It was at one of those Parker Conferences in Miami that my mentor, the now late Dr. Frank Dunn, introduced me to Total Body Modification (TBM) Technique which helped me with deal with my own protracted case of mononucleosis. TBM uses muscle testing and reflex points on the body to detect subluxations as well as organs and systems under stress. Dr. Dunn's work with me helped me immensely and in 1998 I began taking modules in TBM. I'll always be grateful for Dr. Frank Dunn's mentorship.
Miami, Florida in the distance. The photo was taken from the MacAurthur Causeway between Miami Beach and Miami. Cycling on A1A and the causeway was extremely tense. All morning I was second guessing leaving Miami Beach and attempting to ride to my day's goal of Key Largo. It was as if I had an inner knowing that I should slow down today. It was strange... even the traffic felt different. Cars and trucks tore past me with what I can only describe as an energy of disdain. It was for this reason that I cycled along the causeway's pedestrian path.
Then the path ended. A bicycle lane appeared. Within a few hundred meters I felt the squish of a rear tire flat. I dismounted and started to walk the bike along the causeway. The bike lane disappeared as soon as it appeared and I was walking my bike along the busy road. I kept walking until the causeway led me to Watson Island. Okay God, I get it, slow down. Look for something good in this...
Beautiful flowers were growing along that stretch of causeway. I was standing on the road when I took this photo. Road - guard rail - weedy grass - rusty fence and these flowers.
By the time I had reached the off ramp to Watson Island, I noticed that my front tire was also now flat. In all of the thousands of miles that I've cycled in my life, I don't ever recall having two flat tires at the same time. Watson Island had a public boat launch area, complete with washrooms and a nearly empty parking lot.
I walked toward a guy sitting on the curb. He was waiting for his buddies to help him with the boat and trailer that was in the parking lot. The boat had significant water damage and they were planning to pull it somewhere for cleaning and repair.
"Hey man, how you doing?"
"Okay."
"Can you believe it? I was just crossing the causeway and I had 2 flats!"
"Where you coming from and going to?"
I told him about my trip. He was a bit incredulous and responded with, "That's crazy. And you want to go to Key West? That's crazy."
I smiled at him and held out my hand. "My name's Pat."
"I'm Daniel."
We started to visit while I began the chore of unpacking the bike and removing both wheels.
Daniel, speaking with a heavy Cuban accent, proceeded to tell me that he had escaped Cuba on a 3-day raft odyssey 17 years ago.
"You escaped on a raft across the ocean? Man, now that's crazy!"
The reality of both our trips is that neither one was or is 'crazy'. His trip was absolutely necessary for him to escaped living in a country with little socioeconomic benefits. My trip is out of the necessity of being a healing journey.
Daniel's two friends, Pablo and Orlando showed up as we were visiting. Pablo was a cyclist and visited with me as I tore down one of the tires. He also directed me to a bicycle shop along Biscayne Avenue in Miami, just a short distance from the causeway.
Left to Right: Orlando, Daniel, Pablo next to the boat, "Helen". The 3 of us shook hands. Pablo asked to have his picture taken with me. We parted with a mutual "God Bless."
This is David, head mechanic of the Miami Bike Shop Co. working on my bike. David and I talked about how we both like to tour solo. "It's my prayer and meditation time," I said.
"Yeah, it just clears your head," he said.
I told him about the church signs that I'd been photographing on route. He took one of my cards to check out my blog. Their shop was obviously busy and once again I was deeply thankful for having my bike issue being put at the front of the line... Thank you David.
The Miami Bike Shop Co. entrance, 1800 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida.
www.miamibikeshop.co
Once David had completed work on my bike, (two new tires, cleaning the chain and adjusting the gears), I visited with Karim at the checkout. He looked at the card I handed him with my blog address and email and said, "Chiropractor. I was really helped by a chiropractor. His name was Dr. John Demartini."
"I know Demartini."
Demartini takes people through the 'Collapse Process' to help them balance their emotions. I had first heard Demartini speak at Parker Chiropractic Conferences and then attended one of his weekend seminars in Halifax. Early on I noted that his message was part and parcel to a lot of New Age rhetoric. As a guy who grew up in the Roman Catholic faith and now attends a Baptist Church, I had difficulty with some of what Demartini taught, in particular, his notion of 'Christ Consciousness'. Christ for me is a real person, a risen Saviour. I have a lot less trouble with the notion of 'Christ Consciousness' now though. 'Christ Consciousness' is not meant to exclude a personal relationship with Christ as a Risen Savior. Christ asks us to emulate Him through our words and deeds. Unfortunately, the majority of criticism regarding 'Christ Consciousness' comes from church leaders who want to dictate how, when, and where we commune with our Savior. As such, notions of 'Christ Consciousness' are labelled a blaspheme. People need to relax and realize that there is spiritual truth everywhere. Christ loves us unconditionally and wants us to partake in His unconditional love... His Consciousness.
Karim and I shared our respective healing journeys.
"You know nothing happens by accident. I believe that you were meant to come in here today."
We shook hands and I walked out. Unfortunately, I left the shop without the spare tube that I had just purchased.
American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Ave, Miami, Florida. Home to the NBA Champion Miami Heat. These photos are for my son Sean. Love you buddy.
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