.

Anyway, any time we travel I like to share with them places I have been, things I have experienced. If the opportunity is there, that is. One such opportunity was to take the Princesses through Lake Hiawatha. This was a big part of my life at one time. The city would be about an hour and a half, two hours, into our trip. About halfway-ish, and the perfect time for a pit stop.

I drove them down the center of town, pointing out this and commenting on that. All the way through to the end, where there sits a community building which houses a quaint little black box theatre. I had done a few shows there over a couple of years and I thought I would just show them where it was - since we were stopping in town anyway.

Now, on our way there, we would get a little lost. It has been over a decade since I’ve been there and I was using the GPS on my phone. Just as we were nearing the theatre it would lose its signal and freeze. We drove in circles for a bit. This happened to us several times on our travels. The overall conclusion here is that it is time to upgrade my phone. It just can’t keep up anymore.

The Journey back to the highway was much easier. Some things had changed in the past decade. I was looking for a particular convenience store that once sat on the main drag. It is gone now, but, after some driving, we would find another. We took care of business, loaded up on snacks and drinks, and set out once more.

All in all, the trip there was smooth and calm. The GPS thing got a bit irritating. It was annoying the whole trip, that is, until I learned to work with the glitch instead of it working against me.

After quite a few pit stops, we would roll into Mystic somewhere around 0730-0830. I can’t really remember exactly. I just know it was damn early.

We made one other stop on our way into town. I had discovered Mystic in the autumn of 1998. I was on my first Quest ever. I had actually just left the Lake Hiawatha region - Hoboken, to be exact. I made the very same trek we followed that morning. Straight up I-95, across the very expensive George Washington Bridge, and continuing into Connecticut. On that trip, I would make a stop in New Haven. We didn’t stop there as we passed through. The timing just wasn’t right. So, we would try on our way home.

I traveled up 95, just chilling and zenitating as I went. Eventually, I would see a sign for a scenic overlook. I figured I was ready for a leg stretch and pulled over when I got there. This would be my first glimpse of a string of moments that would change my life forever. I wanted to share that with the girls - That moment, that feeling.

We looked out over the water and I described that evening, the slight drizzle and the dim lights reflecting on the water. I asked them how I could not want to go into this town and check it out. And, so that is what we would do.

We got off the exit and were met by The Mystic Diner. This was perfect, because it was definitely time for breakfast. We sat, we ate, we chatted and laughed. While we were there, I thought I would search for our hotel a little better. I looked at it once, quickly and briefly, right after I changed the booking. It showed in the itinerary as Groton, CT, which was about 24 minutes from Mystic. This wasn't right at all. In fact, we were literally sitting right next to it. It was all but attached to the diner.

After breakfast, we would be on our way. I pointed out the Friendly's across the drive. It's closed now, but I ate breakfast there when I rolled through town on that Quest. We drove down the street and turned into the parking lot for the Seaport. The very same parking lot I parked in 22 years ago. I told them how it went then. I got out of the car and started loading my bag for exploring, just as I was doing that morning with them. I pointed off into the sky and traced a line, showing them the path that the flock of birds traveled - showing me where to go next. [That had been the question, after all, "I'm here now. So, where do I go?" Off in that direction we would head.

As we walked down the street, I realized that the girls weren't as intrigued by my past journeys as I would have hoped. It's ok. They still got the tour. They are the only living people now to have been given a personal guided tour of one of my experiences. It doesn't mean anything to them now, but maybe one day it will.

It wouldn't be long before Sunshine would need the restroom. Yes, we had just left the diner. Yes, she used the restroom before we left. This was actually a 'thing' on this trip. I've determined she has the bladder of an old person. It was like once every hour I would have to stop for her. I wasn't upset by it. Frustrated at times, perhaps, but not upset. Yet, at times, it would become beneficial.

It took a while, and there was definitely some whining along the way, but we would come across the Welcome Center. We went in, the girls used the restroom, and daddy did what he does best - ask questions. We got some information on the town and some brochures, but we also learned of some beaches in Rhode Island, less than 10 miles away. This is exactly what Cuddlebug wanted to hear.

So on we went. As we continued, I pointed in the sky again. "The birds," I said, "then banked to the right and headed that way. So, lets go." We banked to the right, down the same road I once walked. All the way to the water. I pointed to the sky again. I explained that though I was on my way, I still had no idea what it was that brought me to this town. Then, in the clouds I could see a face. It meant nothing to me at that moment but I acknowledged it. We continued down the street, and though some things had changed quite a bit, I still knew where I was.

