Pura Vida!

         Saturday, July 20, 2013 at 1500... as I lay in the grass in San Jose's Parque Espana this afternoon, sipping a cold Cerveza Imperial and eating fresh Mamones Chinos, reading Rueben Dario's "Azul", a book that is written so beautifully it was bringing tears to my eyes, I suddenly had to stop and ask myself - how the hell did I get here? I mean, what did I do to have such an awesome life? I haven't had a "job" in 7 years. The very few who really know me, certainly realize how unlikely this has seemed to be at many times in my life.   

         Yet, here I am...and I realized, that I have done nothing to deserve this more than anyone else. The only thing that I have going for me is simply luck. My life has been about nothing more than being at the right place at the right time - and being lucky enough to see the opportunity before I missed out. That is it. I was just thinking about how true that is.
    

         I started thinking about how my life luck has run so far. I've jumped many times out of airplanes and helicopters - and on my final jump, I had the most beautiful landing. Then, I got up to see a 12 foot pole sticking out of the ground right next to me.

         I've had rockets, mortars and bullets fall all around me, and friends killed and maimed - yet I've remained virtually unscathed. 

         I've driven a vehicle into enemy territory like a mad-man - in front of a Serbian anti-aircraft battery - to recover a very sensitive piece of equipment from falling into enemy hands...in broad daylight. And not a scratch. 

         I've ridden into Belgrade during wartime on a bus with Jesse Jackson, and conducted 3 imprisoned US soldiers out of captivity - and sung "Free at Last" holding hands with the Man himself at the Croatian border. I had President Clinton's direct line on my cell phone recent calls list that day...

          I've jetskied with Qusay Hussein's mistress holding me tight in Pattaya Bay, and dined with one of Saddam's most senior generals in Bangkok - under the nose of the Iraqi Mukhabarat.   

           I was given a personal tour of Khufu's pyramid, just because I translated for the Minister of Tourism, and told him I really would like to see the Pyramids. 

           I was assigned a mission to deliver a piece of equipment so critical that it held up the bombing of Afghanistan; and as a result, I was able to spend 3 weeks in Diego Garcia - a real paradise - because there were no flights back out because of the mission schedule.  

            I've had an engine blow up on my plane and fall off during take off, and watched the fire right next to my window seat, and figured out why people pray on a plane - and I realized that at those moments, there isn't panicked screaming, but an unbelievable meditative silence.

            In my bad old times, I'd driven drunk so many times that I couldn't even imagine to count for you, but the ONLY time I was pulled over, it was by my best high-school friend, who just drove me home!   

           And I didn't get any of these miracles through any other thing except plain, old luck. Bad thing is that I will never know when my inordinate luck will run out, until it runs out.

           So, I think I will spend the rest of today thinking about the graces I have had in my life, and not think a thing about any problems in the world. And finish my cerveza, eat my fruit and get back to Azul.  What do you have to be thankful for?