Though I had a youthful body, and younger men found me alluring, on the inside I was old with experience, and just the slightest bit tired. I had been serving my parish now for a long time. I began to be aware that the time for my retirement was approaching in a few years, so I felt I ought to concentrate on older men. I wanted to be sure, when it was time for me to step down, that I had left no part of the population out that could benefit by me.
This was a special area of ministry dear to my heart, because I was able to give men past their prime, past their years of productivity, a sense of value and worth many of them had not felt in years.
They had the experience with me of feeling young again, of feeling masculine; and many whose pillar of honor had not given its salute in a long time found it ready to stand up and be counted again.
I also knew that the implantation of the Fire in them would help them make the transition which would be shortly coming to them, out of this world and into the next. Those energies would be needed when it was time for them to shift out of this dimension toward Cosmic Oneness.
So I began to spend more time in the parks, at coffee shops and senior community centers. I volunteered to serve meals at a particular senior center, and had to laugh when I overheard one attendee mention the "Shawna Club" to another. There was a good chance I would achieve 100 percent conversion in this center! Then I could move on to the next.
* * * * * * * * *
One day, Barry walked into the center. He looked a lot older than the last time I had seen him, but that nose was unmistakable. Well, I supposed 99 percent would have to do.
I went over to him and held out my hand.
"Shawna? Shawna?" he said in great surprise. "Why, it is you! You haven't aged a day since I saw you last! How are you?"
"I'm wonderful," I replied. "It's good to see you, Barry."
"Likewise."
We chatted for a little while, and then I had to get back to my duties behind the steam table.
Barry began to frequent the center, and we would talk after lunch was served and I had some time. He had always been a great conversationalist, and I was taking a little more time these days to smell the roses. I was not so one-track minded about my job anymore. There were other things in life.
Barry had only added to the storehouse of his knowledge in all these years, and held me spellbound with his lectures on history, geography, the etymology of language, art, scienceβyou name it, and he had studied it! What a treasury of information and insight he had become.
I told him about Darian, because I had decided I wanted to invite him over sometime to meet my family. He wasn't as happy to hear that I was "married" as I though he would be.
"So . . . you gave up your profession, did you?" he asked, trying to be tactful.
"Well, no. But Darian supports it."
He wasn't as shocked by that as I thought he'd be, either.