Dear Traveler

My cellphone rang, muffled inside of my pocket. I likely had 10 missed calls by now. I had missed my bus and was walking to the nearest block to try and catch another. The mud and gravel flowed seamlessly together combining a murky downstream as it passed by my feet. I began to walk quicker down the road, eager to make it on time. Each leap forward leaving no footsteps behind. None other than me splashing the already drenched grass on my way. The puddles exploded as I rushed through them arranging for the grass to receive much more water than it needed. Not as bad as I needed to catch this bus, I thought to myself. I’d miss my daughter’s dance recital and lord knows this next disappointment would not be the only shortcoming of mine she’d have to endure this week. My eyes fixed on the ground, trying to remain orderly as I watched my step. I became sidetracked by my thoughts, and then, by a small black book. I slowed to fix my gaze upon it as it seemed strangely out of place. It was propped up against the lamp post, barely catching a break from the rain. I should grab it, I thought to myself, perhaps place it somewhere dry for it’s owner to collect at a later time. That would be the right thing to do. I stopped to grab it and held it downwards, the leather cover shed the excess moisture it had been collecting as I searched for somewhere dry. In the open street there was very little that could remain completely untarnished by the rain. At this point, I could only see the bus shelter that I had eagerly been chasing just up ahead. I made my way towards it as I clenched the cover of the black notebook. Once inside, my inappropriate curiosity peaked just in time for me to read it’s first page before spotting the bus in the distance.

“To whom it may concern,

This finding is not a coincidence, if you’ve found me at all. Hoping you have, I’d say you are lucky. I will go unnamed for it is not my name you have come here to find. I am a wealthy man, with much more than I need. I have paved a good way for myself and once I arrived to a crossroads I realized I no longer needed the heavy coins in my pocket for they were only weighing me down. Have you come to collect my coins? Will you walk the road to find the treasure that awaits on it’s opposite side? If you’ve the adventure in you, traveler, I urge you to read on”.

Mesmerized by the poetic ambiguity on the page, I was harshly interrupted by the bus as it came to a splashing halt in front of me. I had very little time to decide if I should read on or leave the book behind. I clenched it as I stepped on to the bus. I shot a courteous smile to the elderly woman perched at the front, her arms crossed on top of her chest. I made my way to an empty seat near the back of the bus and opened the notebook again.

“If you’ve continued on, chances are I’ve peaked your interest. Despite who you are, and how you decide to receive my wealth, I wish you well on your journey. This life can be very difficult, and sometimes waiting for miracles isn’t enough. There are times where we must create them for ourselves and for others. Consider this my gift to you, neighborly stranger.”

The first page seemed to have taken on the brunt of the rain and the rest of the paragraph could not be deciphered. I glanced around the bus and continued on to the next pages.

“I will take you on several stops, if you’ve the time, and the final of these stops will detail where I’ve buried a large sum of money, no strings attached, for your collecting.”

I looked at my watch, I really did not have the time, not if I wanted to make the whole recital anyways. But perhaps if there really was a bunch of money up for grabs, she’d be less upset with the hefty allowance I’d gift to her in exchange for being late. How silly would I have to be? This guy could be a murderer luring me to my death. A sicko just serenading another hopeless victim. I was not that naïve. I shook my head. Stupid book, what a waste of time. I propped myself up in my seat, embarrassed by the time I’d wasted nose deep in some strangers twisted journal. I watched out of my window, studying the puddles made by the bus as they crashed onto the sidewalk. Someone had left it intentionally, had I not grabbed it the next person might have. Maybe they would have been naïve. I assured myself that I wasn’t but still, something urged me to read on.

“The first stop is in your mind.. why are you unhappy, what are you longing for, and when you get the money what will you do with it? Will these purchases change your life forever, will they sustain you or provide only sustenance? Ask yourself and think harshly. You are about to inherit enough money to pay down a significant amount of debt. Common thoughts like if you are worthy or if you are lucky should cross your mind but try to dig deeper and exercise great introspection within yourself. You will pay off some of your mortgage, but still, you will not be happy. You will buy yourself a new wardrobe, but still you will find an enemy in the mirror. You will buy a new car, but still you will commute to the job you hate. You will buy drugs and alcohol and while you may feel happy for as long as they last. you will feel unhappy when they wear out. It truly is mind over matter. You see, your mind creates an image of what matters. Ideas and mental photographs of our loved ones become less beautiful than the shiny materials of gold and silver. The prized possessions are the ones you do not have, not the ones you’ve always had. And just like that we forget about what truly makes us happy, we search for it in everything and find it in nothing for it is not something, it is everything, and it is all in what we leave behind”.

