Good morning and a very happy TGIF to you all!! The woman at the front desk assured me that the neighbourhood my hotel was in was safe and that my wanderings would not result in my demise in any way. So off I went. I certainly wasnt looking for any trouble ... just a BLT on whole wheat and an extra large steeped tea with three sugar from Timmies. Google maps told me that if I went a block and a half north and three or four to the west, I should be right on the money. Having dressed for looks instead of warmth, I was looking for a short cut and a large WalMart parking lot seemed to me to be the quickest route. However much to my dismay, there was no exit from the parking lot that didnt involve traversing a deep gulley, so back I went to my starting point. I trudged with my hands deep in my pockets, my hood pulled up, scanning up ahead for the iconic Tim Hortons logo... Im sure it would be coming up soon. I came to a major intersection and after getting my bearings I realized that if I just went another two and a half blocks back to the south there would be a different Timmies for me to patronize. With my stomach rumbling I quickened my pace rehearsing my order in my head. Despite keeping my eyes straight ahead and on my impending target, a familiar green, white and yellow Subway sign made a case for itself and before I knew what was happening I had ditched my original plan and was venturing through the front door of the Subway. Although it was the supper hour, there were few people in the sandwich shop...two holed up in a booth to my right and a man at the counter placing his order. I took my place in line and waited patiently as the gentleman described in detail the specifics of a variety of different subs. I glanced out of the corner of my eye, not wanting to make direct eye contact. Noticing that the man was doing the same, I looked away quickly before he caught me looking. Assuming I was safe, I turned my head slightly again only to realize that the man was looking straight at me....busted!!! Robyn!, he said. My eyes widened in amazement. Steven!, I said. As we walked toward each other for a welcome embrace, my mind was racing through a laundry list of last-known facts that I had of Steven. Wait a minute...do you live here now?, I enquired. He assured me that he still lived in Regina but was in the Peg for his sons basketball tournament. I explained I was there visiting our daughter who attends University at the U of M. Another ten minutes or so of catching up on our families and mutual friends and before we knew it, it was a friendly hug goodbye and off he went. As I collected my order, headed out the door and down the street back to my hotel, I couldnt wipe the smile of amazement off my face. It wasnt because he was some long lost flame or anything. He is the cousin of a high school friend and growing up we had all spent some fun times together. But it wasnt those memories that had me goose pimpley. No, the thing that was making my mind reel was the sheer chance that he and I, both from the Regina area, were in Winnipeg, on the exact same weekend at the exact same Subway at the exact same time. I mean there are lots of hotels, lots of Subways (remember I was hell bent on going to Tim Hortons..) but we end up, at that one, at the same time. Remember I had to double back through the WalMart parking lot? How long does it take to place an order at a fast food joint? A few minutes either side and we miss each other. But no, that city, that location, that day, that time we are both there...thats what made my spine tingle. Some would call it coincidence, others happenstance. I, myself, prefer serendipity. I just like the way that word rolls around in my mouth before it comes out. Unlike the others, it feels as though there is an element of magic in the circumstances that sometimes happen to each of us. I love the very thought that serendipity exists and that chance encounters and events happen all the time...at least they do for me. I know it may sound crazy but I believe that life puts people in our paths and although we may not know the reason at the time, rest assured that these encounters have a purpose. As Charles de Lint wrote, I do believe in an everyday sort of magic -- the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity.. So my most fabulous Friday peeps, as we enter the Christmas season, a time of year that brings with it its own magical qualities, I want you to start paying attention. To be on the lookout for new and interesting encounters, or be sensitive to blasts from the past that appear on the surface to come out of nowhere. And above all, watch with glittering eyes, the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. ~ Roald Dahl Be aware...Theres serendipitous magic everywhere...Let life surprise you. And remember I love you all!! 💛
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:30:47 +0000
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