From the Cocoon, Something New Will Emerge...

The day my life shifted forever didn’t begin with lightning bolts or visions—it began with a burrito bowl.

In August of 2024, I had a spiritual awakening that changed everything I thought I knew about life. Months earlier, activist and comedian Dick Gregory’s words had drifted through my mind without much weight:

“When the universe picks you, and you put on the magic glasses, there are rules that go with them. You can never take them off, you'll never see things as they’re supposed to be—you see things as they are, and you can never force somebody else to wear them.”

I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to be handed those “magic glasses.”

One evening in July, I was halfway through my shift, hungry and running on fumes. Around 7:30 pm, I ordered a Chipotle Sofritas bowl—my go-to. It arrived hot and perfect, with just the right balance of rice and sofritas. I dug in.

First bite—delicious.

Second bite—still great.

Third bite—fine.

Fourth bite—my stomach erupted in fire.

It was sudden, like flipping a switch from comfort to agony. I’d eaten this meal plenty of times, but something about this night was different. The burning sensation spread fast, curling into my gut and making every breath feel sharp. I tried a sip of water. Wrong move—pain shot through me even harder.

I told myself it was just food poisoning, that I could tough it out until 11 pm when my shift ended. But the truth was, I’d never felt anything like this before. Time crawled. My body was screaming at me to stop, to leave, to get help—yet my mind clung to the illusion that it would pass.

By the time my shift was nearly over, I wasn’t sure I could even make it home. And still, the thought of calling an ambulance didn’t cross my mind. Hospitals were my last resort. Denial was easier.

Head over to the next blog to continue reading part 2 of this story...