I write all this before my courage runs out. I don't feel like doing this because of the possible consequences. But here we go anyway.
I was in Split, Croatia, sitting between the harbour promenade where everyone walks in front of the gigantic cruise ships and the terraces crowded with people drinking spritz.
I had just left a tiny church where I heard Croatians pray and, thanks to the rhythm of their prayer, I knew when they recited a "Hail Mary" and when it was a "Holy Father".
During this trip, I visited many churches. All full of representations of saints and the extended family of Jesus; but above all else, full of praying people.
They were all praying for something different, I'm sure. Many, if not most, I am certain, were asking for help.
I felt lucky to have a good, simple life, not perfect, but good enough so I don't need to pray and ask for it to be better.
God or the universal consciousness; call it whatever you want; behind all this gave me everything I needed to be happy with the only effort required to choose well. In general, that's what I did.
What I will tell you, you can believe or not, I don't care.
Almost 15 years ago, I experienced something that made me rethink my life. It took me a very long time to understand what happened. It took me, as you can tell, much longer to put it in writing.
It took me all this time because I kept telling myself that I would never tell this story to anyone. In my mind, it was just too weird. I also told myself that I should "forget" or "bury" the event and that, if I did, it would be OK.
I tried to save myself from writing what I am writing now, but I realize that some things need to be told and, throughout the years, I was constantly reminded of that fact by multiple circumstances.
The last reminder that I had to do it was seeing all these people, praying for things that are not the responsibility of God but theirs, individually, and ours, collectively.
That's why, after all these years, I decided to write about my experience because almost all the suffering in the world is self-inflicted and it has to stop, and we can stop it.