"Here, I asked a gentleman where I could get coffee. I figured if I was in this for the time being I might as well have some coffee."

He pointed me in the direction of The Green Marble. That is where we would head next. The girls would look up and down the street at the shops and restaurants as we went. We turned the corner down into the cul-de-sac where the Marble sat, only it was not there any longer. Apparently, it had just closed back in March and two young gentlemen took over the business, rebranded it, but kept the spirit [kind of.]

We got our coffee and some more information on this, that, and the other. There was one more stop to make.

It was at The Green Marble I would meet Bruce, the owner. We chatted for a bit and he invited me to meet him and his friend down at John's Irish Pub later that night. The Pub is no longer there either, still, we went.

That concluded their tour and my revelry. I realized in sharing that moment with them that nothing really special or unique happened on that first visit. Not in the way we might think. I believe, the point to that stop, all along, was to merely demonstrate how life itself can guide us if we let it. Perhaps an important Lesson to be reviewed right now.

From that point on, the Quest was entirely theirs. It was their time, their journey, their experience. We walked about the town, just kind of browsing at the shops and then headed back to the hotel. At some point they swam in the pool for a bit. We also walked across the street to Olde Mystik Village - another collection of shops and eateries. There would be two moments for me while we traversed the stores. Both involved Archetypes.

Archetypes are similar to Totems. They appear when they represent something you need to know or on which you should focus. I would receive two. One came by way of the Angels. The 7 Archangels, to be exact. And, two of those in particular - one being Raphael and the other what they were calling The Metatron [Though -Tron was never one particular angel.] The other Archetype was merfolk. Fae is Fae and they have been very active of late. So, though I found the merfolk quaint and cute, I cocked an eyebrow and snickered a bit.

And, lastly, on that first day we would eat dinner at Mystic Pizza. I had made them watch the movie when they stayed with me at Brother John's.

The plan for day two was simple - beach and seafood.

I let them sleep a little bit but then had to get them up and get them moving. There was quite the day ahead of us. More than we knew.

Side note - I have misled you. That first day, we found ourselves with extra time and took a drive to explore something I wanted to see. I saw nothing, but learned much.

So, anyway, we headed out, grabbed some breakfast at Dunkin' and were on our way to another adventure-filled day. There were two beaches in Rhode Island. One, we were told, was more touristy in the way of shopping. The other, the woman said, was more of your party town. We stopped in the former first. It was the closest.

It was not really our kind of thing, but I am glad we made the stop. It certainly was lined with high end shops and restaurants. This is where the money comes. There were two free beaches, which we had not found. We did, however, find a beach that cost $20 to get on to. I paid it. I just didn't care at that point. If they wanted to check it out we would check it out.

It was a nice beach, but it was more of a cove than an ocean. The girls walked along the sand and waded in the water. I hadn't come prepared for actually staying on this beach. So, I found myself in the water with my jeans rolled up around my knees. As we waded, they pointed out that all around our feet there was a huge school of tiny fish. So many, in fact, that it took some time for they eyes to adjust and see the individual fish. It would take several days before I would realize the significance of this.

They bored quickly and easily at this beach and we decided to go check out the other one. We figured our passes were good all day here and we could return if we wanted. However, the town has a strange parking policy. A vehicle can only park on the street for 2 hours PER DAY. Day, not two hours at a time. The whole day. They take photos of your license plate and everything. The only other options then were two parking lots - one charging $35, the other $50.

Nonetheless, we headed on. The next beach was a state beach. It wasn't a beach town like I would think of and there was no boardwalk. We passed several places where we could have pulled in and parked, including what I assume was the State's facility. The girls insisted we should go down the road further. It was one long stretch of road with, what I like to refer to as, Little Vignettes of Activity. There would be these little gatherings of buildings and businesses separated by decent stretches of road. We would finally find a place to park for $10. It was a small surf shop that offered a few spaces for all day parking. It was run by these two older gentlemen who seemed like I would have gotten along with them well. Honestly, if I hadn't been with the girls I would have probably just stayed there and chatted with them for a bit. They were lively and fun and obviously loved where they were and what they were doing.

