12 ... Gabriel Morrisgiven my experience in Sedona and everything else that seemed to
be off-course in my unsettling life predicament.
The half-day ceremony attracted more than three thousand peo-
ple—impressive, considering the remote location. But because nei-
ther my mind nor heart were truly present, its significance passed
me by. Instead I was looking expectantly down the road, praying
for guidance and protection through whatever might be next on the
horizon.
That afternoon, following the brief ceremony, I hugged Natty and
Apollo goodbye, saying that I hoped we might meet again someday,
though I had no idea when or where that might be, since none of
us had addresses or phone numbers to exchange. As it turned out,
they were actually planning now to go to the Rainbow Gathering in
Missouri. But for some reason I felt that wasn’t the right direction for
me. I got my backpack out of their van, where I’d left it through the
ceremony, and was soon, once again, on the road.