Premonitions

All of my life, I've received small premonitions. These manifest in a variety of ways. Usually, a sense of familiarity is felt. Strong familiarity. Overwhelming familiarity. For example, any house or apartment where I've lived, I've received a strong confirmation that it is where I'm supposed to live. It may seem like I've been in the neighborhood before. The address might seem like one I've heard before. My college apartments were all eerily familiar, before I even moved in. With my current house, I sat in my car at an intersection, and knew that I would be at that intersection many times afterward. And, I have been! 

I sometimes feel familiar with students, as I meet them. It's as if I've known them before. One time, I playfully shook a new transfer student's hand, and felt a slight current. As the year went on, that particular student had many medical difficulties. I visited him in the hospital several times. We formed a strong bond. Another student, looked me right in the eye when we met, and I knew that I would be able to be of some service to him. Later, I learned that he had suffered the loss of both parents. He wouldn't speak of this to anyone. But, by the end of the year, he was writing to me about it in his journal. I was able to discuss my responses with the school counselor.

Sometimes, the premonitions happen in the form of a quiet thought. Sometimes, they are visual. I've carried work to the kiln, and I've thought, "Don't load it that way." But, I've ignored the thought, and broken the piece. Or, I've dropped something important, after seeing myself drop it right before.

Last night, and today, I received a strong premonition to not travel on Highway 17 to get to my dad's house. Every Sunday, I travel to the Bay Area, and this highway is the shortest distance. There are many large and terrible wildfires surrounding my town. First, I heard the quiet thought. I tried to put it out of my mind, because I had to pick up groceries for my dad, and didn't want to add 30 minutes of travel time. Then, while pumping gas into my car, I saw myself hitting a deer, or some other large vague animal. It wasn't quite clear. The gas station was on the way to Highway 17. But, I turned around and headed east towards the long route. 

Who knows if I would have hit an animal? But, I've learned, that when I don't follow directions, usually there's a consequence. I also drove home by the same long route.