Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Coincidences Make Life Interesting

Medicine Bow National Forest
When I was thirteen, I used to spend my summers in the Medicine Bow National Forest.  My grandfather had built and run a hunting lodge there, sold it, and then my father and aunt had it return to them in the late 80's.  The buildings were rundown and falling apart.  Our respective families tried--in vain--to get it back into top condition.  No running water on the premises meant we had to drive an hour and a half every couple of weeks into Laramie, Wyoming to do laundry.

As we would drive by the University of Wyoming, I always thought to myself, "I sure would like to go to college there."  I could imagine myself on campus.  It felt "right" to want to go there.

My traditional college attending age came and went.  I spent some time at a college in the Nebraskan town I lived in, and then had to begin working to pay off hospital bills I accrued when I was nineteen.  Time passed, and I figured I'd never go to college, much less UW.  And then, I turned twenty-eight.  I'd paid off my hospital bills, and decided I better get my behind to college so I could earn a decent living and get out of my parent's house.  Guess where I went.  Yep, UW.  When I did finally set foot on the campus as a student, it felt almost preordained.  At the very least, it's a fun coincidence.

My life is full of coincidences like that.  My husband is another one.  My grandmother called him my "mashad" (totally a phonetic spelling, by the way) the first time she met him.  A mashad is Italian for "match," as in "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match.  Find me a find. Catch me a catch."  We weren't even dating.  I had the same feeling when I saw him walking down the street, before I'd ever met him.  It took a little under ten years, but we did end up married.

Next week, I get to welcome a guest to Motivation for Creation who is another of those coincidences.

In the early nineties, I read, no...devoured...this fascinating book about a woman with red hair who was kidnapped and forced to become part of a harem.  The story is about how she rose (connived) her way to the top of the harem and even the Empire.  I read the entire novel in one day.  Periodically, over the twenty-ish years since I read the book, I would think about it, and wonder who the author was, and what the name of the book was. 

Last summer, I read a post on Writer Unboxed about heroes that resonated with me.  The author was Colin Falconer, and I started following him on Twitter, and followed his blog, Looking for Mr. Goodstory.  I also won his newest release, Silk Road, from Corvus Books.  We have chatted every now and then, through blog comments and twitter, and he is a very gracious fellow.

Sidenote:  One of my embarrassing twitter stories involves him, and if you want to read it, you can go here.


This winter, one of Colin's blog posts was about his book, Harem.  (Do you see where this is going?)  After some discussion, and Colin sending me Harem so I could read it and see if I recognized it, I realized that this was indeed the book and the author I had enjoyed so much twenty-ish years ago.

And now we are exchanging guest posts!  Maybe it isn't a big deal, but when I think about all the changes in my life leading up to me becoming a writer, and then just the happenstance of reading that one post on Writer Unboxed, I have to shake my head.

Those "in the right place at the right time" moments help my optimism stay in the top of the Optimism Register.  They help me believe things can end up right, even if things look so very wrong from my current point of view.  It's coincidences like these and others that make me believe in everyday magic.

Colin will be visiting on June 12 to share about his misadventures on a book tour in Mexico, and I'll be posting over at Looking For Mr. Goodstory on the 15th about my experiences with psychopaths when I worked on the Criminal Justice Unit of the State Mental Hospital.  I hope you will come back next week and give Colin a fine welcome!

Do you have coincidences like these in your life?  Please share them in the comments section.  I'd love to hear about them!

35 comments:

  1. Great stories and coincidences - I love when life is so inspiring! I spent summers in Wyoming too, with my uncle in Dubois, soometimes seeing my aunt in Lander - miss those mountains so bad.
    I'm glad you found the book - I hate not being able to remember where I heard or saw something. Sounds fascinating...excited to learn more abou this author!

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    1. I have family in the Lander area, as well. We should compare sometime! All of Wyoming has some amazing landscape, and it can be so varied in just a couple of hours.

      I'm glad you'll come back next week to read Colin's post. I love his blog, and he's got the best sense of humor (and stories!).

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  2. I've got some weird ones (not good/nor bad, just strange) relating to writing. Just funny thing that happened, but those are all too long. I posted one on my blog and will get to the others when I need fillers.