We made our way to the beach and settled in. I had to make the girls aware of the lifeguard path so we didn't block it. I don't generally like to be close to others at the beach anyway so I wasn't really thinking about Social Distancing. I was just looking for a spot as isolated as I could find. Well, we could find. They chose the spot. I mention the Social Distancing because we were just settling in when the woman in the group to our left grimaced and sneered and snapped at us, "Could we practice some Social Distancing." It seems, though we were 6 feet away from them physically, we were not 6 feet from their toys. I won't comment on this specifically. It was not the only joke of Covid I saw on our travels. We went into at least three shops that 'required' customers to wear masks, but the employees and owners would be seen without them. That doesn’t bother me. It happens at The Job too. It just makes it all laughable to me. Nonetheless, I think Cuddlebug summed it up best, "If you're that concerned about it, maybe you shouldn't be at the beach."

I settled into my big ass chair and the girls ran off to the water. It would not take long before I had completely Zenned out. I don't know where I went, but I went far and deep. I came back just in time to find Sunshine making her way up the beach to fetch me for the water.

The water was cold. It was very cold. I don't like cold water. So, it took me a long time to fully get into the water. For several minutes I inched my way into the water. Just a bit at a time to let the next section of skin get used to it. The Princesses were in the water calling out to me. "Come in, come in."

I assured them I would but it was going to take some time. I became aware that the ground beneath my feet was pebbles and not sand. I realized this because out of the blue it started to give way. It was collapsing into the ocean. And, it was taking me with it. I managed to pull myself out of the aquatic avalanche and back up the shore just a bit. I laughed to myself. "You really want me in there don't you?" Mother Ocean was calling. I knew I needed to go in. I need that connection, at least once a year. I missed it last year.

I find a great deal of peace in the ocean. It is the one place you can find all of the elements, all of the spirits, gathered together. I knew I needed to go in. I just wasn't ready. That didn't seem to matter. Suddenly, the waves got a little bigger and the water was rising. I guess if you can't take Matt to the ocean, then bring the ocean to Matt. I laughed again.

Soon, Cuddlebug would come up and drag me till I fell into the water. The deed was done. I was wet and now I could just wonder into the water and the waves. I took a moment and a breath. I decided to do something that I have only ever done while soaking. When I soak in a tub I will put Reiki energy into the water while I soak. I figured this would be similar…only much more vast. I found my center and projected. It was, without a doubt a very intense 15 seconds. I felt connected with the entire world, the whole of existence. I felt refreshed and empowered. In that moment, I had come alive. Then it happened.

I sensed something. Whale popped into my mind. I didn't necessarily expect to see one, but at that point, I don't think it would have surprised me either. This was the third time Whale would approach me. Once, outside the bookstore in the form of art. A second time at the hotel, on top of the weather vein, and now in the ocean.

It wasn't a Whale itself, but I definitely sensed a presence. The water was different. The air was a bit heavier. I thought back on a time that Baby Mama Rabbit and I went to Point Pleasant Beach. This was another area I had frequented in my early years. As we neared the beach I could sense something…different. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. I was no longer certain that I wanted to go in the water and I hadn't even seen it yet. At the time, I was thinking about a conversation that Otto and I had held. He had spoken of the influx of sea monsters passing through the bay. As soon as I saw the water, I was certain that this what was happening. It was dark and wild. Then a few steps later, we saw the sign declaring that there would be no entering the water that day. They called it a storm. But, the beasts travel on storms.

This was a similar sense. There was something in the water, but it was not threatening. I Zenned in on it some more. The next image to come to me was Poseidon. I chuckled to myself again. The last time I had thought about Poseidon was another dialogue with Otto. He had brought him up, an encounter I believe. I proceeded to prattle on about the King of the Sea. When I was finished, Otto said, "You speak as if you know him." I'm not sure what I said anymore, but I am certain it summed up to, "He's an arrogant prick."

He didn't seem angry at me for such words. Instead, it seemed as though he had come to play, and play we did. I don't know how long I was in the water but the girls and I had such a good time. Fr instance, we were body surfing. I taught them that a long time ago. Eventually, Poseidon would draw my attention into the waves themselves. He showed me the rhythm and the pattern. Before long, I found I could predict when the biggest waves were coming. I could count them off. We took full advantage of that.

Eventually, we would take a break for some fried and doughy snacks at the little truck stand. When we were done, they would return to the water and I would return to my chair. I told them not to take too long because I was getting bored. I Zenned out once more.

