Once upon a time, I found myself cruising through the turquoise waters between Bonaire and Aruba, with friendly and attentive wait staff meeting our every need, entertainment for all tastes spread throughout the ship, no cell phone, no internet lots of ocean and nothing to do but relax and have fun. I was daydreaming about the hot jazz playing piano man, barely in his 30s, who clearly flirted with me after dinner last night. (More on that naughty little thought later…keep reading!) Perfect environment to be happy, right?
#ThankAndGrowRich
Well, not according to my dinner companions the first night. They spent that first dinner telling stories about failed cruise vacations. Dramatically retelling the stories of lost luggage, less than tasty food, long lines, rough seas, blah, blah and blah. No one realizes that they are creating it over and over again. My travel mate and I found happier dining buddies the next day!
Being a happier-than-should-be-legal single on a ship full of post election complainers, I had my work cut out for me!
Even on vacay, surprisingly large groups of people find lots of things to grump about. Between Trump, Hillary and long and detailed laundry lists of health complaints, I was thrust into a world where positivity was hard to find. One lady even whipped out her cell phone to show me pictures of her nieces knee surgery. I politely declined. (WTF?!?)
You see, I have just as many opportunities to get on the pity parade and whine about what is not showing up in my life as the next guy. Once upon a time, I might have even been one of the whiners and pointed out every flaw onboard right along with them.
Seeing how unhappy some of my fellow cruisers were, I realized once again how important it is for me to find well-being, no matter what. In February of 2015, I set a clear intention that whatever I am doing, wherever I am, I want to feel that delicious inner sense of peace and pleasure that is well-being.
The state of well-being is where all the magic lives
Why is that important to me?
Well-being is magnetic. I believe the state of well-being is where all the magic lives.
So that means that when I am on a ship full of grumpy grandpas and their crabby appleton spouses, I need to create lots of well-being for myself. It is finally actually fun for me to share temporary living space with negative nellies, I would simply remove myself and then go find someone I prefer to chat with.
If I found myself alone on the ship, I wrote my way to delicious a lot of the time. Abraham Hicks suggests writing scenes of a life you would love to be leading. My friends and I play this game all the time. Here is a good example of how I took a chance encounter on the cruise ship and wrote my own version…the version I wish would have happened. I wanted to know him….
The Piano Man on board passed by my striped lawn chair on the poolside deck one sunny morning. He nodded in a friendly way, stopped to greet my companion and I and then walked on toward the coffee shop. I watched him walk away and sighed. He was adorable and friendly in a distant sort of way. That was it, the whole 30 second encounter.
Later that day, I was daydreaming as I watched the foamy wake in the sparkling teal water and this is the story I wrote about that chance encounter on deck with the Piano Man. My imagination is a wonderful place, it delights me to write these stories. Enjoy!
Coffee? Tea? Younger Piano Guy? Yes, please.
My Piano Man
He was a bit tipsy and just naughty enough to catch my attention.
Bantering with the crowd, he effortlessly created an illusion of intimacy as he celebrated two fiftieth anniversaries, a handful of birthdays and a few requests sprinkled in the mix.
It was fun watching this Piano Man spin his magic. A full head of curly brown hair and hard to describe eyes, maybe green, maybe blue. Very young, way too young.
I can’t help but wonder how often he hooks up. Certainly an occasional lonely widow or broken-hearted divorcee looking for a little sugar sips cocktails at his piano. No doubt a few room keys have been slipped into his pocket as the endless parade of middle Americans perch at his piano.
He selected a couple of interesting love songs and he did make flirty eye contact with the ladies surrounding his baby grand, including me. Knowing hundreds of female fannies have occupied my seat at the piano, I can only wonder at his intent. Musicians have that reputation, you know what I mean, everyone wants to sleep with the leader of the band.
One would imagine that if one was the whole band, it would even be more likely that he would have as much sex as he wants. Talented and charismatic he seemed genuinely interested in the stories people stammered out at the end of a lot of cocktailing.
