The Answer Is Easier Than We Think

Just recently a friend of mine from high school who I haven't seen in years and years was traveling through Arizona on business and asked if I would want to meet.  This is a chica that I was really, really good friends with back when we were teenagers--and the thing that tied us together back then is that both of us played guitar.  Like seriously played guitar--and at the time it seemed only boys in our class were interested in playing guitar or music as much as we were.  So it was nice to have each other--because even though both of us would play from time to time with the boys--they were mostly interested in death metal-hard rock garbage.  Us--we wanted to play sappy ballads and more mellow stuff.

In my senior year of high school I had a dilemma--do I apply to Art schools or music schools?  That's how serious I was about music back then. And I applied to both, but more heavy on the Art--because honestly, I just didn't believe in myself as a musician as much I did as an Artist.  Eventually I decided on Art school and from that point on my guitar playing days began to dwindle away to none existent very quickly.

My friend on the other hand had a dilemma as well.  For her she couldn't choose between going into film or music.  And for her she applied more heavy on the music side but went into film instead.  Now she is a big wig...a vice president of a major financial institution, and she worked her way up the ranks from being a receptionist when she started school for film--and through the years  left film to pursue education to fulfill her corporate position.

When we got together it still felt the same.  We easily fell into conversation like no time had ever lapsed between us, and she showed me photos of her children and the new addition to the house they were working on.  And I told her about Dirty Footprints Studio, about Yoga Teacher Training, and about my new love for kirtan.

She had no idea what kirtan was so I explained, and when I did her eyes lit up.

Connnnniiiiieee, she said with this huge smile.  And then she hugged me.

She then went on to tell me about myself.

She said that when we were younger the thing her and all our friends loved about me is that I was always interested in taking risks and doing what I wanted.  She said that everyone would follow me because I had the guts to do big things--and that I would come up with these great ideas.  She said that it's no surprise to her that I do what I do now--because of course, she said--you thrive off of doing things your way--of taking risks.  But it was the kirtan she felt that really got her choked up and teary eyed.

She said the kirtan was the music part.

The part that gave us so much joy when we were teenagers.  She said of course I was falling in love with kirtan--it wasn't the kirtan itself--it's just music is a part of who I am.  Finding it was just coming back home.

She got all teary eyed and explained to me that she has everything she could ever wish for--but something keeps feeling like it's missing.  Something keeps feeling empty.  And at that moment--just by the chance that we got to meet after years and years--because the planets, sun, and stars lined up perfectly so---she realized at that moment that the one thing that was missing from her life as well was the music.

Unfortunately she only had a couple hours to spare, so our conversation ended there.

But it was so great to see her.  She is my oracle, and I was hers.

And the Universe aligned us together for that moment to keep me on my path--and to help her back to hers.

My dear friends, the answer is easier than we think.
Less searching for answers--more following your heart.