What the Deuce?!

I just love saying that. What the....? Lately there have been many exciting things happening in my life. Here are a few highlights: Ashevegas2010 happened and it was epic. There were yarn shops and monkeys and gigglefits and lots of wonderful friends that met and re-met.
Last Saturday night Sister Mary Monkeypants and I attended Malaprop's author night and we got to meet Sharyn McCrumb! We gave her a handknit shawl and got SMMP's picture taken with poor Sharyn.
Sunday was The Big Crafty, which was colorful and a treasure trove of local art and creativity.
Then yesterday I had a random special moment. I was picking up a friend at the teeny Asheville airport and I saw this man who looked like he had stepped right out of National Geographic- nut brown, sturdy, huge brown eyes, handknit wool sweater with a special strip of pink around it, elaborate woven headgear with earflaps and pom poms. I kept looking at him, feeling drawn to talk to him. Finally I went up and gestured at his hat and showed him my knitting so he would understand what I was interested in. I knew he did not speak english, I could just tell. This lady came up as we were smiling at each other and said "Oh he doesnt speak English, he's a Shaman, a holy man from the Peruvian highlands." Which of course he was. So I went to pull the car around and I was thinking about synchronicity and how, somewhere in the Peruvian highlands a bunch of people must feel like they met Elvis to talk to this man. I decided if he was still there when I pulled back around then I must talk to him again. He was standing outside right where I had to park, with another man who was carrying his drum. I asked the other man if he spoke English, yes he did. Here is our exchange: "Please tell him that this hat is a gift, handknit, and this yarn is a gift, made locally here." He looks carefully at my hat and seems to like it. I hear him say gracias. "Can you ask him if he would mind taking this picture of my son and saying a prayer for him, he has a heart problem." I place my hand on my heart. Im looking at the medicine man. He listens carefully, takes the picture, puts his hand on his own heart, then takes my hands in his large warm ones and talks. The interpreter says "He says to tell you that he will pray for your son each morning in his morning prayers." I said gracias. We stood like that, smiling, well met, for a bit. I did not feel at all like I was supposed to bow or be intimidated, but I felt like we were equals, and there was a peace between us, and that we shared a feeling of good humor, and clarity. His energy felt like a tree, both alive and full of life force yet solid. Being empathic I am used to feeling energy from others but I have never felt another empathic person read me so clearly. It was interesting and I felt very open to it. like I said, we were well met, and that made us both feel amused. It was an unexpected joyous moment that I will treasure always.
I apologize if this post freaks some people out, as I usually don't talk about empathic ability or spiritual matters, but a good friend wanted me to blog about it so here you go!