In my personal domain, there is Oman, a sort of philosopher-guide. I would not have accepted this spirit-guide thing when fresh out of college, but as I ripened with age, I learned there’s more than one way to see the world. In my late 50s, I kept hearing profound statements in my head. I have often wondered where this flow of brilliant nuggets came from. I named this mysterious force, this guide, this voice in my head, Oman.
How did I come up with this name? When meditating, I would chant the mantra Aum, which sounds like Om. Oman had a nice similar sound. For me, the O represents spirit, or infinite; man means man, human. God and Man. The word "omen" means “message from the gods,” a fitting word in its similarity to Oman. Oman sent me omens. What a great name, Oman. If we have multiple personalities, Oman is a good one to have.
I began to write down what I attributed to Oman’s need to communicate with me. Soon his philosophy flowed out in force as if opening a faucet. Tuesday and Thursday evenings I taught ceramics for Shasta College in Red Bluff, 35 miles away. I kept a writing tablet beside me on the front seat of the car. Oman became prolific. When the faucet opened, without looking at the blank page (at least I was smart enough to keep my eyes on the road), I scribbled down Oman’s words. After months and months of driving to Red Bluff and back, the tablet became thicker and thicker. Sitting in my recliner one winter night, while warming in front of the fireplace, I sat and reread what I had scribbled from beginning to end. I found refreshing ideas and, importantly, a continuity of theme. I organized it and typed it into a Word document. Soon a few copies were printed in paperback format. The book is titled: Soul, A Navigation Guide. I was not instructed to proselytize the book. The catharsis was in the writing process. By writing I learned to listen. By listening I found the material to write. I merely organized the writing style and gave it a format. Omen’s Navigation Guide makes its own journey.
Taken from Vision-Quest, A Saga of the 1960s