Back to Oz

I was pleasantly surprised by a gig I got in New Jersey.

I was making plans, typing that I didn't know "when I will get back to..."  when the T9 function on my phone decided that the word I was trying to type was "my." I hit the next button, it showed "Oz," I hit next again, and it finally showed "Ny." I paused because I had just noticed the man playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on a subway platform a couple days before.

On my merry way, more nervous about getting to the venue way far away the actual performance, I found the NJ Transit section of Penn Station and observed the system's rainbow-esque logo. It's painted on the trains and buses:

The next thing I noticed upon exiting the train was the bright yellow painted edge of the platform. The concrete there is textured, so that you are less likely to slip and fall onto the tracks. These are in train stations everywhere, I realize, but at that moment all I could think of was the yellow brick road.


As I sauntered down the station steps to ground level, a mural spotted me. There was a country house in a grassy field with a group of people standing around the porch waving at me. Why's there a Kansas painting in that NJ train station?

I danced like an Indian pop star then wrote and ate as I waited for the train back to Oz. I thought about how I used to watch "The Wizard of Oz" daily when I was a child. About how people come to bright urban places like NYC or LA or Paris or wherever to follow their dreams. They can get buffed, shined, and spirits refreshed and/or warned to surrender. About how in my Emerald City live several close friends who are green-obsessed including Kelly, plus Mr. and Ms. Green of Midori Jade apartment. People come here looking for their personal Magic Wizard, and leave when they achieve, get sick of the negatives, see the man behind the curtain, or want to settle down, having some interesting experiences along the way.

The train arrived as scheduled, at 12:42 am. Thanks for the magic wink, universe.

Over the Rainbow and through the Rabbit Hole

The day after my little 42 sync freakout, I went to out dinner with my best friend. We went to Blockheads, a NY chain that she introduced me to one of the first times I visited. It's Mexican and they have the best (strongest) $4 frozen margaritas. It was really good to see her. When we got the bill we saw the tip was already included (weird for only 2 people, but whatever,) and the tax. We ordered about the same amount of stuff so I suggested we simply split the amount in half. It was 24.40 each. She wanted to get back to her apartment ASAP and I rode with her. The cab was 12.40.

By then I'd mentally digested the recurring sync enough to kind of be used to it. The problem was the lack of context. When I talked to Mr. Green the night before, he suggested that I reflect back later because a pattern might emerge. He gave an example off the top of his head that it was something about Home, since that's when I always see it.

Well, I was on the way home from rehearsal yesterday, when I noticed for this mosaic mural for first time in the 50th St (1) station:

 

Uptown (1) to 242nd St Platform 

Mad Hatter and White Rabbit

and this:

There are 4 murals of Alice in Wonderland, down here in the underworld.

Downtown Platform to South Ferry

Oh! and I can't leave out that while I was taking photos, an old man was playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on trombone. It probably didn't help that I've been reading Kevin Halcott's Sync Book chapter, which explores the aforementioned elements, along with the rainbow bridge. It'd fit with the Home theme, too, since Dorothy was just trying to get back to Kansas.

My White Rabbit and a Spring Sync Attack

This is Big Bunny Hopkins. He was a good guy. I usually revisit this photo at this time each year.


How was your first day of spring? I called up the Greens because I had a synch attack.

(If I had some sweet Photoshop skills I would display a person ducking from flying spiral sinks...)

Anyway, I was well-aware that it was the equinox and first day of spring because the Sync Book Press released its second book, Accidental Initiations: In The Kabbalistic Tree Of Olympia by Andras Jones. More info here - Happy Creatures or here - Accidental Initiations 2 I'm sure it's really interesting, and I'm excited to read it, once I finish The Sync Book.

The weather gods over NY were also aware of the season. It was 67, sunny and bright. I had worked the night before and was paid in part by this:

Can we just pause right here? I just want to say how crazy I feel already, simply by taking a photo of a $20 that somebody wrote "24" on. Who does that??

