My first and last vision!

     They say that visions occur in the young--if you pay attention to them.  I had only one vision when I was ten years old.  My mom and dad had just divorced.  At the time we were living in a house on Elmwood near the downtown in Buffalo, New York.  There was, in addition to my parents, Ailene, who was about to marry a local guy, Sheila, age 16, who even at that age was sharing the raising of me, John,  once my father was out of the picture.

     With the money my mom received from the divorce settlement, she decided to move out of town.   She had been taking a degree at Buffalo State University; and she intended to pursue a law degree. She wanted to  get out of Buffalo, because I suffered from the cold and she was accepted at NYU's law graduate program, so to complete her legal education. Additionally, the stigma amongst her friends was aggravating to us all.  At school, the teachers treated me something like a homeless kid; hugging me and showing an unusual degree of compassion. There was one teacher, my second grade teacher, Ms. Keller, who would call me down to her office for consoling.

     So, it was decided by my mother and sister Sheila to journey to New York to  find an apartment.  While we all stayed in the same house, my dad, until it was sold, occupied the lower floor and the three of us took the top floor of the large two-story house.  He became known to us as "the man downstairs."  The house sold quickly, perhaps to one of my mom and dad's friends, named Cleveland, who then could have sold it later.

      Being a significant move in the lives of mom, Sheila and me, we planned a lot.  Then, I got my vision.  I told my mom and sis about it as we stood in a bedroom that had become our kitchen!  I reported that I could see an apartment building--in fact--I said I was standing at the front window, looking out.  There were trees across the street, a high school about a block to the left, and on the right a park.  The peculiar feature I mentioned was the apartment had a private entrance (I later learned it was a superintendent's apartment).  I said these things to assure them they would find something nice!  I was getting excited to live there.

     Armed with my vision in the back of their minds, they went to New York City for about a week to reconnoiter the place and locate an apartment.  They returned with good news.  They liked the city a lot.  Then Sheila blurted out, "We found your place and leased it!  Just where you said it would be!"

    When I viewed the place I confirmed that it was indeed very much like what I had envisioned it to be.

     How do you explain this vision (as I remember it) that occurred some 60 years ago?

     I think it explicable as an anticipatory experience that could take place as it did to my mother and sister, which, having that experience, could serve as a guiding force.  They laid claim to that experience and sought it out.  That is, once they saw tangibly what I described, they laid claim to the apartment.

     We lived in that apartment for some 10 years or so.  Incidentally, mom learned from our neighbors that the renting agency was overcharging.  Our place was under New York City rent control.  Evidently, the property management  thought we were country bumpkins.      

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