“You’re really talented. What are you doing on a cruise ship?” How many hundreds of times this Piano Man has no doubt heard these words? Yes he is musically talented and yes, he has bantering down to a science, but, his real strength is projecting casual intimacy and reeling in the reminiscing baby boomers he croons to every night.
Sensing a bit of the introverted mad scientist behind the mask, I admire his polished skill in ‘managing’ people. Cycling through humans in waves as he does, I can only imagine that there are unique sparks of interest peppering an otherwise blandish crowd. How does he explore those opportunities?
Watching the Piano Man maneuver the crowd, expertly diverting some hecklers into a rousing sing-a-long of Country Roads, I couldn’t help but notice some natural tricks he used to create an evening’s worth of intimacy.
Winks, innuendos and snappy one liners captured the attention of the aging baby boomers sipping their colorful tropical drinks. Occasionally a smitten lady passenger with an indulging hubby in tow bubbles over with enthusiasm asking for a special song as she tosses a bill into the tip jar. For the most part though, the Piano Man sings as a back drop for conversation, as invisible as the wall paper.
I found myself curious about this Piano Guy. I sensed a quiet desperation, an itch for a grander adventure hiding beneath his smooth banter. Who was this man flirting with women old enough to be his grandmother?
On the day we visited St. Lucia, I had tucked myself into a corner of the pool deck to finish a piece on pleasure as a healing modality and was happily tapping away on my keyboard. An introvert at heart and content with my own company, I was lost in the project as calypso music drifted my way from the nearby cantina.
I was delighted to be his audience of one
I was just wrapping the article and I must have had a big smile of accomplishment on my face. “What’s making you so happy this morning?” I glanced up to see the Piano Guy approaching. “Good Morning.” I grinned up at him. “Just about done with a deadline. Yay! Almost time to relax!”
“Do you mind if I join you?” Barely waiting for my reply, he pulled a chair out from my table and sat down. Taking his laptop out of his worn leather shoulder bag, I couldn’t help but notice his hands. Fingers not long enough to be “classically” correct for piano, they still carried the poise and confidence of the cyncical poet sitting in front of me.
“What are you working on?” I wondered out loud as he organized his notes. “What am I NOT working on?” He kidded. “My computer is my companion and friend. Some days I am writing comedy, others I am writing a story line for my future Pixar project, and sometimes I am just writing so I don’t pinch somebody’s head off.”
That made me laugh hard. I snorted. “Sorry!” I said, giggling again. This smooth operator, purveyor of piano passion, repeater of Sweet Caroline for the billionth time….funny and accommodating to all….dreaming of pinching passengers head off.
His eyes sparkled back at me. I knew he loved making people laugh and I was delighted to be his audience of one. “Can I get you something to drink?” He said as he hung his bag on the back of his chair. It felt like he was claiming my table and me for awhile. I like that feeling.
Knowing he was coming back made me shiver
Wearing board shorts, a blue button down shirt, a visor and round John Lennon style sunglasses, he was almost unrecognizable as the Piano Guy and I sensed his delight at being able to disappear into the scenery of shipboard life. I watched him walk away from me and knowing he was coming back, made me shiver.
I went back to my article and began proofing. How timely. Re-reading my words about the diversity of “relationships” in today’s world, I was inspired once again. Who is to say what is right or wrong? What if pleasure was the elixir?
“Here you go.” He slid a beautiful fruity concoction my way. Biting my lip I felt a blush hit my cheeks as his hand brushed mine. I slipped the paper hat off the top of the straw and sipped the creamy drink.
I watched him as he got to his writing task. Reaching into his bag he took out a sharpie, a protractor, an egg timer and a small red velvet bag. He looked up at me with that wicked good twinkle that had captivated me in the first place. He knew I was curious. I went back to my proofing.
“So now you’re shy?” I looked up and met his gaze. Busted. I laughed. “Not every day I get to share a table with a Piano Man.” His attention was delicious and I had no intention of wasting a moment of it. “I am researching a new post on cross generational dating, I’d love to pick your brain.”
