The Presence

For some reason, I left early for my gig the other night. It was on a recent Saturday night - maybe I just wanted to take in the sights, sounds and people as I drove up La Cienega Boulevard towards Sunset Strip. When I saw the white wisps coming out the hood of my car, I thought the radiator was overheated, so I looked for a spot to pull over. I couldn’t. I was nearing San Vicente and there was no way I could pull over. By now, the wisps had become brown smoke - yes, smoke, not steam!

Fire! Danger! My thoughts were racing. I had to get through the intersection without the car blowing up. I unrolled the window so the fumes emanating from the engine wouldn't choke me. Then, I rolled it back up, fearing the extra oxygen would fuel the fire if I left it open. I was scared and did not know what was happening, yet all the while I knew that somehow I would be ok.

I remained calm as I gently steered the car into the Mobil gas mart across from Beverly Center. I turned off the car, I ran inside and the proprietor came out with a fire extinguisher. I opened the hood and we tried to stop the fire, but the extinguisher did not work. Water did not work. It was a gas fire. Out of nowhere, a man appeared on a bicycle and dug up dirt and threw it on the fire; then the proprietor mixed it with water and the fire was extinguished.

By now, there was a crowd. Fire trucks arrived. The car’s engine looked demolished. I connected with the tow truck driver who had appeared out of nowhere. Then we called my insurance company, who authorized the driver to tow it to his nearby shop. I had called my wife to come get me so I got my stuff out of the car and just waited until she got there. We got to my Comedy Store gig just five minutes before playing up the first comedian.

The moment we arrived, I knew I was safe; the winds of change had brought me here. Now it was time to address the changes in my life. Once my wife dropped me off, I had to figure out how to get home. I downloaded the Lyft app and arranged for a car, and then poured my energy into playing on the comics and getting through the evening. The first Lyft I called I missed. Yikes! Called a second one and connected with a ride home. My first time using these non-taxi rides - I accepted this change.

That Monday, I rented a car. And learned at my fire riddled car was deemed to be totaled by the insurance company. Then a most amazing thing occurred. Because of this fire, this cosmic fire, the settlement I receive from my insurance company enabled me to put a down payment on a new car! After a few days, I did just that. I bought a new car. It has all the AI one could dream of. More change in my life. Navigating the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces is a steep learning curve. I embrace this change fully. I love it.

So much has happened in the last couple weeks. I rode through a storm, unscathed except for the loss of a car. Spirit guided me to the Mobil station. This Presence that is always with me provided the man on the bicycle who immediately began throwing dirt on the burning engine, assisted by the Mobil proprietor who mixed the mud with water to put the fire out. My insurance company provided me with a rental until I could purchase a new car. Finally I used their generous settlement as a down payment on a new car! Just like that! What happened is nothing short of being miraculous.

Change is what is. I was not consciously directing this. Or was I? Spirit presented me with opportunities for change, upon which I acted by choosing to say yes to them. In this way, changes manifested in my life. I have known I needed a new car for some time; mine was 9 years old. It was not my choice that the car burned, but the Universe acted and provided me with the right vehicle at the right time. I am grateful and I allow and embrace the changes in my life now.