The words something and everything seemed to have been traced over several times. The ink was bold and the words underlined. I continued on.

The second stop is in your heart… knowing that happiness is an outlook and not a thing, why can’t you smile? Why do you feel unloved and unworthy? Why do you feel you don’t belong when you earned your place here just like everyone else? None of us put ourselves on this planet, we were brought in by our mothers, and in their pain we brought joy. Ask any mother and she will always say that it was worth it all. We must honor our mothers and bring worth to it all. Bring love in to all that we do and all that we are. It is only then that it will spread like wildfire. You must breathe life into your world by letting your love burn, spreading far and wide, taking no prisoners. You will find that this ‘oxygen’ is your accelerant. An accelerant to happiness and well being, an accelerant to kindness and gratitude, an accelerant to self worth. We do not always make the right choices, say the right things or think the right way, but if we allow love to guide us, we are more likely to do things with good intention. The love you pour into others will ultimately overflow into your own cup. You will feel worthy, you will feel as though you belong everywhere you go, and most importantly you will smile genuinely at your neighborly strangers.”

I paused to hear which stops were coming up next. Mine was coming soon. I fixed my attention back to the notebook one last time,

“The third stop is at the crossroads between both your mind and your heart.. where you make decisions based in reality and others based in fantasy. Where you can choose to be pragmatic, or idealistic. We must not ever forget that we are the true architects of our surroundings. We can shape our unique experiences as travelers of this world by the way we look at them. Be reminded that you can choose from which lens to view the world. Sometimes we must play it safe, protecting ourselves from danger. Other times we must place our fears aside to truly experience what it means to be alive. I urge you now to fear more of death and less of misfortune. For in death we leave behind all of our unfinished business and perhaps missed chances of finding the true meaning of life and what it is to live, truly. Whereas in misfortune, we are simply strengthening our journey and our sense of self by these unexpected experiences as they are presented to us. As unpredictable as they come, they are never unmanageable if only we are able to perceive them as lessons instead of road blocks. Unfortunate circumstances do not stop us from obtaining our true potential, they push us towards it. The way out is always through and this becomes easier when you can accept that no matter the distance you will always come out stronger and wiser on the other side. Lastly, I urge you to place a little less importance on skepticism for you may overlook the magic present in everyday life. Do not allow your adulthood fears to rain on your parade, or to drown out your dreams.

...

There, I’ve given a stranger a brief wealth of knowledge. I hope these words find you well and that you see the meaning behind it all. I told myself in writing this that there was no act too small. After all has been said and your reflecting has been done, I hope you choose to see this message through my eyes and understand it’s depth. I am a rich man, richer now that I truly understand the depth, the meaning and the magic. I’ve created a happy life where I’ve come to love the journey for what it is. I’ve come to love others, friends and strangers alike. It is with love that I write to you today, hoping to make a difference. Think not that I’ve led you on, you were given the choice on how to receive my wealth. Take what you need and leave the rest. My words may have been enough for you, however, if you really do require this financial gain to appease some suffering please take what is yours. You may desperately need to make rent or perhaps you could greatly benefit by going back to school or by funding a lifelong business aspiration. Whatever you decide, do it with love. Change your life for the better. Take what you need and leave the rest. If you so choose, the money is yours as promised. I have buried it outside of town by regional road 15... There is a school bus by the back of the property..”

My eyes glazed over the next few sentences as my stop came next. I nearly shed a tear, all of this and I still have time to see my daughter dance.

I took what I needed and left the rest.

The little black notebook stayed on the seat at the back of the bus for the next person to find. Above it, the raindrops on the window began to dry up from the sun as it started to make it’s way through the clouds.