He awoke, threw back the curtains, and greeted the new October morn. Opening the French doors to stand in the sharp-edged sunlight inhaling the crispy smell of Autumn. Yes, this was his favorite season. Looking up at the bright blue sky with puffs of cottony clouds he paused all thoughts just to exist. He closed his eyes to concentrate the rest of his senses on the beauty of the day.

It had been many years since he had tried meditation. Back in the 60�s, when there was a Guru on every street corner, he had never managed to achieve the ability to let his mind shut down. Keeping his eyes closed, he concentrated on the feeling of the sunlight and the faint breeze on his skin. He could feel every pore relaxing. In his mind he kept hearing the mantra: �Om mane padme om.� This was how it was supposed to work! He concentrated on the many elusive smells in the air. A subtle whiff of burning leaves, he was even able to find the taste of wind fallen apples on the back of his tongue.

My God! This was fantastic! He was actually in a state of meditation! Shutting out the visual and auditory prompts of his surroundings he found millions of nerve endings that were now on high alert. His body was shedding the weight of sixty years and he felt like a teenager! At last he understood what all those self-styled mystics were preaching. There was no time in this world. He felt as if he had been standing here for eons or milli-seconds. It mattered not at all!

He was elated, higher than a kite! He wanted to tell everyone he knew about this, but he would have to regain reality.

He decided to slowly turn on the audio and see if he could still maintain this sense of being disconnected with the ordinary world. He let sound gradually enter his ears. The laughter of children� Oh, that was a great noise to come back to! Little giggles, a few louder bursts of laughter. He carefully let the volume increase�What a joyful sound was laughter! Little trills of it, great barks of it. He allowed his face to smile.

He felt as though champagne were flowing through his body. He turned up the sound a little more. Now he could hear adult voices. Some were laughing, others sounded more angry than happy. If only they could know how to do this, they would feel no anger left in them. His smile widened.

He let in the sounds of traffic now. Big trucks with loud, blatting horns, small cars with squeaky wheels. He was still lost in his own version of reality and even the sounds assaulting his mind seemed to have color and taste. Ah! Here was a siren in the crescendo of noise! It was a bright yellow, lemony sound. It felt like sandpaper. KA-THUNK! KA-THUNK! Two large noises that were a dark blue color and tasted like jelly donuts. This was fantastic!!! He could keep this place intact in his mind even now. The soles of his feet could feel each fiber of the carpet under them. � MY GOD! The things I have been missing!� he thought.

O.K.,-- Time to add the video. Slowly, he opened his eyes to mere slits. Exquisite colors flowed in, each with it�s own sound and flavor and feel. Was this why people took drugs like L.S.D.? He hadn�t even taken an aspirin and yet the beauty of the day had sent him flying across a universe.

Opening his eyes a little more, he allowed the swirling colors to take on form. He matched the sounds to what was revealing itself.

The crowd of laughing children was being hastened off the playground into the parochial school across the street. They kept turning their heads to look at him and covered the smiles and giggles with a hand.

The two policemen standing next to the patrol car were also looking at him. They were not smiling or laughing. He smiled and waved at them, �Good morning officers! Isn�t this the most beautiful day you have ever seen?�

The cops looked at him and then turned to each other, shaking their heads side-to-side. The taller one spoke; �No Pops, that is not the most beautiful sight I ever saw. Now, go put your clothes on , we have to take you for a ride.�

 

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