Seven Year OId Tao

First, I would like to thank Mindtrance for inviting me into the forum. He and I were reunited within the past month and we’ve been exchanging various ideas for the site and other projects as well. Undoubtedly, we had met before; somewhere, in some other time.

The 7yr old Taoist

Alan was eating dinner like he had every night with his mom and dad and sister. And after dinner he felt sick, as if he ate something bad. He began to vomit and when his parent couldn’t figure out what exactly was wrong, they took him to the emergency room.
Like a shaman who would ingest a ceremonial vat of ayuahuasca or psilocybin mushrooms, he would have a vision afterwards but, he was only 7.
After finally seeing a physician in the suburban medical center, he was diagnosed with food poisoning. His sister was fine so no extra suspicion was cast on the family. He endured the usual embarrassments of Western medicine, particularly the rectal thermometer. It seemed strange that they would take his blood for something he ate, but again, he was only 7 and went along with the protocol. He was discharged with a cool bracelet he’d wear to school the next day highlighting the excitement he just experienced. He was also given a hospital-blue, kidney-shaped vomit trough, just in case, ya know. And the family left, just past 1 AM.
In the car, Alan’s sister fell fast asleep. He felt new, light. His father drove the LeCar towards their small township and his mother sat in the passenger seat adjusting the check book. She was smoking a cigarette but it was in the ashtray.
Without looking his mom said, “You let us know if you’re gonna be sick sweetheart, OK?”
“Sure Ma.”
“How ya feeling?”
“Pretty good. I just figured out the way to not throw up anymore.”
“What?” she twisted her black ink pen shut and threw it deep into her oversized purse.
“Well, there’s a way to everything, you just have to figure it out and do it.”
His father rarely said anything and this instance wasn’t different. He did throw a look at his wife that had “what the hell is he talking about” written all over it.
“It’s like Donkey Kong. There’s a way to get the high score, I just don’t know it. So I can’t do it. I bet there’s a way to everything. “
“Honey, when we get home I want you to drink some water, OK?”
Alan agreed and they drove home. Nothing more was said of the tiny revelation until 23 years later when he was visiting his parents and recalled this event while reading Chronicles of Tao. He asked his parents and they remembered it well.
“You were like, seven years year old. How could you remember that?” asked his Mom. But he only laughed a bit and drank a mouthful of water.

Posted by lostyank