We would take our leave and return to the hotel. A little bit rest and we would take our turns getting ready to go out to dinner. We would walk across the street once more and find the restaurant. It was an experience for all of us. The food was delicious. But, it was also pricey. Never in my life have I paid for a dinner what I did that night. Truth is, the whole trip and the one before it, were unlike anything we have done before. I actually had money and so we spent it. This was a wonderful treat. It put a knot in my stomach, but I knew I needed to do this for all of us. Somewhere in that night, I remembered that I had the vision of buying a lottery ticket in Connecticut and decided that I would do that tomorrow on our way out.

Finally, we would make our way into town for an ice cream treat.

I was up early on our last morning and I got everything together before waking them up. I showered and packed and loaded what I could. I straightened out and looked at finances. I gave them as much time to sleep as I could before we had to get up and get moving if we wanted to make any decent time.

We had a moment here with Sunshine. She is very difficult to get out of bed. She whined that morning that she needs time to wake up and get out of bed. I can appreciate that. So, I told her, from now on, the choice was hers. Did she want me to let her sleep in and then she gets up and goes, or did she want me to wake her up an hour earlier so she can do her thing? I really don't care which. I just don't want complaining and difficulty in the morning. So, from now on, she will get the hour that she wants.

We got ourselves ready and were out the door by 0830. Our first stop was in town at the big bakery. This would be breakfast. Then, on our way out of town, we stopped for coffee at Dunkin'. We were going to go through the drive thru but, of course, Sunshine had to go to the restroom. So, we went in instead. This Dunkin' was part of a gas station/convenience store. As Cuddlebug and I waited, I remembered the lottery ticket again. I had seen a commercial that morning on TV. I walked over to the register and there was the very ticket I had seen advertised. It was marked as a New Game and that never makes me comfortable - not if I want to actually win something. But, that was the ticket I was shown. I glanced at the ticket next to it. Same cost, lower big prize. Yet, somehow that felt right. The Universe is funny like that - using one thing to get us to something else. So, I bought that ticket, grabbed my coffee and out the door we went.

We had already agreed that we would pop through New Haven on our way home to reminisce my first trip and to explore Yale a bit. There was also something else I wanted to take a look at - a particular park, with a particular pattern in the walkways. Unfortunately, it started to rain while we were there. We most certainly got rained on. We checked out the park then bolted across the street to Starbucks. Their restrooms weren't open, so we got drinks and left.

We got back to the car and started making our way out of town, searching for a place that Sunshine could use the restroom. Eventually, I would find a grocery store. We went in, everyone used the restrooms, I bought cigarettes [I know, I know] and we started back across the parking lot. Before we reached the car I realized that I should scratch off the ticket before we leave the state. I scratched it off and had won $100. I ran back to the store and cashed it in.

We got back on our way and I think the girls napped a bit. We were still in Connecticut, on some highway that was not interstate. It was isolated and quite a nice drive. But, it was here, that the bladder would kick in once more. I remembered seeing a rest area several miles back and figured there would be another one soon. There would be, but it would be too late.

Before we came to the rest area I saw an exit sign for a mall. I suggested we get off there [just to be safe and dry] and maybe do a little mall crawl. Needless to say, they were in. It was quite the mall.

The mall was two floors. We entered on the top floor and this was where all the higher end stores were. The Princesses romped through Ulta and I went across the mall and bought new earbuds for Sunshine. From there we wondered the mall. Cuddlebug found a clothing store she wanted to go in. I told her she could get some stuff. I and bought a book and the earbuds and candy for Sunshine. She was shaking it was such an experience for her. The clothes were all $10 or less and I wasn't giving her a lot of time to make choices. I also had told her she could make 5 picks and that would balance out what I had spent on Sunshine.

But, then I felt bad for Sunshine. I remembered she had commented that she didn't have clothes for school. I told her to get some thing as well. All-in-all, in that mall, we spent that $100 I had just won. I was totally OK with this. After all, we had it. We had just received the blessing.

Here was my other thing about the mall. All over the state we were finding places that had restrooms closed. Because, you know, during The Virus we have to be cautious about touching things. Yet, in two different places we found these.

Yup. Don't use the restroom, but, please, everyone have some candy.

This is the kind of stuff that frustrates me in regards to The Virus. We go all hog wild, fighting over things like masks and things like this exist every day. Masks don't matter. Besides, if that thing hasn't made it's rounds by now I would think masks are the least of our concerns.

