Kimestry

I am from Pillsbury cupcakes, from t.v. dinners and "Boogie Fever". I am from birds of paradise, sloping front lawns, and a duplex filled with family. I am from gag gifts at Christmas and "the Murphy Look", from Charles and Mary and the Mitchells too. I am from the creative and the strong. From "you'll be a clown when you're paid to be a clown" and "you're the only child I put on this earth!" I am from new thought and ancient wisdom. I'm from Los Angeles and Africa, smoked turkey and boxed stuffing. From the high school romance of my mother and father, their divorce and "but I love him!" I am from intelligent and beautiful women, loving uncles, and cousins more like siblings. I am possibility in action. I am peace. I am a spiritual being ever learning, ever expanding, ever evolving. I am love.

I put an hour and fifteen minutes on the meter. Fifteen minutes for each quarter; cheaper than UCLA metered parking even though I was in Beverly Hills. I figured it should be plenty of time. My appointment was for three and it was only 2:37 pm. In the waiting room I filled out the requisite forms listing known allergies and emergency contacts. As I filled out my forms, I heard at least two other people in the waiting room say that they had three o'clock appointments as well. This could be a bad sign. There were no clocks in the room. It was like waiting at the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before customers could pay online. At 3:30pm, I turned on my cell phone again, in spite of posted requests that cell phones should be turned off. I decided to go "feed the meter" as women in the waiting room shared the US magazines they'd brought with them in anticipation of the wait. Upon my return, the woman who'd checked in just after me smiled my way as she exited...

My stories will be podcasting very soon. I'm so excited!

How often have you had an inkling that you should do something or not do something? Have you ever got the feeling that you should talk to a specific person or approach someone you don't know? How often have you listened? I have learned the hard way how important it is to listen to that voice of intuition. I truly believe that it is the voice of God speaking to us. When I don't listen, I am always sorry. Several years ago, I lived in a townhouse complex with an alley behind it. Every day I would drive down this alley to enter the subterranean garage and park my car. One day, my intuition told me not to drive down that alley. Since I'd lived at this location for three years and had driven that way every day, I didn't understand where this idea was coming from. I decided that it was a silly thought, drove down the alley, and parked my car without incident. The next morning, I went into the garage and as I approached my car I noticed that I had a flat tire. This was what my...

The movie, The Secret, has been very instrumental in sharing New Thought with a public that goes beyond those who attend New Thought Centers or churches. One of the spiritual principles shared in the film is the Law of Attraction. To briefly sum up this idea, we attract the situations, people, and material things which are in alignment with the energy with which we vibrate. If we vibrate positive energy, we attract positive situations. If we vibrate negative energy, we attract negative situations. This principle is radical in some minds because in essence it means that we are responsible for every situation in our lives. The thought is that we have drawn these situations in; our thoughts and feelings have attracted them.Consequently, if we want to attract positive people, situations, and things we have to draw them to us by holding positive feelings and thoughts. While on a meditative walk the other day, I had the realization that in truth we don't attract or draw things to us, as ...

Most people ducked slightly as they walked in the front door because the band was set up right next to the entrance to the cafe. At Industry Jazz Cafe in Culver City, the newly-installed booths made the space seem to open up. I like to sit with my legs crossed, but my outstretched leg got in the way of the staff as they passed my seat at the bar. So I gave up that privilege so that the waitresses could more easily pass by to deliver hot plates of Ethiopian food and soul food staples like greens and macaroni and cheese to hungry patrons. There was no space for dancing, but you wanted to; especially when that reggae-infused jazz jam was playing. We settled for bobbing our heads in our seats as Farzeed Farhati killed that alto saxophone during his solo. The music sounded so spontaneous and improvisational that Sandra pointed to the music stands and commented, "I'm surprised to see sheet music up there." Almost everyone there was a friend of a band member, a local, or a frien...