From Crawling To Walking

I was recently recalling a fateful event. Years ago I had quite a peculiar experience while on vacation. A distinct, subtle and peaceful voice came across my heart and mind. It wasn't me talking to myself, nor my inner-thought process.

I was very young, possibly in my second year of junior college. I was on a cruise ship traveling to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. I was ambitious with hair longer than most women. I was a guitar playing hippy, chasing women, acting cool and looking good.

I was interviewed by cruise staff the first day arriving on the ship. My likeness was broadcast throughout the thousands of closed-circuit television sets on-board. I was made locally famous and didn't realize it.

While dancing in the nightclub that first night, people were coming up to me, offering me drinks and acting like my best friends. They had seen me on their cabin television. I kept forgetting. Their acceptance of me was automatic. I had my choice of new friends. Women were asking me to do things for them. Seemed like everyone wanted to hang out with this hippy from Los Angeles. I tasted what stardom or popularity was like.

I found a ship employee who was able to acquire marijuana for me. I figured this would be a great addition to the week's festivities. The 'high' point of the week was when I invited a select few club goers up to the sun deck one evening to enjoy a smoke. These folks had embraced me as their party leader and, by having this contraband on-board, I was surpassing their wildest expectations. It was at that moment, as I basted in my own glory, I heard the voice say:

“You have power to lead people to do good or do bad.”