We started our visit to Chiang Rai in bad spirits. I had broken my glasses and Jan had an episode with a wild dog that had left her unnerved. After a long morning trying to find an optical shop that could fix my glasses, and a visit to the hospital for a doctor consultation for my crazy, “rabid” wife, we couldn’t wait to get out of this city.
As we walked towards our hotel, I said to Jan, “Well, everything happens for a reason, I wonder what this one is”.
She rolled her eyes at me, turned on her heel, and walked into the nearest café for her daily fix, a watermelon smoothie.
Little did we know that smoothie would lead us to “the reason”.
Twenty-four hours later we found ourselves sitting around a table at that same restaurant with 4 teenage Thai girls and a translator.
Turns out the Destiny Café is not just any eatery, but a training and rescue center for young Thai women who are victims of sex trafficking.
Now I don’t know a whole lot about this topic, but suddenly I’m meeting more and more true wingmen, people helping others who have been victimized by trafficking here in Thailand.
Dang, the manager of Destiny, is one of those special individuals.
It was surreal and crazy as he translated my Wingman Practices into Thai, and then to watch the faces of these young women, as they understood and participated in the practices.
It’s something I never could have imagined.
Yet there Jan and I were, sitting with these girls, speaking about self-esteem, overcoming challenges, and the vibration you send out into the universe.
Talking, laughing and joining together in different wingman practices, I was taken to a new level of gratefulness. As we went around the room, despite our language barriers, cultural, life and age differences, I was reminded that we can all find things to value and appreciate… if we’re just prompted to do so.
I’m not sure if these young ladies will ever do another wingman practice again. 
But for that moment, I experienced a spark of positive energy and felt like I had a small part in helping bring some hope and happiness to this little corner of the world that is the Destiny Café in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
If you want to bring a little positive energy into your little corner of the world, you can start by asking the question, “How can I help”.
I did, and the feeling of being of service, and helping others, brought Jan and I a great deal of joy. It also changed our entire energy and the way we experienced Chiang Rai.
I want to thank Dang for the opportunity to help, and Bob and Fran German, some new friends we met in Chiang Mai, who also have been doing some great work in helping to abolish child trafficking.
The Destiny Café’s website is https://www.destinyrescue.org/us/.
Bob and Fran’s website is http://bobnfran.wix.com/act-project.
Oh, and btw… As we left the restaurant and walked back to our hotel, Jan, in what must have been the emotion of the moment, even conceded, “well, maybe some things do happen for a reason”.
To Finding the Reason,
Michael
