Interviews

Interview With: Cynthia Roland

By Paul V. Scholl

Cynthia was flying up for the weekend from Santa Barbara to visit a friend in Sacramento and was due to arrive at the photo shoot around noon. Noon came and went, as did one o'clock. The photographer and I were discussing our ideas for future covers when Cynthia and her friend arrived just a little flustered. Somehow the luggage with the wardrobe for the cover shots was temporarily misrouted. We only had time for the photo session, agreeing to meet later that evening for the interview.

Weather, metro traffic, and bad timing made the situation worse, but we finally got together around 7:00 that evening at a home of a mutual friend in Citrus Heights. A quiet den, a cup of herbal tea, and a few minutes to relax, and none of the hustle or misfortune of the day mattered.

Born in Enid, Oklahoma some forty-plus years ago, Cynthia now finds herself securely entrenched in the lifestyle of Long Beach. She lives in a home "exactly as the one I pictured" which rests on a cliff overlooking the beach. She enthusiastically described her transition to this new sanctuary, how she knew that it was the place for her the moment she saw it. "It provides a wonderful sense of healing, a sense of calmness that I want in life" she claimed.

As we continued, I was drawn in by the calmness she evoked. Her capturing smile reminded me of that which one might find on the face of an angel temporarily taking human form. Her eyes held an alluring, almost alarming sense of recognition with the constant contact, as if there was someone behind them that had a very special message to provide. Our conversation deepened into philosophies about divorce, transition, renewal of relationships, resurrection and it's strengths. She held no reservations in speaking about her divorce ten years passed, or about her children, or about the struggles of coming back from meager beginnings into a hugely successful national entrepreneurship.

Cynthia's convictions were displayed most convincingly in her expression of what God has meant to her in her life. Steadfast and strong, she offered "giving up fear is the most important thing to getting ahead in life and allowing your ideas and dreams to manifest through you." After pouring another cup of tea, she assured "Listen to your inner urgings, your inner voice. It comes from God and there is a master plan for you as a part of this universe. Finding your path is essential to finding your destiny."

I asked Cynthia if there was a particular moment or time in her life that she most remembered as a turning point for finding her own spirituality. After just a few moments of introspection, she said she had always felt hew own inner-awareness, enhancing it through her regular reading of the bible. When asked for a particular verse that she favoured she mentioned many. One she remembers most often when in need of strengthening and balance is Psalms 91, which states "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust."

By my many conversations with Cynthia, and knowing her through this interview, it is evident that she lives what she shares and preaches. She is a wonderful example of how far a determined and spiritually centered person can go after the challenges of divorce.