NPR had a fascinating 'This American Life' on today with stories of coincidences that happened to people. Incredible stories. So what's the weirdest coincidence that happened to you or someone you know? I was on a trip, hitchhiking with a boyfriend years ago. We went from Eugene OR east to Montana, north to Banff, Alberta, Canada then back west to Penticton, BC and finally south to OR. It was impossible to get a ride out of Banff because there were other people hitching so we decided to hike a while and try further down the road. Along the way the sole broke away from my shoe. There was no way to fix it and I had nothing else to wear, and we were on the road in the forest a long way from any town. But right there, not more than a couple yards from where my shoe disintegrated, sat a pair of Puma tennis shoes. They fit perfectly and became my favorite shoes for a couple more years until they finally wore out.
Now do you believe God exists? On second thought, if God existed, it would have been something better than Puma tennis shoes.
In the late 1980s, when I was living in Toronto, I had a business partner I'll call John (not his real name). We got to chatting one day about things we regretted doing when we were kids. I told a story about how once, when I was thirteen and living in Montreal, I set off a smoke bomb outside the local high school's music room. This music room had a big air intake fan, sucking air in from the outside, and it sucked in all the smoke from my bomb. They couldn't use the music room for the rest of the day. I'd thought it was a great prank when I did it, but in hindsight it really inconvenienced a lot of people. John listened to this story with ever-widening eyes. When I finished, he said, "You're the one who did that? I'm the one who got punished for it!" It turned out that he'd been a student at that high school at the time and had a reputation as a prankster. I had not even known that he'd ever lived in Montreal, let alone gone to that school! He'd had no idea I lived there, either! There we were, sixteen years later, finding that weird connection between our teenage selves.
I was sitting in a bar in Glasgow (I'm originally from the USA) and I was talking to a bunch of Scottish friends. An American tourist overheard me, identified me as a fellow American, and came over to say hi. She asked me what state I was from. I told her I was from Michigan, and she said, "Oh, I know a guy from Michigan. Do you know Horace Maneer?" (Not his real name- but his name WAS an unusual one.) I said, "Errr...is he from (name of my home town?)" She said yes. I said, "Well ...he used to be my boyfriend when we were in 7th grade!" Small world.
So I don't have any coincidences to share, but there was something incredible that happened back in high school to another student. We had a Holocaust survivor come talk to our English class about her experiences, and she was telling us about how she was still alive because some kind Polish man had hid her family in a secret room in his barn for a month. She then told us the name of that Polish man and gave us more details about him, and this girl in my class raised her hand and said, "That was my great-grandfather." Needless to say, it was a very emotional experience for everyone involved.
When I was having a psychotic episode, and my delusions were ruling my life, I saw coincidences everywhere. I thought that everything I would think, do, or see would tell me something that would happen in the future. Like I saw on Netflix a movie about a girl who gets raped after a pedo tracks her down on the internet, so I thought the same thing would happen to me. Now that I'm "better," I can't remember any of the coincidences, but believe me, there were A LOT.
These may not bee all that big or funny, but the two that come to mind actually led to the most significant parts of my teenage life.. The first and perhaps the most important one is track and field. In the second half (Spring) of my freshman year I found myself in a new PE class, under one Ms. Johnson. Now, my mom was really trying to push me towards track because she was a track star back before she had me. I was resistant because I hated the idea of running competitively. Well as it turns out, we had a"parent night" in that semester (for some odd reason) and when my mom saw my Ms. Johnson, she got so excited. Apparently, my PE teacher at REV was also the track coach, but more than that, she was my mom's beloved Coach Johnson from her days in track at another local high school, San G. My mom loved Coach Johnson... She was the one who pushed my mom to her limits and even bought her first pair of throw shoes. Needless to say I found myself on the track team and loving every minute of it. Shot put and discus became my life over the next three years (and even now, as I plan on getting my coaching certificates). The other one is football film... After my freshman year, a new high school opened up and the boundaries were redrawn. I ended up having to leave REV and go to the brand new CVHS (which was a story in itself ). On the day I went to finish registration and pick up my text books, we happened to run into the principal, who was out greeting families and being social. He saw me walking around sleeveless (and again it goes back to my having been one of the strongest guys on campus--no bragging, I swear ), and he asked if I wanted to join the football team. I had no interest in football, but I told him I was thinking about it. "Great," he said, "here come the head football coach now." Sure enough Coach Smolin came over to us, and I was kinda cornered into joining the team. That didn't last long for a few reasons, chiefly because the learning curve was so steep (I had never played a day of football, but had to learn the plays and terminology for offense and defense because we just didn't have enough people). Even though I didn't want to play, coach asked me to be the video manager because my GPA was so high, which became a job that filled the next three years of my life almost as mush as track. Needless to say, it defined much of my high school life. So there you have it. The two most significant activities in my young life brought about by coincidence. Without them, I probably would be a very different guy. Who knows? Maybe I'd have more reading and writing under my belt... I don't know.
