The ice sheet was vast and smooth. My caravan made its way slowly against the tremendous wind that tried to force us back with every step forward. Transporting the exotic herbs and spices into the high mountains had become my life. It brought life sustaining properties to villages deep in the mountains. Those that traveled with me held my distinct intuition in high regard—almost a kind of reverence.

I had a form of intuition, but it was far greater than that. Somehow, I could see the outcome of all my choices as they occurred. I didn’t believe it was foresight, but actual sight into real-time future. I somehow perceived time in a non-linear way—where I existed in the present, I also was in the past and future. It was a daunting task to reconcile my presence, but I had grown accustom to the phenomena over the course of a lifetime.  I knew how to arrive at locations I had never before visited. I knew the people and who would receive me. My legends have traveled far and wide. Many revered me as prophetic, but I would insist that I was just a man with good instincts.

As we proceeded forward, most would have turned back, but I knew the village was close. I could see men bathing in the soothing hot springs with the steam billowing into a massive cloud that obscured the village. I could feel the warmth of the snow-covered dome shaped dwellings and the smell of hot nourishing food. These people had adapted to the harsh conditions in this beautiful mountain abode.

My assuredness that we would not perish was transmitted to my caravan without the needs for reassuring words. But, I also knew that they were scared for their lives with no hope of surviving if they turned back now. I felt the responsibility of their lives acutely.

As we broke through the bank of the rolling cloud, we emerged into a beautiful scene.  Before us was a large shallow body of water with pillars of minerals jetting up out of the steaming pools. The men were startled as we came into their view. Then everyone seemed to exhale a sigh and exclamation of relief. Those that followed me once again looked at me in awe in the way in which my foresight had directed us so perfectly to this Shangri-La.

July 28, 2017