Palmistry

Walking around Rishikesh, you get the idea that everyone has some sort of psychic power.  Palm readers, astrology, aura cleansing.  It’s a bit like Boulder really!  I’ve decided that I want to see a palm reader.  I want an old Indian man to share his wisdom with me, tell me something profound that I will always remember.  There is a man that has a small space in a temple that does astrological and palm readings.  I pop my head in his shop and ask him how much for a reading.  “150 rupees.  I will tell you about past life, present life and future life.”  Alright!  Three readings in one!  Such a deal!  “Alright my friend!  I’d like my palm read.”  I say.  “Yes please Madam come, come!  Sit!  Sit here!”  I have my friend Aitor with me.  The little Indian man has me put my name and country in a book he has there, somehow Aitor gets wrangled into the whole thing and puts his name and country in the book too.  I sit facing the palm reader and put my hands in his.  He studies both my left and right hand for some time.  Examining every little crease and crevice.  He gets out a pencil.  He’s following lines on my hand and counting the tiny creases on the outside of my palm.  Finally he looks up at me.  “Oh yes, good life.  Very good life”.
“Past life good.  Little problem.  Present life good.  Better.  Future life, very good.”
“Health.  Health very good.  Small problems, but no oppression or accidents.”
“This line is for the mind.  See?  Here.  Past life, too much thinking.  Present life, better.  Up and down.  Future life good.”
He continues on giving me little bits of information.  Yoga and meditation is very good for me, he says and I’m getting better at it.  This is true.  He said nothing profound, he really gave me no new information.  But when he looks at me sweetly in my eyes and tells me with his toothless smile that I have a good life, I believe him.