Anticipating Egypt

It’s five days before we leave for two weeks in Egypt and my brain is scrambled with thoughts of packing, passports, nailing down details of travel minutiae, and Covid anxiety.

Among all of this was our decision yesterday to drive to the local Logan Express, to make sure we knew the exact location where we will leave our car next week. As we pulled into that parking lot, the ‘low tire pressure’ warning light displayed on the dashboard. I asked Paul to pull over to let me walk around the car to see if any tire was visibly becoming flat. The front passenger tire had three nails right next to each other, sticking out of the side. We mentally postponed the trip to visit his newly widowed sister and drove directly to our local tire place, Hogan’s Tires, about three miles away.

I’d had a flat tire only about a month ago; then, the rear passenger tire was ruined and needed to be replaced. At Hogan’s, the friendly person took a look at my tire, said he wasn’t certain the tire could be repaired and that the tires were worn, so I should consider replacing them. I accepted his judgement, and he called an Uber to take us home, because they wouldn’t have the tires until the next day.

The back story on the nails was that, a few houses away from us, a neighbor was having a new roof installed and Paul recognized the nails in my tire as roofing nails. After the Uber dropped us off at home, Paul walked up the street to talk with the roofers. When he reported that their nails had caused our flat tire, the manager offered to pay for the tire, asking only that we show him the nails. Somehow, this act of generosity dispelled the cloud that had descended on me with the flat tire. The message that stuck was that, yes, unpleasant things can happen, but people are basically good.

Along with my excitement about Egypt, I’m also experiencing a fair amount of anxiety. I haven’t traveled during Covid, so feel out of synch with all the travel habits that were second nature to me. How early do we really need to be at the airport? What’s the most comfortable way to dress for the eleven-hour flight? How many pairs of shoes will I need? I calm down when i remember that, unlike usually, we’re traveling with a group and, not just any group, but A.R.E., the Edgar Cayce foundation, out of Virginia Beach. What makes it special is that the group has a spiritual and psychic basis. Members are similarly minded, aware of an energy that connects us all.

So, I have the comfort of knowing someone besides me has organized everything, made all of the arrangements, and I’ve done my part by sending in buckets of money. Now, all we need to do is show up!

I have always been fascinated with the mysteries of Egypt, knowing that the precision with which the pyramids were built cannot be duplicated today. According to the guide books, many of the temples there are not only standing, but in excellent condition, unlike similar temples and statues in Greece and Italy.

We’ll have the opportunity to be in the pyramids, even to meditate in the great pyramid! We’ll also spend several days cruising on the Nile River. Thoughts of this adventure have been in my mind for more than half a century — next week, they will be real! What stands between the reality of it happening and now is simply packing my suitcase and getting ourselves to the airport!

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