It’s 7:28pm. According to a numerologist, the Rapture and beginning of the great Tribulation should have happened about 90 minutes ago. There was no great earthquake
which was supposed to be the big sign, and no reports of the faithful disappearing all over the world. I could use this post to theorize on the whole prediction and lament all the people who made leaps of faith that didn’t work out, but I’m not going down that rabbit trail: I had a great day today.
My day had nothing to do with the prediction, no countdown moments, no worrying about whether it was really going to happen or not. Today, I met up with a high school friend, and went exploring in the Black Diamond Mines. The exploring was planned, but the high school friend was totally unexpected, but no less wonderful. We did the standard “find each other on Facebook”, and talked for years about catching up, but life, work, schedules and stuff always prevented it. Today, however, thanks to a couple of cancellations, the stars were aligned for us to spend the day together.
We grew up next to each other, and call ourselves twins. That’s because our families were pretty similar: same size, kids all in the same grades together, houses having the same pattern, even the youngest kids had birthdays on the same day. We were only on the same block for 5-6 years, but during that time, we walked through some pretty memorable moments in our lives, both good and bad. In high school, we lost touch, knowing each other was there, but just didn’t travel in the same circles anymore. I hate it when that happens.
Today we had the chance to not just catch up, but for me to realize just how close our families were, and how supportive we were for each other. “Family” takes on a whole new dimension. It’s not just those who are related to you by blood, but those that are part of your life. My friend was not just a friend: she was, and is, my family.
Anyway, we not only had the chance to reminisce, but also to see some amazing views of the hills around the mines, and to take a tour of one of the mines. I had no idea that they turned coal mines into sand mines in the early 1900’s. The tour guide gave some great historical and geological facts about the mines, the presence of sand in the hills, and the fossil record. Aside from the fact that the mine was 10-15 degrees colder than the temperature outside, it was so worth it. We were there for hours, and didn’t make a dent in all of the areas to walk and hike. Next time, I’ll have to plan a full day to explore.
So, on the day the world ended, I began a new relationship with an old friend, experienced a new place, and learned some new things… personally, I would have been ready if the Rapture had occurred, but since it did not, my day was still wonderful.
Here are some of the pics from our adventure. If you are in the area, and like long walks and hikes, I would add this to your list 🙂
You can check out the rest of the pictures here: http://photobucket.com/kidstuph_BDM