Subconscious Scheduling

A warm December Saturday found us at the half-shaded neighborhood park. The three of us crunched through the fallen leaves and up the steep hill to enjoy the see-saws and swings, slides and balance beams together. 

I watched my pre-schooler launch himself headfirst down the slide again and again. He'd look up for approval and I'd nod, but I wasn't really there with him. I was thinking about reaching back out to an old friend named Brad.  

Brad and I met at a job over 10 years ago. We had since worked together at few other places on and off and had always kept in touch. Often, there'd be  long stretches where we wouldn't grab a beer for months, even years. But recently, I had invited him and his family over to visit via a text message. 

Predictably, this was over the holidays and last minute-ish so they couldn't make it. But it seemed like a good time to try again. 

Suddenly, a guy who looked like Brad came trouncing across the mulch in a red vest. It sure looked like him and soon I confirmed it. He was carrying his 2-year-old daughter and walking right at me as his wife followed. They had been out running errands on this part of town and wanted to reward their daughter with some play time. It was a drive for them and what a coincidence that we were there at the same time, too.  

Or was it?

Do these kinds of coincidences happen to you? Will you be thinking of a family member and they will call? Many times, I'll be thinking about an old high school buddy of mine and I'll bump into them at Lowe's or in the bathroom of a sports game. Every once in a while it'll be a college friend and I'll see their name in a news article, or have someone else mention knowing that person. And what, there are almost 7 billion of us on this rock now?

So why does this happen so frequently? Are our subconscious minds calling up their subconscious minds and setting a subconscious calendar event? 

You'll hear many claim they don't believe in coincidences. With all of these chance encounters happening so often to so many different people, I tend to agree. There must be some extrasensory connection that we can't see but still pulls us together. Surely, it's something that draws us physically together simply by emotion, desire and without question the divine. 

I'm glad you've noticed it, too.