It's not a terrible movie, actually. Probably the most amazing coincidence I ever had was when I was on holiday in France. We were camping with a certain camping company, but they aren't particularly well-known. It was also a large campsite, and we were only there for two days. It was just a quick stop-off before we moved on. We were strolling through this campsite when we heard voices we recognised - it was a family that used to come to out church, but had moved a few years back. They were also only stopping off, but just for that night, and they happened to be holidaying with this company, happened to be stopping off there at that certain time, and we happened to see them at the campsite. Needless to say, we were all rather surprised! However, I don't believe in coincidences, because I believe God plans everything. Still, it was rather difficult to believe.
Not as impressive as some of the other ones, but I went to school with a guy who was born at the same time, in the same hospital, across the way from me, he has the same first name, the same first letter of the surname, and yet we lived in different towns so I did not know him until we went to the same high school.
Hiking through the woods I was overcome with the urge to use nature's facility, yet wary at the prospect of spattering my new trainers I removed each shoe from its foot and tip-toed through the ferns. God blast my eyes as when I returned my white shoes had been transformed into a revolting pair of knackered plimsols, entirely useless. I believe a message from a higher being indeed. I have lived at the monastery ever since.
What if you guys were accidentally switched at birth? From what you've written, it sounds very possible.
Given the fact that we both have a secret passion for Disney films and brown ale, nah, I am my father's son.
This reminded me of another weird coincidence. My last two long term partners (one being my son's father) each had one of my two brother's names, including matching first and middle names.
A few years ago, I was snorkeling in the surf of Old Orchard Beach in Maine. I was with my girlfriend and her daughters, and the family Golden Retriever, Rusty. Well, Susan waded out to me and told me we had to take Rusty back to the campsite, because that part of the beach was posted "No Dogs Allowed." While we were talking, I dropped and lost my snorkel in the surf. We took Rusty back to the campsite, had lunch, and then returned to the beach a couple hours later, at a point half a mile or so north of where we had left the beach earlier. A while after I entered the water, I stepped on something in about four feet of water. It was the snorkel I had lost that morning.
Once I got on the train with a co-worker and met the guy I had a crush on in the same car. He was with his girlfriend and she was playing footsie with him in fishnet stockings. Very awkward. We acknowledged each other and then ignored each other for the rest of the trip.
I have had some strange coincidences. Though nothing can compare to the story below.. After misplacing my bank card, I borrowed ten pound off my friend whilst on a girlie night out. In a pub in the next town, she bought us both a drink and we pondered over where my card could have got to. Unable to put my finger on it, and at the bottom of our drinks, I strolled to the bar to find a crisp ten pound on the floor. I thought myself lucky, thought nothing of it, and bought us both a drink for us. Then it was her round. Then my turn. i went back to the same spot at the bar, and low and behold, another crisp ten pound was sitting on the floor in the same place. I looked round thinking someone must be pulling a prank, but there was no one around, so i picked it up, bought in another round, and told my friend. She thought it funny. Her turn. She popped back to the bar again, and bought another drink for us both. My turn. As I went back, yet another ten pound was lying on the floor. This time i was getting a little giddy/ This isn't possible i thought, someone is pulling my leg. three ten pounds on the floor at different times at the same bar. with no one around and my friend over the other side, i picked it up and shared my 3rd freebie. When i got home, I realized my bank card had been stolen, all three hundred pound was gone. I did manage to get the money back, but after that i couldn't help thinking I have a some kind of trinity god watching over me in etheral form. true story I swear.
