In one of My Mother’s Gifts, I wrote about seeing a play on Broadway in 2000. This reminds me of an article I wrote shortly after the trip. I had to dig, but I found a paper copy in my “To Submit” pile. With a bit of editing, here is that article.

Intentions or Destiny?

Back in 2000, I started seeing how my dreams were coming true. Instead of dreams, I call them intentions. I also believe that some intentions are our destiny.

At the young age of 10, I said my first intention. I sat in the back seat of our family station wagon with my older brother and sister smashing me against the window. Dad and Mom were in the front with my youngest sister sandwiched in between. My two younger brothers were in the extra pull-up seat in the very back. Mom tried to settle us down by pointing and saying, “Look kids, we’re leaving Colorado.”

Dad slowed so all of us could get a good look at the sign. I strained to get a glimpse as it faded and whispered to myself, “The next time I leave Colorado, I am going to Europe.”

Six years later, the second time I left Colorado, I was on a tour-boat down the Seine River in Paris, France. As we traveled under one of the many bridges with Notre Dame to the left, our tour guide pointed to the artwork of the bridge ahead. He told us that the figure in the middle was the model used to build the Statue of Liberty. Gazing up at the model, I said another intention, “One of these days, I will see the real thing in New York.”

My European trip lasted five weeks in the summer of 1975. The trip gave me enough courage to join the theater group my senior year of high school. We were taking down the set from our last performance, when I said another one of my intentions. Music from “A Chorus Line” filled the auditorium. My drama class would soon travel to New York and see the musical on Broadway leaving me behind. I started to cry when we said our goodbyes ending up in a dressing room in front of a mirror. I said to my reflection, “Don’t fret, one of these days you will see a musical on Broadway.”

On Friday, June 2, 2000, I was on another tour-boat, this time on the Hudson River in New York. Preparing my camera to capture the moment, I balanced myself against the guardrail. The boat turned and there she was, the Statue of Liberty. The following Sunday, I stood with a group in front of the Marquis Theater at 45^th Street and Broadway. We were waiting to see the musical, “Annie Get Your Gun.” I wanted to buy extra batteries across the street and needed to know if there was enough time. I asked our gracious host when the performance started. I also asked him the time—twice. Crossing the street, I saw a huge clock on the building in front of me, then another clock. There were clocks everywhere. I laughed with joy. I was so intent on seeing a musical on Broadway that I completely missed the fact I was in Time Square. Another intention I forgot about.

Looking back over the years, I can see other intentions that actualized in my life. Not all of them, but enough to realize they were my destiny.