Coincidence or Cosmic Influence
By anawar
@anawar (2404)
United States
May 21, 2008 8:43pm CST
Long story as short as I can_ Last week I was driving through the mountains in Virginia, taking my time returning to NY. My brother was driving in front of me.
I noticed my steering wheel was making a clunking noise with every twist of the wheel. I wondered what would happen if my steering wheel stopped working? Mountains were on the left and a raging river on the right. I hoped for the river.
I couldn't contact my brother because he doesn't have a cell phone. Besides, what was the point? I had to drive the Jeep down the mountain!
Finally the road flattened out and my brother crossed a suspension bridge that ended on a dirt road leading to a beautiful farm.
I hopped out of the Jeep and explained the noise to my brother. At first he was skeptical. Then, he crawled under my truck and heard the noise.
It just so happened_ coincidence or cosmic_ that the farmer came home right at that very moment and stopped to check on us. He happened to be a retired mechanic _ conincidence or cosmic_ and he diagnosed my problem. Something about link slippage and a tie rod. Not so good.
The farmer wasn't very helpful about where to find a Jeep dealership and my brother and I were standing around thinking when another truck came down the road.
No surprise this was the farmer's wife, but again something? _ She told us exactly where the dealership was and we went on our way.
So, if my Jeep hadn't broken down where it did, would there have been someone to help us? When my Jeep broke down, what if the farmer didn't happen to be coming home right at the moment we needed help? And what if he wasn't a mechanic?
And, what if the farmer's wife hadn't come home right after her husband did while we were standing around trying to figure out where to find a Jeep dealership?
Stuff like this happens to me all the time. I like Carl Jung'a theory of synchronicity. So, do you believe in coincidences?
Do you have any strange stories?
2 people like this
3 responses
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
22 May 08
I have a good one. I was driving from Indiana to Maryland (my home at the time) and got as far as the mountains in Pennsylvania, 180 miles from my home when my car started ticking. I pulled over and checked the oil, which it needed. I put more oil in, started back on my journey, when POW!!! A piston blew, right on I70 in the mountains in the middle of nowhere.
I immediately pulled over and stopped the engine. Two cars behind me also pulled over immediately and one person yelled, "Do you know your car's on fire?" Well, I jumped out of that car so fast I barely remember it. The fire was out by the time I got out of the car, so I stood there staring at the car when a State Highway Administration employee pulled up behind me not 3 minutes after I had stopped. He called a tow truck and let me sit with him in his truck until the tow truck showed up. The tow truck driver dropped me off at what he said was a very decent and inexpensive motel and told me where the car would be towed to. The hotel clerk told me where I could get a meal delivered.
It was all one, two, three... everything fell right into place. I had a great meal in a very nice, clean motel room and felt very safe.
Something told me to call my ex because he had a pickup and an always ready willingness to chew me (or anyone, for that matter) out, and I knew he couldn't pass up the opportunity to chew me out for 180 miles for not having my car inspected before that long trip (1,200 miles round trip).
So, not only did I get a ride home (I learned long ago how to block him out), but he towed my car as well.
I called it quite an adventure because nothing bad happened... it was all good. I met some very nice people and got to stay in Pennsylvania overnight which I had never done before.
Yeah, cosmic influence, for sure. I'm sure my attitude had a lot to do with it, too. I didn't get upset at all. It was, after all, an unexpected and quite pleasant adventure, except for the fact that I needed a new car, but I needed that anyway, so it wasn't bad.
@anawar (2404)
• United States
22 May 08
mentalward_ I like your name.
Wow! That's quite a story and right on topic. Thanks for taking the time to amuse the rest of us.
It always amazes me when those one-two-three things happen without a conscious effort. Cosmic influence at its best.
Your attitude helped also. Not everyone could have stayed calm. Another person might have panicked or been angry, which would have changed the entire experience.
I can't believe you didn't call your husband. That's so funny. You are able to take care of yourself without his help. Good job. I would skip calling my husband if I expected that reaction!
So, what kind of new car did you buy? Do you remember to check the oil now? :)
@anawar (2404)
• United States
24 May 08
Sorry I missed the part about the 'ex.' You brought up another intesting point. We do have choices in life. When I'm upset I think 'I don't have to feel this way.'
I like your attitude.
I live in NY, not far from the PA border. Why I feel compelled to tell you that? I've no earthly idea!
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
22 May 08
Thanks for the great comment. I didn't have a husband at the time which is why I called my ex.
My new car? I bought Kia Sportage. Kia was relatively new and I'm always willing to give the new a try. I hadn't heard anything bad about them, and I wasn't disappointed. At first, I was going to buy a Kia Rio, but decided that I needed something bigger because of all the highway driving I do and the things I do demand extra room. (And gas prices weren't what they are today!)
My attitude? I figure it this way: the situation will be the same whether I'm upset or happy. So, I choose to be happy.
Have a great day!
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
22 May 08
I believe in someone watching out for me. Things like that have happened far too often to me for it to be anything random or coincidences. But I'm willing to consider synchronicity in about half of those experiences!
I'm very glad that your situation worked out so perfectly!
@anawar (2404)
• United States
22 May 08
Yes, and it gets better. When I bought the Jeep, I purchased an after market bumper to bumper warranty. The repairs didn't cost me one thing.
Good thing too, because last week I ripped the mirror off when I backed into a really big tree.
I love synchronicity!
My aunt thinks I have an angel. It's so sweet when she tells me that.
@MichaelJay (1100)
•
24 May 08
I am fascinated by the mathematical aspects of stories like this.
Last year we went on vacation to Cornwall, quite late season in October as we can't stand it when it's full tourist season.
We stayed at a little cottage in Polperro, a picture postcard village by the sea.
On the second day we went for a drive to Fowey which involved crossing the river on a ferry.
It was a nice day for the time of year but we were glad of a cup of hot coffee in one of the coffee houses on the quay.
As we left we literally bumped into a man and his wife coming in.
It was a guy I had worked with in far off London and he had been retired for about 5 years.
Both of us were surprised to say the least. It was about as unlikely a reunion as there could be.
There are so many 'if's about this.
If we had caught a different ferry, if we had been thirty seconds later, if we had not decided to go there that day....and so on
