THE UNIVERSE CALLED

I read an excellent music biography written by Andy Summers, the guitarist for the 80’s band The Police. With hits like Roxanne, Every Breath You Take and Don’t Stand So Close to Me, Andy, along with Stewart Copland and Sting had a string of giant hits and then called it quits when they were at the top of their game. The book is outstanding if you are into musical biographies, but what really got me was the title: One Train Later. It was only because Andy Summers, a struggling musician, missed a London train one day and had to take the next one, where he met Gordon Sumner, who would later take the stage name Sting. If Andy Summers had not missed his train, the whole thing may never have happened.

There are countless stories like this, some tragic, some wonderful and when looked at from hindsight, it sure seems like the universe is not as random as we make it out to be. Time will tell, but I believe that something like this recently happened to Vanessa and I while we were traveling in Barcelona Spain.

February 15 is Vanessa’s birthday, and we made 2 reservations to visit Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Catholic Church in the world and a true gem of architecture. We double booked since we were not sure how long it would take to get there from our hotel, and we also wanted to visit the Picasso Museum that day as well. We chose the museum tour in the morning, and used our Sagrada entry tickets for later that afternoon (Universe 1).

We spent a few hours with Picasso and then walked around the Barcelona neighborhoods, had lunch and began the long process of finding a wheelchair taxi in the city to make our 4pm entry time at the church.

When we arrived, we waited in a few different queues waiting for guards to show us the accessible entrance where I would receive a “pat down” instead of going through the metal detector. While Vanessa and I waited, we both saw a young woman alone also waiting. She had a noticeable limp when she walked and I wondered why she didn’t have a cane. The area around the church is hilly, and the pavement cracked in places. I hoped she wouldn’t lose her balance. She was right in front of us, and in the outside elevator, it was only her, Vanessa and myself. This is where I usually start speaking to anyone and everyone, but she was looking at her phone, so I stayed quiet.

A little later, we saw her sitting inside the immense cathedral meditating. Although there were hundreds of people inside, Vanessa and I wound up near this young lady again. Her eyes were closed, but I took note that she again seemed to be all alone in this beautiful place. (Universe 2).

Vanessa and I did not speak of this woman, but instead spread out and began to read, take video and photos for her Spanish classes, and continued to move around the cathedral. About 15 minutes later, we ran into the young woman again. She had her phone propped on the floor against a pillar and was trying to take a selfie while people cluelessly went back and forth ruining it. I approached and asked her if Vanessa and I could help her get her photo. (Universe 3).

I laughed and said “between the elevator, and running into you a bunch of times, I think a higher power is trying to tell us something.” We laughed, and introduced ourselves. We shared stories and chatted in the cathedral for almost an hour. We invited her to dinner with us back near our hotel. Her hotel was a mere 5 blocks away. This was Nicole’s second time in Barcelona, and she was traveling alone, trying to come to grips with her disability. A graphic designer by trade, Nicole has recently launched her own brand called “The Real Pause.”

From her website: The Real Pause is a brand that encourages introspection and self-acceptance. The brand aims to build a community in which people are encouraged to be more mindful of being present and working on self- improvement and acceptance. This includes people with disabilities, mental health issues or anyone looking to discover their true selves.

Vanessa, Nicole and I shared a few more hours together that day and have kept in touch since. I am convinced that the Universe put us in each others path that day and possibly, a longer orbit. I think it’s telling that I am traveling the globe showing what is possible while living with disability, while this young woman is currently working through her own struggles with Cerebral Palsy and her insecurities about her disability. The day after meeting, Nicole shared with us that she rented a scooter to see more of Barcelona without destroying her energy. She told my wife she did this after hearing our story and listening to your body.

Nicole, I hope that you are reading the blog this week and that you’re doing well. We will stay in touch. It’s not possible to ignore the universe right?

Stay safe, stay awesome and stay tuned.

Pat and Nicole Flores the day the Universe told us to meet. She gave me a hat with her brand. The Real Pause encourages people to reflect on who they are and fully accept their inner selves.