Synchronicity

See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?
- Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), Signs

Put plainly, synchronicity is the experience of two or more occurrences (beyond coincidentally) in a manner that is logically meaningful- but inexplicable- to the person or persons experiencing them. Such events would also have to suggest an underlying pattern in order to satisfy the definition of synchronicity as developed by Jung. It differs from mere coincidence in that synchronicity implies not just a happenstance, but an underlying pattern or dynamic that is being expressed through meaningful relationships or events.

I know The Thing promised Part 3 would be done for posting by tonight, but I want to warn you that depending on how late it is (I'm in bed by 9) it may not actually get posted until tomorrow. But, as anxious as I am to read the final installment myself, this would actually be better because it gives me the chance to 'review' some of the stuff The Thing has already written about and to discuss events that...well, now that you guys know how schmoopey we really are, I feel like I can discuss them freely without anyone throwing things at me. Except maybe Steve. I wonder about him sometimes...

First off, many thanks to everyone for not gasping in horror at the end of Part 2 when you learned that I was going to go home with two 'strange' guys I had met in a bar a couple hours earlier. However, if you ever met My Thing you would understand…he asked me later that night why I agreed to go back to Thing 2's house - how did I know I could trust him? And I said, 'I didn't trust Thing 2, but I trusted you and you trusted Thing 2 so I knew it was okay.' The Thing claimed he didn't understand seeing as how I knew him only as long as I knew Thing 2. To which I asked, how did he know he could trust me enough to ask me back? I could be carrying a weapon on me just as easily as they could…and they were both pretty much drunk (Thing 2 actually passes out before the night is over) where as I had only had a couple beers the entire night. Anyway, the point is, I just trusted The Thing and he just trusted me. Neither of us could explain it then and we still can't. But both of us were having our own thoughts about 'chance and random events' of the evening which were whispering in our ears…and in the following weeks, we ended up discussing these things with each other. And once we had each other's stories in addition to our own…well…synchronicity…

And I know some of you may be thinking 'serendipity'…or you may be thinking 'bullshit'…I'm just the presenter of information. I'll let each of you decide for yourself.

Things we think about…
*The recent break-up of Thing 2's relationship after 11 years that brought The Thing in to the area and out for the evening.

*The Thing & I each being single at the same time.
- The Thing had been in a long term relationship that had just ended 3 months prior.
- My husband walking out on me quite unexpectedly earlier in the year.
- The divorce it's self. If you remember, my divorce was supposed to be final 3 weeks earlier then it actually occurred. If not for a backlog of cases at the courthouse, my divorce would have gone through as planned…making my divorce party occur 3 weeks earlier...
*Our being in the same place at the same time. Besides the timing of the divorce and subsequent party:
- Remember, The Thing lives 3 hours away in another state.
- This bar was not the place where my divorce party was to occur. Girlfriend and I had a place up the street all picked out, even had it typed already into the invitation. When we went online to find a link to include, we ran across this Pub advertising three bands for the night of my party. We decided, at the last minute, that we would go there instead.

*My girlfriends picking, if not him, then at least his table, to accost.

*Thing 2's suggestion to buy my party drinks, which started The Thing and I talking.
- And remember, I had stated this in my account of the evening, and Thing has in his as well. This bar was packed…except for the one opening…right beside me…

*This I did not find out until about a month later...The Thing had lunch earlier that day with his cousin (Thing 2's ex), who admitted that she was already seeing someone else…someone she met in a completely random way and had fallen for and isn't it odd how that stuff happens? To which The Thing said, 'That shit is just coincidence.' To which she replied with only one phrase….'You'll just know."

*Earlier that day, right before the party actually, I met a new guy for the first time from the whole Internet Dating thing I had been doing. We met at a coffee shop, which I thought was just a beginning and then we'd go on to have dinner or whatever. And, I had thought, if we hit it off I'd invite him to the party. He, who had been under the impression we were meeting only for coffee, made other plans for the evening…thus removing him from my evening's plans (and free to pick up The Thing). I will honestly admit, I completely forgot this man existed on this planet. After meeting The Thing, how could I think about anyone else? (I'm a dork. I know. We already agreed on this, remember?) Anyway, I got an email from this guy about a week later. I saw his name in my Inbox and I was like 'oh, shit! I forgot all about this dude, lol. His email, I swear to God, was apologizing for not being in contact with me, but when he had gone out that night, he had met someone. Quite at random…

*And of course, there was the 'connection' between The Thing and I. I realize this term is probably overused, but I can't think of another at the moment. But there was…I won't discuss the night we met because I don't want to ruin his upcoming Part 3. But our first phone conversation was almost 4 hours long. More then 3 months later, 1 to 2 hours on the phone is still the norm. It was more then that and it was like that from the beginning but....here, I think The Thing described it best once in an email he sent me, 8 days after we met:

What I can say is that I know there's something very unusual between us and I think we can both feel that. Normal would be the least-used word in a paragraphed expression of my recollection of last weekend, my subsequent emotions or my anticipation of things to come.

*When I arrived at The Thing's house for the first time, a mere 12 days after meeting, he was waiting on his front porch to greet me. The feeling that went through me at the moment when I first saw him again…when he hugged me and I could feel him and smell him again…indescribable. Within an hour, I finally had to admit to myself that, odd as it sounded, I was in love with this man. I remember the exact moment. We were wrapped in each other's arms just looking into each other's eyes…one of those moments that seem to go on forever and you only hope that it does…Neither of us had spoken a word. We could only look at each other and occasionally he would lightly touch my face. And that was when the thought went through my head "oh my God, I'm in love with him. I just met him. People will think I'm crazy. But oh my God, I am in love with this man." And no sooner had that thought gone through my mind then he spoke for the first time. He whispered, "You'll just know."