During the summer of 1976, I became familiar with a very special person who later was to change the course of events in my life. Her name was Sandra Largel, and l first heard of her through a magazine called Truth Journal, published by Roy Eugene Davis.

My first encounter with Sandra, who founded the Alexandrian Center, was when I attended a lecture at the Center. The lecture was on the Bermuda triangle and was given by Page Bryant, a Tampa Psychic. I recall that after the lecture, Page gave personal messages to a few people in the audience. When she told me that I was going to change jobs in eight months, I cracked up laughing because I was Medically Retired and not able to work. When the lecture ended, I met a few people and experienced strange feelings of familiarity with them. It was really weird because I had never met those people before.

The following week, I enrolled in two classes at the Center - Metaphysics and Parapsychology. A week later, I had the compulsive desire to enroll in a Leadership Training Class. In my mind I was saying, "I don't want to be a leader," but the feeling was so overwhelming, that I finally gave in to it. There I was sitting in Leadership class wondering why I was there. Towards the end of the class, which Sandra was teaching, she casually mentioned that she needed help to catch up on her typing. Before I could think, my mouth opened up and I found myself volunteering to help. It came as a complete surprise to me because I thought I had control of my mouth, and although I did have experience in typing, I was not ready to get involved with any organization. Or was I?

From the typing, I found myself gradually getting more and more involved. I went from typing one day a week to helping with the newsletter and minding the store for three days a week. It wasn't long before I found myself reluctantly accepting the position of Trustee, and exactly eight months after my initial contact with the Alexandrian Center, I became the Vice President. Chalk one up for the psychic!

The next thing I knew, Sandra Largel was preparing to move from the area and designating a small group of us to handle the Center's total operations. Our group had little experience with administrative functioning, and now we were faced with a Day Care Center, Book Store, Classes, Lectures, and Sunday Services! Somehow everything seemed to flow in spite of our inexperience.

During the next few months, there were several occurrences which seemed to indicate some unseen force assisting me. I remember the time when I went to the local Stationary Store to get a new set of books for record keeping. I asked for a Bookkeeping System that was simple to operate. The clerk went to the back room and brought back a System that was much too complicated. She went back again two more times. While I was waiting for her to return on the third try, l walked over to a nearby shelf and found exactly what I had been looking for. That little incident literally blew my mind!

Another time I was having lunch with the children in the Day Care Center (by this time my volunteer services had expanded to a full time schedule). We were outdoors on the patio when all of a sudden, I felt that I should go around to the playground area and look at a big tree. I was standing there wondering what I was doing there, when suddenly the ground under my left foot collapsed and I got hit in the face with splashing water. There I was with my right foot on solid ground and my left foot dangling over empty space. The septic tank cover had collapsed. Was it an accident that it happened to me rather than one of the children as they were playing there? l quietly said, "Thank you Father. You could have at least eliminated the splash!"

Finally, after nearly a year of struggling with the rest of the group to keep the Center in operation, reinforcements arrived. Richard and Peggy Rebeck had learned of the Center's need through Sandra Largel, and they decided to move to Inverness and work with the Center. By the time they arrived, I was certainly ready for some assistance! Our Day Care Teacher had left the Center, and I was having to spend my time babysitting in addition to my other responsibilities which had mushroomed. Richard and Peggy instigated many changes in administrative duties and other activities at the Center. Soon we found ourselves moving to much larger and better facilities. During the Process of change, the President resigned, and you guessed it! I wound up, with the job as President!

I'm still in the process of evolving in my life. In the next issue I will share with you some of my frustrating experiences related to this.

Sal Cacciola

© 1979
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