So, it was a Thursday in 1985. It was a beautiful warm summer day. I spent most of my lazy, crazy, hazy summer day reading a good book. "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach.
I had just finished the book and was in deep thought about the lessons in this story. You know how that goes when your into what you're reading. I had a lot of emotions thinking back on that story. I was on my journey. I was learning to fly. I was seeing the truth in so many of the chapters come alive for me. I was understanding, finally!
I had an appointment to attend a study that night and I was so excited about it. I wanted to share some of the amazing truths I had just received. So I finally laid the book down and started getting dressed. It was about 5:00 o'clock in the evening and my meeting started at 6:30.
I threw a peanut butter and honey sandwich down my throat and rushed off to the shower. I made my way to the car by about 6:00 p.m. and headed down 30th Avenue North in St. Petersburg, FL. The meeting was at a girlfriends house and I liked to show up early and help her get ready for the 25 or so people who showed up every Thursday night each week to study the truth together.
I loved all my study friends and always wanted it to be a welcome and interesting discussion.
Tonight I was on Coffee and dessert duty!
While driving to the meeting I was deep in thought. I was going over the book and actually crying. It was so profound. I was getting close to my friends home, I was about 6 blocks away when all of a sudden I see this amazing huge Seagull flying at my car from the North. I looked up at it and cried out in amazement "Jonathan"!, no sooner had the words left my mouth and this particular Seagull swooped right down at my car and in front of my hood and my car hit and killed this Seagull instantly. I screamed at the top of my lungs, Nooooooooo! Then I think I went into a bit of shock actually. I felt the bump of this Seagull under the tires of my car. I looked back in the rearview mirror and saw feathers flying in the air. I saw blood, I was still screaming. I pulled my car over to a side street and stopped and looked back. I was in utter disbelief that this incident had just taken place! I just finished the book! How can this be that I just killed this amazing bird? I could not believe that only an hour ago I finished this incredible book and now I killed Jonathan with my own car!
I felt as if I had been chosen to kill this bird. He literally committed suicide by swooping right down at the hood of my car. He was aiming for me! I'm not kidding, he was aiming at the hood of the car! I was only doing 40 miles per hour! I mean come on already, how did that happen!
Why did that happen?
I was numb. I was crying so hard. I was all alone standing by my car on this side street and trying to grasp why something this strange was happening to me?
Eventually. my tears turned to numbness in me, I got back into my car. I headed on towards the study the additional 5 blocks to my friends house. It was now 6:30. I thought I was going to be early, I thought I was going to help set up for the study.
I was now late and very broken hearted.
I shared my story with everyone at the meeting, they were all shocked as well, saying "OH my what a horrible thing to have happen". One man said, I read the book and haven't even seen a seagull yet! My friend Rosemary just laughed and laughed and said something like this could only happen to you Teri, you always have strange things happen to you! I was just in disbelief. My friend Dr. Leo said he was so sorry I had an experience like that, he laughed and said, only you Teri, It could happen to only you.
I had had so many strange things happen in my life, my best friends knew if strangeness was going to happen, it would certainly happen to me.
We moved right along to the Study topic of the night,
"Perfect Love", how fitting!
I look back over my life and ponder all these crazy things I have experienced. Talk about drama! I was experiencing drama before drama was popular! I guess I was chosen for that strange interaction with that particular Seagull at that particular moment. Coincidence?
I seriously doubt that! I have been driving since I was 14 years old here in St. Petersburg. I have NEVER hit not even one curb, needless to say one Seagull! In all my life even to this day, I have still never killed another bird with my car.
Thus the above picture. The other Seagulls looking at me as if to say "What did you do"?
This is truly a strange world we live in! Lot's of lessons to learn.
You can't make this stuff up. That's how bizarre my life actually is.
Carry on now....
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