In a past life, I was Miles Davis. In this life, I can barely play the triangle.
Anyway, your unemployed narrator who used to be Miles Davis was reminded of his previous self this morning when, on a brief deviation from his Sea to Sea Trek, he visited the shrine of Nebi (Prophet) Sabalan in the Druze town of Hurfeish.
The Druze religion originated 1000 years ago as a secretive offshoot of Islam, but to call the Druze Muslims would be akin to calling Christians Jews. For 40 years, the Druze opened their religion to all those who wished to adopt it, but since 1043, none may become a Druze unless born one. The Druze believe in reincarnation and the importance of the soul over the body, so—unlike most religious people—they aren’t compelled to proselytize or kill people .
The Druze also believe in modesty, which was difficult for my group, since we’ve been trekking through (and pooping in) the woods long enough now to have lost all our manners and caked on a few extra layers of grime. Fortunately, if our host minded, he didn’t let show. Through the interpretation of Alon, our Israeli tour guide, the Druze man told us about children from his town who could accurately describe their previous lives, which often ended just before (often the very day) their current lives began.
I was born September 28th, 1991. Back to the wilderness, Miles Davis signing out.
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