I found myself alone with a fragment of the cross that Christ had carried. It was surreal to think that an ordinary person like me could be in the presence of such a world-changing symbol. Not long ago, I was a sailor, navigating the seven seas, living an ordinary sailor's life. But now, my path had led me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Despite having a New York State Regents certification qualifying me for my position, I had never taken art seriously beyond admiring the works of the great masters. My primary skill was accounting, but I found it mind-numbingly boring, which led me to join the Navy in search of adventure.
Raised as a Catholic, my understanding of religion was limited. Eight years of Catholic grade school had taught me that anything fun was a sin. We were told it was a mortal sin for a woman to wear pants, and even thinking about sex was hell-worthy unless you were married. Disillusioned, I joined the Navy to experience the "sins" I had missed out on. After years at sea, I sought a normal job and, still bored with accounting, leveraged my art certification to secure a position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The world had changed significantly during my years away. Surrounded by celebrities, I hardly recognized any of them. One day, a woman frantically asked about her Gold Plates in the Rockefeller Wing. When I inquired why she was so concerned, she replied, "Don't you know I'm Happy Rockefeller?" I was clueless.
When the Vatican sent us the cross that Christ had carried, I was unaware of its existence. As I stared in amazement, I heard someone approaching with a clanging key. It was a black man in a faded suit. "How did you get in here?" I asked. "I have a key to every space in the Museum," he replied. I asked him to sign a list of anyone in the special gallery with the cross. "I'm always here, but I'll sign anyway," he said.
Curious, I asked why he was there. "I wanted to meet you in person," he said. "I'm not a celebrity," I quipped. "No, but you're more entertaining than you realize," he replied. We talked about my ignorance of celebrities like Dudley Moore and Tony Randall. He asked if America seemed different after all those years. I told him it felt like America had gained a soul. I had recently heard a voice like an angel singing "Like A Prayer" by Madonna from a tavern jukebox. It struck me because she didn't seem like someone who would sing a song with deep religious connotations.
I shared my experiences with a regional fringe religious movement. The people were kind and spoke of future events I couldn't comprehend. A beautiful girl invited me to a party, which turned out to be a religious gathering. Her twelve-year-old sister asked if she could become Miss America, and I assured her she could. She did become Miss America, which made me realize the power of faith.
The girl told me about a vast religious movement that would start in America and spread worldwide. At the time, it seemed beyond my understanding. She wanted to save my soul, but I couldn't believe her. However, as I traveled, I began to understand. Seeing natives swim with sharks protected by their faith made sense. While sailing in waters where Christ had fished, I felt a presence, an alpha and omega.
"There is a God. I have that from the highest authority. Trust me," he said. "Didn't Richard Nixon once say 'trust me'?" I quipped. "Oh yes, he did. I guess I'll need a new cliché," he replied. Just then, there was a knock on the door. As I got up, I saw my visitor and his clanging key melting into the Museum wall. The knock was someone informing me of updated instructions from the Vatican. When I asked if he knew the man who signed the visitor book, his face turned pale. "That guy worked here, but he's been dead for fifteen years," he said.
This encounter left me pondering the mysteries of faith, destiny, and the possibility of divine intervention. Whether it was an angel or a figment of my imagination, the experience profoundly impacted me, making me question the boundaries between the earthly and the divine.
The Girl In The Window
I never imagined that the Internet would lead me to my future wife, but it did. This is the true story of how I met my soulmate, Anne Therese, online.
Two Sex Starved Women And A Sailor
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Five Months in Hell
In the annals of history, there are stories of sacrifice and endurance that often go untold. This is one such story, a tale of bravery and resilience that has remained in the shadows for nearly a quarter of a century. It's time to shed light on the harrowing experiences of those who stood firm in the face of adversity.