    I am querying Frosty right now. It's mc is Sydney. I have a friend who lives an hour away. One the same day I sent my first query, this friend had a baby and named her Sydney. We'd never talked baby names so I didn't know she was looking at Sydney and she didn't know about my writing.

    Just a strange little coincidence.

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    1. That is so cool about your friend! I wonder if her Sydney will be similar to your Sydney in personality. Hmmmm.

      I'm going to have to search your blog for that story. I had a hard time smashing the coincidences above into what I hoped would be short, readable, understandable sections.

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  3. I don't believe in coincidences. I believe my Higher Power or the Cosmic Universe runs my life. I just put my foot out and see where 'they' take me. Everyday is a miracle.

    I have a book from my youth that I cannot, for love nor money, find. It somehow helped me when in those tender years. It's about a ghost, a civil war soldier, who came and visited a girl in New Hampshire or somewhere. When the time comes, the Powers will bring the book forward.

    Thanks for sharing. This was a fun read.

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    1. Okay, now we need a collective effort to figure the book out!

      I like "Everyday is a miracle." I feel the same way. :)

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  4. This sort of thing happens to me all the time. The first time I laid eyes on my wife, from a second story window at a party, a freaky vibe filled me. The first time I fixed an old wood siding prefinishing machine, I said to myself, "I get this thing. I know how to do this - how to make it better." And I did. I went on to be the part owner and operations manager of one of the largest siding prefinishing companies in the US. I always knew I would write a book (a trilogy, actually). I had a spooky feeling the first time I discovered Writer Unboxed (and wrote about it in my guest post there).

    There's a similar conversation going on at WU today, about the muse. Whether it's mystical or our cognitive subconscious that tells us when something special is happening, it's a magical phenomena. I like 'Everyday is a miracle,' too.

    Also, your post inspired me to put on the Best of Mike Scott and The Waterboys album, to hear the song Medicine Bow. Now the whole album is a turning into a perfect fit for my mystical day. So thanks!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Vaughn! Personally, I believe in the mystical, but I suppose the subconscious can be mystical, too. Some things totally defy explanation, though, and that's when I go with Shannon's Cosmic Universe or Higher Power! :)

      I've never heard of the song "Medicine Bow." Might have to head over to youtube!

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  5. Lovely post, Lara. It is strange how things have a way of working out, isn't it? It's just another reminder that there's more to this world than meets the eye. I like thinking I'm apart of a grand plan, and that someone's watching over me. Coincidences remind me of that.

    I look forward to the upcoming author interview!

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    1. "A part." Golly. It's one of THOSE days. :)

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    2. I totally didn't catch that! Maybe proofreading isn't my strong suit. :)

      I think that's what makes me feel happiest - I do feel like there is some type of order in what happens. It makes it easier to continue on in the face of adversity.

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  6. That actually gave me chills! How awesome. And Colin's book sounds really great. I'm sure I have many coincidence stories but I can't think of any right this second. But I love that kind of thing!

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    1. I've just started reading Silk Road because I just didn't have time to read at all during the school year, and it's proving to be just as exciting and interesting as Harem.

      If you think of a coincidence story, come back and tell it. I love to hear about other peoples amazing stories, too!

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  7. How wonderful!!! I love coincidences. Although I don't believe in coincidences. It's Fate. :)

    So far none I can think of that have been life changing or really notable. But it's really cool when stuff like that happens!

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    1. I didn't know what to call it, since so many people identify it in so many different ways! I think even the ordinary, every day kind of miracles/fate incidents/magic... :) are pretty special.

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  8. The coincidence I remember best involves a studio that made some of my favorite computer games in the 90s. One of their games had a boss battle that was so hard it made me so angry that I swore an oath: "If I ever meet whoever is responsible for making this boss battle so hard, I will keelhaul him!"

    Not long after that, I started applying for jobs at computer game studios. Coincidentally, the studio that gave me my chance to break into the industry was the same one that made my favorite games, including the one with the insanely difficult boss battle. I even ended up working with the guy who was responsible for that until he moved on to another studio.

    He was a pretty good guy, so I opted not to keelhaul him after all.

