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Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.5
Well, today I will tell you about the year following my visit to Madrid. In the summer of 2002, I took a two-week vacation to visit Lyle and Maggie in Billings, Montana. I found out after my visit that the wonderful grandmother Rosetta Rose had already passed away.
My and Angie Kendall's "Nu-Era Pics" had grown considerably, was doing well, and had excellent people working for it. So there was no need to worry one iota about us taking a vacation. In short, all I had to do was be available to be contacted, whether by e-mail or phone. I was just laughably bad at letting go of my job.
The GREEN family had a nice field to grow wheat and corn, but after Lyle's father passed away, Lyle rented it out to others, and since he himself worked at City Hall, they lived in a separate house in the center of the city, not in the countryside. Incidentally, my father, Sanezumi Shimada, was also a public servant working for Yokohama City Hall. My parents felt a kinship with Lyle Green because he was a public servant. So my parents sent me off to Billings, Montana without a worry.
Billings is the largest city in Montana and their home is centrally located, but unlike the cities I used to visit on business, it is surrounded by mountains and nature. This means that I am tempted to go fly fishing, as I used to do with Barry Epstein.
I have not seen my own parents since I graduated from "Leland Stanford Junior University" and started my business in earnest, but even if I had, I probably would not have been able to act like their daughter. I would not feel comfortable in front of them. I would have bragged about my amazing success.
But I didn't have to adopt that attitude to meet Lyle and Maggie. It was more like going back home, which is in my heart. My goal was to return to a state of "Peace of Mind". So I decided to go back to my teenage years when I was called "Yukkin". I headed to Montana wearing an Oxford button-down shirt of unknown make made in Japan and a pair of "Wrangler" jeans. I bought them at a thrift store when I was in high school. The oxford button-down shirt had frayed sleeves. I was wearing "JACK PURCELL" on my feet. To meet them, I did not have to wear high-end brands/Luxury brands. I didn't have to resort to "Miss Dior" fragrances. And it was a very good decision. They knew that my interviews had been published several times in "The Wall Street Journal" and other publications, so they were having a lot of trouble figuring out how to entertain me. Upon meeting me again, Maggie told me.
What a wonderful thing for you to come back here looking the same as you did back then!
Maggie had bought "Hutterite Chicken". They welcomed me for dinner on the first day of my stay with her roast chicken, which tasted very nostalgic. And just like that, I was off on a relaxing vacation. I stayed in bed forever. I had completely forgotten until that day that I had a place where I could be forgiven for such things.
Now five days have passed. It is Sunday. Barry Epstein heard I was in Montana that day and came to deliver the trout he had just caught.
He had become an auto mechanic, married and a father of two boys and a girl. When he met me, he told me:
I knew you were a very smart Supergirl, but I never thought you would be a big entrepreneur with interviews in "Forbes" and "Fortune".
Then he went on to say.
I'm a country boy, so I deserve this kind of small happiness. There are mountains and a river. I go home after work. I have a nice dinner with my wife and kids. But you deserve to fly farther. Maybe it's for the good of the world. So I'll always wish you the best. It should be for me, too.
Barry Epstein went home to his loving family.
I decided to cut and cook the trout he had delivered to me, and Lyle, Maggie, and I would eat it together. I did this many times during those fond teenage years.
I put the trout on the cutting board and looked at it for a while. Tears began to stream down my face. I felt loved. But I had forgotten how to love. Of course, I was not living a life that was hostile to all the others in the world. I have dear, dear friends like Angie Kendall. But I was obsessed with taking a higher position than others and looking down on them. Meanwhile, Barry Epstein had the scent of the earth and the river, a rich spirituality, and a loving family. I was wrong. I was completely wrong. I warbled and cried aloud. Lyle and Maggie came into the kitchen and hugged me. My heart overflowed with gratitude for Lyle, Maggie, and Barry. I knew that my heart was not dead yet. I could still start over now.
When I got back to the West Coast, I sent Barry work boots from "Danner" and a bunch of "Railroad Socks". I attached a card. I wrote the following on the card.
It was good to see you again, who had become a wonderful husband and father. Please take care of yourself for your wonderful family.
Continued story :Major Arcana 16 - Oh, yes. Yes, the “Tower” did come down. -