“At your service, Madame?” He slipped off his visor with a flourish. “As I prefer dating older women, I am also curious about you.” If there was anything in me wondering where this little opportunity might lead, I was now resting assured that this lovely man would be my willing consort, should I desire.
“How long have you been drawn to olders?” I tapped the record button on my phone.
“For years, ever since one of our neighbors hit on me in high school. She was my mom’s best friend, how’s that for hot-cha-cha!”
I took a long slow sip of my drink. “Sounds pretty exciting.”
“Right? She was beautiful. Her husband had been transferred and left her behind to sell the house and tie up loose ends. Lucky for me, I was one of those loose ends and tied up I got. She was very sure of herself and I was down for every bit of it.”
I looked right at him and leaning my chin on my hand I waited for him to go on.
He leaned forward and tucked a wisp of my hair behind my ear. It is not like the wisp didn’t need attention, it did. It was the way he did it, the way he stroked my face as he replaced the wayward strands.
The heart drop I felt went through me to the floor. I wanted more than anything to let this happen. Mouth suddenly dry, I nervously licked my lips and inhaled deeply. Well then. Another breath. He never broke eye contact with me. “You are an interesting one.” He said, reaching for his drink.
“Girls my age just aren’t interesting to me. I’m not sure I want to be a parent and if I do, it won’t be for a long time. Older women are beyond the building a family stage and that is hotter to me than a tight body.”
“Uh huh.” I was liking what I was hearing and had no reason to interrupt.
“Can I tell you about my first time?” Guys loved to tell me their stories and I nodded eagerly. “Let me refresh your drink for you and then I’ll tell you all about her.” I settled back into my chair and looked out at the ocean. I was surrounded by couples chit chatting, waiting for the ship to depart. Laughter and music from the pool deck rode the wind brushing my skin.
“What is the issue with younger men?” His voice brought me back to the moment. “Issue?” I said without realizing it. “I don’t….” I looked across the table at him and left the sentence unsaid. I got all the information I needed in his eyes. He may be younger, a little too younger, but he was meeting my gaze without reservation and I loved that chutspah.
“I’m waiting.”
“Ha ha!” Smiling I picked up a pen. “I don’t think I have an issue, I just haven’t met anyone yet who shares my interest and attraction.”
“Bullshit.”
I flashed him a look of delight. “OK, I do feel hesitant and I don’t know why.” He twisted the cap on his beer and took a drink. “Well at least that is more honest. Seems most women I meet are a bit hung up on the younger thing. Even my neighbor, she was all over it but still felt guilty about how much fun we were having.
Now, I am no mind reader but I am pretty sure you are thinking about what it would be like to tuck your face into my neck and nestle in there for a little TLC.”
I swallowed hard. Dang mind reader.
“And imagine if we were alone right now and I moved closer to you and put my hand on yours to soothe the nervous tapping of your fingertips on the table.”
I immediately realized how anxious I was and took a deep breath, stopped tapping my fingers and reached up to run my finger down his jaw line. “You are adorable.” Searching his face and finding nothing but openness and why-not-ness, I felt myself relax.
He stood up and said, “Come here.” He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. “You are the one who is adorable.” Slowly I could feel my body relax deeper and deeper. For some reason I became really huggable. I let it in.
*************
Writing that bit of whimsy was so fun. Was any of it true? Why yes, there is truth (real reality…whatever that is, lol) woven throughout. That is what makes these magical manifesting stories so delicious. The more real they feel, the more powerful they are in distracting you from negativity and ushering you back into well-being.
Abraham will teach again and again that pivoting your mind from something troubling you to something that feels delicious is the way to get the Law of Attraction to move faster. After practicing these techniques for over 15 years, I can promise you that well-being really is enough.
As you focus on processes I share here as well as those described in Ask And It Is Given by Abraham Hicks, you will see a steady stream of provision come right into your life. All you need to do is Stay In Your Lane.
If you find yourself wandering around discouraged, don’t give up. Reach out and let me know what is going on for you!