Coincidence or Divine Timing

Albert Einstein once said “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Couldn’t agree more with this statement. Prior to the advent of GPS navigation systems, I once missed a turn and thought my goose was cooked. I was still new in the East Coast and the thought of inadvertently driving into New York City, a place I had only seen in movies was quite unsettling. I was alone in the car, didn’t have any reason to head there at that point in time and was on a shoestring budget. Quite an interesting way to make the maiden foray into the big apple and the conditions were far from ideal.

The day began like any other and since I had the day off, I opted to visit my cousin who lived in the nearby state of New Jersey. The visit was long overdue and she lived barely two hours away hence it was a no brainer. I was all set for New Jersey and not quite ready for New York but fate had other plans. It was the era of relying on visuals. Therefore, in the conversation with my cousin prior to heading out I insisted on getting landmarks along the way to keep me on track. I hit the interstate I-95 shortly thereafter and got carried away with the loud music, interesting scenery as I raced with other cars; all within the speed limit.

An unmentionable item hit the fan when it dawned on me that I had missed the exit. I caught a glimpse of the famous landmark in the rearview mirror and the thought of engaging in a risky maneuver crossed through my mind. I instantly turned down the music so as to see the road better. I was convinced that hearing and seeing was closely linked. Moreover, I was on the edge of my seat and got the more anxious when I saw New York signs everywhere I turned.

Aside from a Walmart store a few yards away, none of the buildings looked familiar. Something nudged me to exit and cool my heels at Walmart as I pondered on the next course of action. This turned out to be the best decision ever. No sooner had I pulled over than my cousin did as well. I was saved by the bell in the inexplicable turn of events. What a coincidence. The person I so yearned to meet showed up at the right time.

Paulo Coelho Aleph once said “Many times the wrong train took me to the right place.” Upon completing my graduate studies, I embarked on a job search. Having placed several job applications far and wide, I received a call invitation for a job interview at daybreak towards the end of the first month after graduation. At that point in time, I was preoccupied with seeking employment in a particular financial institution. For some strange reason, I made the assumption that the invitation was linked to the institution of interest. In a twisted turn of events, the date and time was correctly noted but the venue was as wrong as can be.

Armed with my paperwork, knowledge and all else required, I made my way to the financial institution on the purported interview date. Upon arrival, I introduced myself at the reception and stated that I had received a call for a job interview. The two ladies at the reception looked at each other. Their bemused expression caught my attention. I was requested to wait as they pored over their records and consulted widely with regards to this peculiar case. At one point they requested to see my set of documents. Shortly thereafter, a decision was reached. They asked me if I was ready to take an aptitude test. I assented to the request and the rest is history. I worked there for four years. In this case the wrong train definitely took me to the right place. Torn between whether this was a manifestation case or mere coincidence.

“Life consists of a long chain of coincidences” Jostein Gaarder once said and I’m in full agreement with the said statement. No sooner had I settled a long term financial obligation than an investment opportunity presented itself. I received a call from an older relative just when I was about to go and paint the town red. For a long while I had lived on a shoestring budget and so clearing the obligation meant I finally had some wiggle room to blow some cash even if it meant for only one day. I had given myself permission to do so. As a result, I made a plan. However, reality laughed it off and brought snacks to boot.

Things moved too fast after the call. At the break of dawn, I went to view the property and decided to get my ducks in a row to secure the piece. At the back of my mind, I endeavored to clear the obligation within the shortest time possible even if it meant eating more plants than meat. Little did I know that destiny was tipped in my favor. No sooner had I made the sixth and final payment than we received a notice that the institution was letting go of staff owing to a takeover.

We were free to make a fresh application. However, I opted to seek greener pastures and was more than glad that the obligation was no longer an albatross around my neck. As things unfolded, it appeared as though the investment was fixed within a short window of opportunity. Life is indeed a game of inches and in this instance the margin of error was minimal. A delayed payment would have caused untold suffering. Moreover, the timing of the entry into the deal bore the markings of a coincidence and was inexplicable. The same goes with the final payment that culminated the deal. This indeed goes to show that Life consists of a long chain of coincidences as was aptly put by Jostein Gaarder.