The Man With The Map To Awe

I grew up having had many opportunities to meet celebrities. No one, however, ever evoked a sense of awe in me. That is -- other than the very humble man celebrating his ninety-fifth birthday today in British Columbia. My/our Beloved Murat.

I admit to having felt a surge of joy that lifted my heart on my sixteenth birthday. I had gone backstage to meet Liberace with my father on the special nightclubbing “date” he and I were having for the occasion. And, Jim Bacchus tickled me, no end, when I heard Mr. Magoo’s voice surprisingly slide forth from a seemingly “ordinary” man I met one day, visiting Desilu Productions, when I was a kid. Years after the fact – when I learned that the Lone Ranger was never, ever seen without his mask, I was delighted to recall that I had seen him on a backstage lot sans mask. Still no awe!

My father owned and operated Custom Corner (specializing in custom auto parts and design) on Vine Street and Willoughby during the 1950s and into the early 1960s. Desilu Productions sat diagonally across the street from Custom Corner. My father originally launched the business with renowned custom car designer, George Barris who went on to create the Batmobile, the car for “My Mother The Car” and the Knight Rider as well as many other unique, one-of-a-kind cars. Custom Corner was the primary source through which these childhood celebrity encounters arose.

So here it is Murat’s 95th birthday!

Now that is AWESOME. And, I am wishing so much to be a part of the celebrating though I am thousands of miles away. I think to contribute something to the occasion by telling visitors to this blog about the "awe”

Murat knows how to guide people to intentionally attain. Murat has a map for climbing to the peak of the Mountain of Awe. He got it from his tribal elders as a boy. Trained by his elders and then beyond them, Murat developed the discipline they taught him that is a definite path to AWE. He has painstakingly written about that discipline and path in his numerous books.

Check out: "Ahmsta Kebzeh: The Science of Universal Awe" by Murat Yagan. And, Murat’s autobiography, "I Come From Behind Kaf Mountain." Is telling you this enough for me to do on such a wonderful occasion? What to do? What to do? Maybe, just say --

Happy 95th Birthday to Beloved Murat!

With love and deepest gratitude from Anastasia

who so much wishes she could be with you today.