This story about the appearance of a sundial sculpture on April 26, 1997 still amazes me every time I recollect it. On this eventful day, I met with two friends for brunch at a restaurant near the Berkeley Marina. After brunch, we continued our conversation with a leisurely stroll around the marina. I told my friends about some reality shifts I've seen, and how much I wished they could see one, too... when one occurred right there on the spot!

We were walking together towards the pier, when one friend asked us, "Do either of you recall ever seeing that statue here before?" as he pointed at a giant sculpture of a sun dial. My other friend replied, "No.... I don't," and I felt tremendously excited, because I'd never before seen that sculpture when I was there with these two friends! The sun dial seemed to rise up proudly towards the sun to greet us as we walked in awed silence to get a better look at it.

We walked around the ten foot tall concrete sculpture as children sat and climbed on it. This sculpture was clearly placed in a central location for people to notice it, right in the middle of a square at the foot of the Berkeley pier. Amazingly, the sun dial sculpture's absence had previously allowed us to clearly see another giant sculpture situated up on a hill above the sun dial when we were on the pier and walking back towards the shore... but now that the sun dial WAS there, we noticed we couldn't see the other sculpture as well because it was partially obscured by the sun dial. The other sculpture is sculptor Fred Fierstein's larger-than-life size 1986 oriental archer on horseback with fully drawn bow called "The Guardian," aiming his arrow out over the bay--shooting over the sun dial sculpture's spot.

I told my friends that the sun dial sculpture had always been here when I had come here without them, but never when we were here together... until now. The sun dial is chipped and worn, made out of concrete, and bears the following inscription:

"The peoples of the bountiful Pacific Ocean are brought together by the sweep of time. This sundial honors the citizens of Sakai Japan, the sister city of Berkeley. United in warm friendship and goodwill, the peoples of Sakai and Berkeley strengthen mutual understanding and respect through the exchange of visitors and cultural programs. This sundial is dedicated to the continuing friendship and growing association between Sakai and Berkeley. 1970"

I am deeply impressed that something as large and majestic as this sun dial had vanished and reappeared, and I begin to realize the magnitude of what must be possible if such large things can so easily be transformed or transported in time and space. The sun dial itself is a symbol that reminds me how love transcends space and time to unite all of us across the oceans that seem to separate us from one another. I feel great reverence for this universe that it allows us to witness just a little bit of how it materializes around us.

My friends and I marveled in respect and awe at this simultaneously new and relatively old addition to our shared experience of the marina... and I was inspired by the way the three of us were able to share a reality shift experience as we were in the midst of discussing reality shifts.

I subsequently followed up with Berkeley Marina Harbor Master Brad Gross on June 8, 1999, to ask him whether anything has been done to renovate or relocate the sun dial sculpture during the time he has been harbor master. Brad replied, "I've been here for three years, and it hasn't changed since I've been here. I'm about to celebrate my third year anniversary on the 16th of this month, and we haven't done anything to it for three years! The sun dial does not need adjustment!"