Anyway, so we had a great time at the mall and we were finally on our way back. Unfortunately, it was getting much later in the day and rush hour was right around the corner. We were still on the wrong side of New York City and that meant three major interstates to cross at one of the worst times of day. As soon as we crossed the one bridge, I adjusted the GPS to avoid highways. It was going to add time to the travel, but probably nothing more than we would add on the interstate at rush hour.

This was probably my favorite part of the drive. I love back roads and small towns. So for me, this was very peaceful. One of the reasons I like these drives is because I can meditate a bit. There's not as much traffic to be aware of and I only need to really focus on the road before me. So, I give over part of my mind and being to processing. On this drive, I began to process my experience of Totems & Archetypes.

I thought on Poseidon and how I don't really know much about him. Then I wondered if he had any mythological connection to merfolk. I mean, it would make sense, but I didn't know if anything had actually developed over the centuries. I thought about how playful he seemed the day before. So very unlike anything I would have thought him to be. The I thought of Triton. I wondered if there was any connection. Was Triton Poseidon in another form?

I don't know exactly what time it was when I got the Princesses back home. I know it was much later than I had ever thought it would be. When I finally got to a place I could settle in, I looked up Poseidon. It turns out he was quite the 'arrogant' prick. He has association with the sea, horses, and earthquakes. Triton is not only his son, but is also known as the heralder of Poseidon. And, over the years, they have both been associated with merfolk - Triton more so than his father. I have to wonder if it wasn't Triton out to play. I would find this curious and interesting, because once upon a time I found my way to Shiva by way of his son Ganesha. The children seem to come to me first.

I had several questions before this Quest. I think, for me, the most important one was, "Will y daughters be alright?" After this trip, I can confidently answer yes. They are incredible young women. They are both smart and bright and creative. They have such spirits about them. SO, yes, no matter what happens - where I go or what becomes of me - I fully believe that The Princesses will always be just fine.

The other questions were the usual - what am I supposed to do? Where am I going to live? These answers were not so easily seen. They are there, somewhere. Somewhere in the whole of it all, I received what I needed. How do I know this? Because - Ask & It Is Given.

I think I need to be near water - wherever I am living. It can be small man-made pond, but something more natural and fluid would suit me best. I feel good around the water. Part of me wonders if a move to New England isn't in order. I have always had a draw to it. Certainly, more time must be spent up that way. The Princesses like it and that helps.

The Rabbit Hole came up along the way. It always comes up. I have no clue how to begin, but I must. It may never happen, perhaps a wild goose chase. Still, I know my soul will never feel rested if I don't at least try.

WTML came up. There is something in it for me. I just can't imagine what it is. But, it burns at my soul. I am driven to write and capture. The adventure of life is such an amazing thing if we give ourselves over to it.

So, this is where I am at currently. It is no longer Sunday. Four days past, in fact. This is one of my frustrations in life at the moment. I am driven to write and capture, but I do not seem to have the proper time, nor environment to do so. It is a struggle. I still have last week's post to tweak up and get live. It's really just the totems at this point, but I wanted to get this one done. It's important. [No. Of course I don't know why.]

And, there is always so much more I could write about - The Job and The Seasonal Store, my experience with Hoagie and the its reflections of the past, my guilts, my fears, my hopes, my dreams. How I feel about myself lately or the world in general. There are always 1001 thoughts, experiences and moments. Each is so very intricately important. I know this. I have come to see it many times over the decades. There really is no such thing as a fleeting thought. They always belong somewhere - past, present, or future. They always have purpose in the moment they are thunk. [My blog. My words. :P]

I even have stories from yesterday and this past week to tell. When do I ever find the time?

So, I am going to skip the Totems this week. They take so very much time to put into place. This is interesting because this would be an important week for them. But, there has been a round of totems and archetypes lately. I will save them all for the next post. By next, I mean whatever post should be written for this Sunday. I stress this because when I am done posting this one, I am going to go back and tweak up the last one and get it posted. Then maybe I will like writing some more.

If you’re not already there go to the Welcome to my Life Facebook page - WTML, or the YouTube Channel - Welcome to my Life.

Wherever you are, and whenever you are, Like, Comment and Share. Let us know you’re there.

So, without hesitation…

For now and for always, from here in Geistopia, this is your beloved Rev…

WALT: And Walt…

DOC: Unt Doc…

JOHNNY: Aaaand Johnny…

And, those guys, saying, “stay tuned in Fellow Travelers,” and wishing you Peace, Love, Light…

WALT: ...and freakishness, baby!!