Journals

I live in the Pacific Northwest, in an area that has a high amount of native spirit energy that has accumulated over thousands of years. And, as far as I know, I don't have any native blood to call my own. Which is why it came as a bit of a shock when I seemed to get a welcoming message when I moved into my current home back in 2007.

One morning just after I moved into my house, I was laying half-awake half asleep, but still conscious of the physical world around me. As I lay in bed, I became aware of a drummer who was chanting to what I thought was a new day that was just breaking. As I listened, I also became aware of cars driving nearby on the highway that's only maybe a quarter mile away. I could hear their wheels as they drove on the wet pavement. It only took a second to realize that it was raining because of the squishy noise that tires make on a wet road as they travel along.

After determining that it was raining, I settled back into listening to the drumming and chanting that seemed to be right outside of my window. It only took me a few moments to become almost hypnotized to his song. I couldn't believe how good he was and thought that it must be one of my new neighbors close by. I felt welcomed and happy that perhaps this would be the way I would awaken every morning.

I continued to listen for several minutes before finally deciding that I just had to get up and try to see if I could figure out just which neighbor it was that was serenading the new morning. I wanted to let him know that I loved his music and would cherish waking up to his chanting and drumming each new day. However, just as soon as I opened my eyes the drumming and the chanting stopped instantly. But I could still hear the cars as they drove along the wet road.

In a way I was heartbroken that this was just a one concert event. But I also considered that perhaps this was spirits way of welcoming me to a new start in a new place.

Bill Walker