It’s a beautiful day in South Carolina. We have a break from Summer’s hot, humid heat to enjoy the tall trees and the clear blue sky. My most pressing issue now is my hound dog’s insistence on going in and out of the house, irritating me into giving her a treat. She is a good dog that likes to eat too much.
Don’t we all have moments where something hits us out of the blue and recognize it too late? Whether it be as insidious as a growing moisture problem in the crawlspace of your house or a lightning strike, felling a ninety-foot tree in your front yard. You have to deal with it.
Today also reminds me of how content Michael Townsend was that afternoon driving up to Annapolis State Park to do some weekend camping. Like Michael, there are times when our daily life’s rush must be put on hold, or one loses their sanity. Hearing the breeze blowing through the trees and the monotonous sounds of chirping crickets relaxes the weary brain.
Michael was in the mood to be still and one with nature, putting the insanity of a medical intern in a cardiac unit on hold. Twenty-hour on-call days, sleeping in break rooms, and answering back-to-back code blue emergencies are not healthy even for the hardiest constitutions. He needed the getaway to the point he left his betrothed that weekend to work her shifts. Even with the comely Anne in his life, he needed to recharge himself in the quiet solitude of nature.
However, life’s troubles befell the young doctor. As innocent as a spider exterminated in its web by a leery homeowner, Michael’s respite was violated by the alien Gimmish, stealing his essence. He never saw it coming and could do nothing about it. Gimmish was literally a thief in the night. Michael’s life would never be the same after he chose to sleep under the stars that night. The thieving quark saw his opportunity and capitalized, starting a cascade of events that would change the universe.
Michael Townsend’s story is that of a talented yet flawed unintended hero who rises from near death and tragedy, not knowing how it happened, to do something heroic, changing the universe and how Earth perceives it forever.
We do not know for sure if there are aliens in the universe. Many believe in a power greater than ourselves, some don’t. But, like Michael, we all have our successes, failures, and hurdles to deal with, too.
Michael’s adventures will take more than one book to tell.
