October 17, 2007
Who Am I?
written by Steven Barrymore

SCANNING THE RADIO

Late at night, at the age of 17 in the mid-1970′s, I was listening to the radio in my bedroom. MP3 players and the computer for home use were not invented. So our main distraction for entertainment was watching television or listening to a radio. As I rotated the tuning dial on the bedside radio, scanning through the radio stations, I happened upon a talk program that caught my attention. A major radio station in San Francisco was broadcasting a woman taking about life and what we are doing with our lives. As the radio program progressed, I became more focused on what this woman was saying. She spoke with a soft, almost child-like voice. As she spoke, I lost interest in the tone of her voice and was attracted to the authority and conviction of what she was saying. What she spoke of resonated within me and struck a cord of interest. She was taking about my life! At the end of this radio program, the host, Michelle gave out the information about this woman. Her name was Tiffany Martin. And she was teaching a self-discovery class in San Francisco called Magical Thinking. As more information on date, time and location were given, a spark developed within me; I have to go see this woman and hear more of what she has to say. I needed answers about my life. Where am I going? What am I going to do? Why am I here?

FINDING THE WAY

On a Wednesday evening. I left my parent’s house and traveled 10 miles on public transportation to San Francisco. Tiffany Martin would be teaching at a metaphysical center on Sutter Street, a major commercial street in San Francisco. Not being familiar with San Francisco, I eventually found Sutter Street and proceeded to look for the address given on the radio broadcast. I was overwhelmed by the complexity of this city. Tall and short buildings sandwiched together, all forming a cohesive collection of offices and businesses.

I entered a small building, part of this sandwiched collection. To my right was a wooden carpeted staircase. I walked up this staircase to the second floor. Now I was confronted with numerous open doors around me in almost a circular pattern. Each room behind these open doors to my right was filled with rows of empty chairs. There was one door on the left where I could see a man, he appeared to be pleasant looking in his mid 30’s sitting on a stool, reading a book behind a counter. I entered this room and stood by the counter. As I looked around the room, I saw shelves and tables filled with books. Books with titles relating to reading tarot cards, psychic development, chakra exploration, self-development. I assumed these would be the books you would find at a metaphysical bookstore. I turned to my right and asked the man sitting behind the counter about the lecture Tiffany Martin was giving. He told me it would start at 7pm and the fee for the lecture was $5.00. I gave this man the $5.00 and he pointed to one of the open doors.

The room I entered was filled with about thirty folding chairs. Fifteen to each side, with an open space down the middle. A long folding table was positioned at the base of this collection of chairs. Behind the table were three tall windows facing Sutter Street from which I could hear the vehicle and bus traffic outside. I sat in the front row. The first to arrive. The room filled with people. As they positioned themselves in their chairs, a low sound of chatter started as we waited for Tiffany Martin to arrive.

THE LECTURE

A woman, exuding a spiritual presence about her, walked through this open space between the rows of chairs towards the table. She was about 5 feet 5 inches tall with curled Platinum blonde hair, and fair in skin color. She was dressed in fine clothing. Appearing to be of designer quality. She stopped at the table and placed a clipboard on the surface of this table. Then she turned and sat on the table crossing her legs, and placed her hands in her lap.

The room became silent, then the woman spoke. “Thank you for coming. My name is Tiffany Martin. This class is called Magical Thinking.”

Tiffany gave a brief background of her life and what the class would be about. A course teaching self-independence, being alert to synchronicity, scripting, personal development and getting what you want out of life. The class would be presented each Wednesday.

Tiffany spoke of four questions being part and core to the teachings. These questions already had answers. They can be stated out loud. They can be stated quietly in one’s mind. These questions and answers need to be repeated over, and over. For an indefinite time, until you feel a desire to stop.

THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Who am I?
I am an heir to 3 billion years of DNA, RNA coding.

Where am I?
I am on this good planet Earth.

Why am I here?
I am here according to a 3 billion-year-old plan.

What am I to do?
I am to let this plan unfold instant by instant without prediction and control.

The purpose of the questions and answers is to focus and quiet the mind, slowing the internal chatter that we create in our daily interaction with the world. Allowing a more centered experience with the world around us.

These questions and answers are only a portion of the teaching of Tiffany Martin’s Magical Thinking, and may seem to be out of context. They are to be repeated without judgement or understanding of their significance. Give them a try and see what you discover about yourself and how you are living life.

Copyright 2007 Steven Barrymore. Being of Life — the Blog. All rights reserved worldwide. This article and /or pictures may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission from the author Steven Barrymore. View the magical photographic print collection from Steven Barrymore at Images Magical http://www.imagesmagical.com/

Portions of this article are used with permission from the estate of Tiffany Martin.