Okay so moving along. My plan for the day was to run a really important but frustrating errand (DMV uuuugh), then I was going to go home. I tried but it didn't work out and I wanted to take advantage of the pleasant weather instead of waiting in line for hours so I walked to Bryant Park, stopping only for mango yogurt gelato. I passed MegaMillions sign declaring the jackpot was up to $241 million. I read some Sync Book and chatted with one of my distant friends who happened to call then while basking in the sun's super lovely radiation. Ahhhhhhh yeah. It was nice.

Once the sun starting hiding behind skyscrapers, I went down to Union Square where there's a giant Barnes and Noble - I'd been meaning to buy a particular book for a friend for a while - and a Trader Joe's wine store. I was walking from the bathroom and right next to it I spotted a Mayan Prophecy pretty coffee table book in the bargain books section. I leafed through it, but no surprising or new info really popped up. At the December equinox this year their time system restarts. Things will shift in the world in certain ways at some point, spiritually and physically - kinda vague. I think one of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net (he writes about things like simplicity, being present), summed it up this way on New Year's day via twitter: "Predictions for 2012: Change."

I picked up Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus. I read it last year and I highly recommend this book to pretty much any human being, married or single or whatever. I wish I had read it 10 years ago. The more you know... ya know? I hadn't thought about the planetary reference in sync terms before, but it crossed my mind then. Thoughts?

 I was very hungry so I bought a giant pretzel off the street and the vendor called me his habibi. I felt super worldly knowing what that means. Then I bought $2.99 wine from Trader Joe's.

On the way home it got weird. I took the subway from where I was and transferred trains via 42nd Street as is often necessary, no big deal. I was on the (1) train, which I live off of. I noticed a girl that looked exactly like a friend I used to work with, and who I'd unexpectedly run into a few days before. I said her name a few times but it wasn't her. Then I noticed the individual car I was riding in had been labeled number 2413. Of course.

I decided to get off a stop early so that I could go to the best grocery store in the neighborhood. Stepping out of the car I looked up to see the hanging exit signs that direct you. This particular subway line, unlike most, has electronic boards hanging as well, that tell you how long you it will be until the next train arrives. The direction of the train is indicated by its endpoint. I glanced at the schedule board while looking for the exit and for the first time, after having ridden this train home essentially every night for 3 months, I realized that (1) ends at 242 St in the Bronx. It is heavy, but this was a major turning point in my perception of my perceptions. 

I made my way towards the store and noticed "124 Alex Deli" with a phone number ending in "0214." Curious on what I was supposed to do and feeling my gut/intuition tense/excited, I went to the deli. I didn't know why I was there so I asked for Junior Mints, my current favorite candy, especially when intoxicated. I get them at the deli near the corner by my apartment sometimes. This place didn't have any so I thought of something else I might be there for but they didn't have lotto tickets either. 

I was feeling strangely anxious at this point and kind of wondering what the deal was. I thought, "What are you trying to tell me?!" But all I got were a several more incidences of related number combinations. I was freaking out internally. Yes, you can "scientifically" explain this shift by saying that I was focusing my attention on finding 42s. But why at this particular point in time? And are there really always that many that I don't notice? Like when I walk around on the street every day - even earlier that day? I've never done a hallucinogenic drug but my change in perception/energy focus was similar to what I imagine such an experience to be like on a smaller scale. Or maybe a better comparison is to an anxiety attack, but somehow without the negativity? That's contradictory.

Finally it subsided as I continued walking. I was relieved but intrigued. I've had other syncs that I'd like to share but this one has come on so strong that I had to tell you about it.
Interpretations to come.

Good morning,
M.A.

Stand clear of the closing doors of perception, please

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Ask

A short time ago, I silently asked the universe a question, hoping for the answer to appear within the next few days or weeks, possibly to be interpreted through some symbolic medium.

"What am I supposed to be doing (with my life) right now?"

The immediate answer I received was a clear thought: Exactly what you are doing.

Cheers,
M.A.