As a college student in the early 1970s, I chose to step out of academia and into a yoga studio. I began the process of being aware that I was aware. I learned to meditate, to play music, to dance, and to sing. On the way I found that being present has much to offer if we simply listen and follow the true thread of the life we were meant to embody.

Dancing to the beat of a different drum is not always easy. Going against the grain can be prickly and sometimes begs the question: Isn't there an easier solution? Through it all I learned that there are messengers around every corner, waiting to inform us of our true nature. For me these messengers were sometimes subtle, and at other times slapped me upside the head. In these pages I have given voice to some of my inner longing to be seen for who I am rather than what I do or how I wish to be seen. I had the understanding many years ago that fantasy and magical thinking are seductive and can lead to self-absorption, ego fixation and pretending to be someone other than who I am.

So, who am I? That is always the question. Throughout these stories and poems my intention was to draw out what was within. Working as a massage therapist, yoga and tai chi teacher for over 40 years was not how I envisioned myself in my formative early adult life. But circumstance and serendipity are always offering an alternative for those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear. How easy to spend an entire life wondering where the pot of gold is and never realize that it is in the palm of your hand.