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    1. That's a cool story! I am sure your boss was happy you didn't keelhaul him. I'm wondering if you ever talked to him about the awful boss battle, and ask him "What the heck were you thinking!" More importantly, did you ever win the battle? :)

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    2. Oh, the guy in question wasn't ever my boss...he was a programmer with whom I worked for a while. I did tell him his implementation of that boss battle was a little questionable.

      And yes, I did win the battle. On my third day of trying, the boss monster got stuck on some architecture in the middle of the arena and couldn't move anymore, so I was able to get behind him, where he was helpless, and destroy him :)

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    3. Oops, I misunderstood. Anyway, yay for you for winning the battle! Three days is a long time - shows your perseverance! ;)

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  9. Love this. Oh, I tried to share a story, but just couldn't. My editor's cap fell off. I look forward to the posts Lara. Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Thanks, Stacy! You, too! I'm hoping some day you can tell me your story... :)

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  10. I've got so many "coinky-dink" (as my kids called it) stories I could share. Off the top of my head, as a soccer mom, I told another mom that I was trying to find a job and she recommended me for a great one where she worked and I got it. Or is that networking? Hello! Or there was the time my Mary Kay director (when I was selling the stuff) harassed me so much about buying larger packages of product to sell, which I couldn't afford. I prayed something wonderful would happen to her so she would move away and LEAVE ME ALONE. Lo and behold, her husband received a transfer to another city; a much better work opportunity. She had to move! What a great coincidince, or was that providence? Heh, heh, heh. Oh, yay, I have another one: one time when I was married to my ex-husband and he was yelling at me and sitting in a "brand new" lawn chair, I stared at him, wishing the damn chair would break apart. And it did. The webbing gave way and he wound up on his big B-U-T-T. Moral of the story; don't mess with me! So was ex-husband's accident coincidence or just reward? Hmmm...

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    1. All righty - I will never cross you, and if I do, I'll be prepared for something terrible to happen! Hopefully, you'll just tell me if I've upset you, and then I don't have to watch my back! ;)

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  11. I love coincidences, but wonder are they coincidences at all or fate? Sometimes certain coincidences scream at you, sometimes they are subtle (so I try to pay attention!).

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    1. I know. When they get to the story level, they've already grown out of subtlety. The quiet little voice inside will give us directions, if only we'd listen!

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  12. Rather than call then coincidences, I prefer "God's timing" and only because I can't explain how in the heck all these things happened.

    One of my favorites is the lady who arranged the blind date with my future wife is the same lady who discharged my wife after our third son was born

    (There was only a mere ten years and 3,100 miles separating the introduction and the birth :)

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    1. So, that's just cool! I'm wondering how on the earth you ended up in the same place, and did you know she was there before you went to leave the hospital. That's so neat!

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  13. There are no coincidences - it is all meant to be. These are all very cool "meant to be"s and the upcoming guest posts both sound fascinating. Looking forward to them. :)

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    1. Thanks, Nicki! I'm looking forward to Colin's guest post, too. I think it's going to be some funny stuff!

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  14. Looking forward to this!! :) Story sounds great.

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  15. CG Jung talks about these types of coincidences as "synchronicity". An acausal connecting principle of the Universe that help lead us to new growth, new discoveries and new learning. It may just be that artists might recognize this principle even more than other people as they depend on intuition and a connection to something greater to find their creative inspiration. Thanks for the posting!

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    1. I figured there had to be a name for them! I love what you said about artists "depending on intuition and a connection to something greater." :) I think it's true. What a thought provoking comment!

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  16. I loved this post so much (and am so envious of the hunting lodge that was in your family for years. What a great setting for a novel! I want to visit!! Even, despite the lack of running water, it sounds heavenly). I think your ending up at UW was less coincidence and more you charting your own path (way to go!)... but the others - yes, pure coincidence, and I agree that those types of uncanny, serendipitous events do help us stay positive in a sometimes not-so-positive world.

    I will be going offline for awhile to finish up a round of edits on my WIP. Can you please, please send me a DM reminder & link when your post about working with the Criminal Justice Unit of the State Mental Hospital post goes up? I am SO interested in reading it. Psychology absolutely fascinates me, and I'm sure you have quite a few stories to tell.

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    1. I would be happy to DM you! I wrote the first draft last night and am going to have to cut it about in half, but I have a better idea how to make it readable now. :) Thanks for coming by!

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