GETTING TO THE GETTYInteresting things happened on the way to the Getty Museum ... and from (23 March, 2016) by John M. Kohlenberger (27 March 2016)
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From where I had stayed the night before visiting the J. Paul Getty Museum was about a 40 mile drive from Orange County to West
Los Angeles. And as the museum didn't open until 10 AM, there was no rush to get there. So, we got on the 405 freeway at about 9 in the morning and arrived in the area of the museum around opening time. As we had avoided the rush hour traffic, which I used to drive in every day, it was an easy drive.
After getting off the freeway and as I was about to turn
onto Getty Drive, to get to the parking lot, I felt a sudden joy in my
heart! Now, I was not aware that I had
anticipated this visit so much that I should fee this sudden and deeply felt
joy. After all, I had decided to visit
this museum only weeks ago; though it had been recommended to me by a friend
nearly 30 years ago and my deceased wife and I had discussed visiting this
museum over 20 years ago. All this was decades ago. However as both my wife and I were artists, maybe she had dreamed of us going there together, and so we were now doing that and I was feeling her joy.
So where did this sudden and deep joy come from? The only answer that I could conclude in that
moment was that she, my former wife, was present and joyful that I was finally
visiting a place that we had talked about visiting so many years ago. Yes, those who have died to this physical
world do still exist energetically and thus can and do inspire us in unseen
ways, whether you want to believe it or not.
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So,
I entered the parking garage and found a spot 3 levels down. We then exited the car, found an elevator and
rode it up to the tram station. As we
arrived there, a museum employee noticed that the lady I was with had a walker
and so instead of having to stand in the long "security inspection"
line, we were ushered over to an
alternative inspection area and then cleared to get on the tram that would take
us up the hill to the museum.
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The ride on the tram was like a ride on the monorail at Disneyland but here we had trees on either side of us and then as the tram ascended the hill we had a view of
the city around us which became more spectacular as we rode up toward the
museum. Then, just like at Disneyland,
the single track split into two, so the descending tram could pass us. And then we were back to one track as we
completed the ascent.
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Extacy entering the Getty
Arriving at the top of the hill, we exited the tram. Then, as
there were still some stairs to climb, another museum employee directed us to
a nearby elevator that would take us to the museum entry level. Then, as we walked across a connecting bridge toward the
large entry doors of the museum, I again felt this rush of joy, like Martine, now my Angel,
was saying to me, "You've finally made it!
Congratulations! I always wanted to take you here, and now we
are here ... together!".
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Then, as we went through several buildings, seeing many paintings, drawings, photos and exhibits, I noticed as we were about to take a lunch break that two of my favorite rooms contained exhibits that were French in origin, much like my former wife, who is now my guardian angel. The first exhibit we saw was in 3 rooms, displaying several of the French Impressionists paintings along with a few sculptures. As we were there during Easter Week, I felt that Van Gogh's Iris's was particularly inspiring.
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Just before our lunch break, we visited the special, limited time, exhibit called "Woven Gold Tapestries" which displayed several Grand Chateau size tapestries from the King Louis XIV era, which was about 150 years before the Impressionists. Most of the real gold thread was stitched in to make the "highlights" really shine and stand out. The exhibit even showed how these tapestries were made, some with hundreds of workers taking several years.
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At about noon, as we were getting tired of walking, standing and looking, we headed to the restaurant. But
as the wait time for seating was 45 minutes, we went downstairs (by elevator) to the
cafeteria. Lunch in the cafeteria was
good. While the view was spectacular,
the food was very good, the price was a little steep. But, hey, we were on a steep hill with
tourists from all over the world! And
you probably can't buy this experience at any price, anywhere else!
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Toward the end of the day, as we were again getting tired of
walking and standing, we visited the gift shop before leaving. There were many unique, interesting and
specialty items for sale. It was an interesting
place to look at the many unique artistic things they had for sale to all us tourists
to take home with is as mementos of our visit.
Then we went out the large museum doors to the outside and across
the bridge to the elevator which would take us to the tram station. Again, I felt a surge of joy, that I had
finally visited the Getty Museum. Why
this joy? I had no logical, worldly
explanation! However, the best
explanation I could come up with involved
an other-worldly communication story. But, it seemed that my former wife, Martine, was saying, "Congratulations, you/we finally visited this world class museum!"
The tree lined ride down the hill on the tram, was magical
to me, as it seemed that I could "feel" Martine there, in the trees
that line the tram route. And, she was
loving the hillside, the grasses, bushes, trees and me and at the same time, while "she"
was also a part of the love that is these things!
During that ride, it seemed that she was also explaining to me that all
things are "alive" here on earth, more than we want to realize, just
like they are alive where she is (and I have seen and experienced the vibrant colors of everything "living" in her "heaven" in our SNDE [Shered Near Death Experience] see the menu item "On the Other Side" and click on "Going Home"), but we don't see "life" the way on earth as she does in her greater, and I
might add "grander", awareness; where she is, as one with creation
and Creator.
But, she now tells me that we'll all get there someday and
then what a grand adventure Life will seem to become! This is the meaning of what the Apostle Paul is quoted as saying
in I Corinthians 12:13, "For now
we see through a glass, darkly, but then as face to face" ... as we even begin to move our awareness beyond
this earth and life, we begin to realize that we are a part of the oneness of all
life, light, love and God-Goddess, never more needing to feel alone and separate
from it all.
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SHE IS STILL TAKING ARTISTIC LICENSE Author's Note ... A message from Martine?
After having my experiences of ecstasy at the Getty Museum, the day before - 23 Mar 2016 - The day after getting to the GettyI had the following California Dream: I was told, "Put My Story on Facebook and Websites." And here it is! The picture on the left shows Martine, on our patio, painting (in 2009).
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