REAL LIFE FAIRYTALE
September 23, 2010 – Always looking to stretch a dollar, I stopped by Trader Joe’s to buy some bread. Greeting me at the front door was a display of large “Fairytale” pumpkins, suggestive of Cinderella’s carriage. Mystical moment! Magic for sale! Quirky fun! How could I resist a little whimsy to spice things up at home?
Can you remember a particularly mystical moment in your life? Seeing those pumpkins, I recalled a mysterious experience... receiving an angel message, channeled through my best friend from high school, who lives halfway across the country. The curious message arrived via email...
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:29:34 -0400
From: ar540n@msn.com
Subject: [Fwd: More copy...]
Dear One,
All of the doors and windows of your home are open to let in the light of the sun and the breeze that moves the dust of the past and bring the clearing air.
More change than you had planned for is on the way. Fear not. You have asked your basket will be filled to the brim with more than you had hoped for leave your self open. All that is unused by you we know you will share with others. Such is the nature of your soul. Accept what arrives and share the abundance. You have sown on very fertile ground and lived as the most careful farmer.
That which is unnecessary will fade into the background. The people and the things that depart are meant to. They have served you and now can depart with their lessons intact no longer necessary. Please continue to accept the gifts as they are delivered Please excuse the lack of fancy gift wrap. We want you to use them right away with out fear of destroying the wrappings. :)
You are a Steward in the best sense for all of life, family, friends and work associates. Just as you guided the young in the swimming pool now you will do the same on dry land. Just walk, listen and use what you are given. Full understanding is not necessary at this time.
Like a book just keep turning the pages to eventually reach the end. This book will be delivered one page at a time like Dickens installments in a Victorian newspaper. We request you patience while others catch up to you who will be participating. Walk on, head high, eyes ahead. Your basket holds many items of value have no fear of sharing.
Shalom
Anne
Strange. But intriguing. I’m not a farmer, but rather an insurance agent/broker. The metaphorical words of wisdom require some deciphering. Starting with the most obvious reference, our high school had an indoor swimming pool, where on Wednesday evenings I taught Boy Scouts lifesaving, and on Saturday mornings I taught elementary-aged children how to overcome their fear of the water. They learned to enjoy the buoyancy, and eventually to swim the full length of the pool.
The reference to a Dickens novel is insightful. We each author our own story through our thoughts... our words... and our actions. We face a variety of situations. Circumstances can be challenging and even painful, but with a positive attitude, creative thinking, and persistence, we overcome the hurdles and create inspiring stories. Every day is a new page.
Then there was the reference to walking. Walking is my daily exercise and my self-therapy. Walking is also the essence of my soul. So, where are we going with this? Never entirely sure, but I'll just keep walking.
September 29, 2010 – Can you remember experiencing a particularly unusual coincidence? I just experienced one. While taking a break from reworking this story, I skimmed my emails and read the following reference to Cinderella in an e-newsletter from my friend, Paul Dion, who is an accountant and tax savings specialist.
“Unfortunately, Congressional budget rules meant that the lower rates would eventually have to "sunset" - and on midnight, this December 31, sunset they do. That means, unless Congress acts, the tax cuts, like Cinderella's carriage, turn into a useless pumpkin - and millions of taxpayers will be left without a ride home from the ball. The delay also raises uncertainty - making it harder to do the planning that you know by now is the key to minimizing your taxes.”
Now THIS is a page-turner if ever I read one, with all the elements of a blockbuster novel. A Charles Dickens setting of economic depression, Victor Hugo scenes with mobs of angry people, Grisham-inspired antagonists played by morally corrupt financiers, and McCullough-worthy Tea Party revolutionaries emerging as heroes. We are all affected in this plot.
I’d been reading and thinking about the “sunset” tax situation, because I work with an advisor/broker who helps business owners reduce tax payments, build their wealth, and support their employees with affordable health insurance and other benefits. The firm I work for is Brewster & Shuster. Sounds like name chosen for a modern fiction, doesn’t it?
Saturday, December 18 – Cinderella story continued... mystical moment collides with unusual coincidence. You never know what “gifts” you might find while out walking. Today’s first item was a small American flag that had blown into a streambed from the adjacent cemetery. The second item, sitting in the grass next to the sidewalk, was Cinderella’s lost slipper. The child-sized pink sole had a slightly-scuffed toe, a clear hard-plastic strap across the front, and a pink bow.
Tiny as it was, the shoe fit, because the biggest headline from yesterday’s news was BUSH TAX CUTS EXTENDED... “Bowing to economic realities and the will of the American people, a lame duck Democratic Congress on Thursday extended income tax relief for all American taxpayers for a least the next two years – keeping as much as $800 billion out of the hands of the federal government.”
Of course, that was not all that was done with this change in tax law, because, according to our friend Paul, the list of changes that affect 2010 and the next two years is huge. The political saga is far from over, and tax reporting will become more complicated. Over the coming weeks, Tea Party advocates will continue examining new legislation with great vigilance. The tax cut extension seems a victory, but other battles lie ahead.
As your own personal story unfolds, watch for coincidences or affirmations. As far as this particular story goes, I'm keeping my eye on the ball. Respectful of her curfew, Cinderella split the scene, but the music is still playing, and the masquerade continues with more shenanigans.
COMMENTARY
From here, I decided the appearance of the small slipper was a clear message that Netwalking was supposed to revolve around children, to teach them, and to help them realize their stories and dreams. We've enjoyed watching our own children pursue their interests. Outside of school our 16-year-old is a volunteer at an aquarium and works part-time in a music shop. She is beginning to apply her knowledge of "financial literacy" and loves the experience of real life business management. Our 14-year-old loves to play games - from Soccer and Volley Ball to Starcraft and Age of Empires to competitive Math Club and Chess Club tournaments. He is also starting to dabble in online commerce.
Discuss this Cinderella story around the dinner table. What does the angel message mean by gifts? What gifts have filled your basket so that you can share them? What does it mean to walk, listen, and use what you are given?
How might challenges or misfortunes become gifts?
If you would like to share a five-minute course in taxation, click here for Taxation 101.
If you would like to go straight ahead to the next chapter, which begins to take us on an in-lightening historic tour, click on the Liberty Trail
OR
take a right and go learn some fun facts about pumpkins on our step-sister website, WakeUpPeople.org/PUMPKIN.html and trace your steps back to continue along the main path.
Become a fan on the Netwalking facebook page - click here > 
