Your Biggest "Coincidence"

[Cyclonepride]

I lost my father in March as well...not sure if this fits but the coincidence piece is that there was a lot of build up of health issues, and potential for some really rough waters coming down the pike.

The night before he died I was saying to someone how I'd take 'that call', even as sad and terrible as it is, vs. 6 months+ of moving to a center, more medical issues, losing his dignity, etc.

The next morning I woke up to 'that call' and it's been a whirlwind of all sorts of things, and while it's been hard, I would still sign up for that and the band aid ripped off while he still had his dignity vs. a dreadful final stanza.

I agree. Once it was determined that my dad had had a stroke, and it was obvious that he would not have been independent anymore, and might have issues speaking, etc, it was a blessing that he passed. He would have absolutely hated being moved out of his home and into assisted living.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

We went to Disney world several years ago. My wife wanted a picture outside of the park by the sign. My wife turns and just stops asks random woman walking by her to take our photo. The woman stops and looks at us and then says hi I’m so and so. It was a woman from her hometown that she taught in elementary school that now lives in a different state.

Whenever we went on family road trips growing up, my dad would prove the 6 degrees of separation theory everywhere we went. He had the most uncanny ability to converse with anyone and link them to himself or someone he knew..

 

[Kinch]

My dad died on Easter Morning. That night I had a dream and I clearly heard my dad tell me everything is going to be OK. Really helped me through the grieving process.

 

[jcf817]

Back in the 90s, there was a Des Moines area preacher who did TV commercials...I can't remember his name.
One time, a friend of mine and I ran into him at an ice cream shop in WDM or Clive (what was it called? Marble Slab or something?). That's not such an odd coincidence, of course.

Fast Forward a couple years. My friend and I are on a Grand Tour of the western US parks, visiting Glacier for a day or two. At Logan Pass, we decided to take the short hike up to Hidden Lake. I think the odds of crossing paths with that same preacher on a trail in Glacier National Park would be rather astronomical, but there we were, one or both of us wearing our Iowa State sweatshirts, when who should come walking down the trail toward us but that very person. He noticed our sweatshirts and we of course recognized him from his tv ads, so we had a brief moment on the trail.

My friend and I reminisce about that trip regularly, including the massive coincidence of that encounter.

 

[Cyfan1965]

In line for tickets for the Grateful Dead in Davenport early eighties. Chatted to two people in line. Drove back to Iowa City sitting in the deadwood they walk in. As they were about to leave they started talking about picking fruit in Hawaii for the winter. I said the only person I know who did that was my friend Veg. They said Veg and his friend Ethan?
I said ya how do you know them? We picked them up on the side of the road in Montana. They stayed with us or a week while they got parts to fix their van.

 

[Lyon309Cy]

I agree. Once it was determined that my dad had had a stroke, and it was obvious that he would not have been independent anymore, and might have issues speaking, etc, it was a blessing that he passed. He would have absolutely hated being moved out of his home and into assisted living.

My dad had a stroke 7 years ago. He's been in a home for the last 2. I can verify it is in fact pretty terrible to watch a strong and independent man become so helpless.

 

[StClone]

In line for tickets for the Grateful Dead in Davenport early eighties. Chatted to two people in line. Drove back to Iowa City sitting in the deadwood they walk in. As they were about to leave they started talking about picking fruit in Hawaii for the winter. I said the only person I know who did that was my friend Veg. They said Veg and his friend Ethan?
I said ya how do you know them? We picked them up on the side of the road in Montana. They stayed with us or a week while they got parts to fix their van.
View attachment 171578

Now that is wild! What is the chance?

 

[PineClone]

Our first born son had a short term blood disorder. Turned out to be a genetic incompatibility between my wife and me. Any subsequent pregnancies would be high risk. Three years later we decided it was decision time, consulted with the doctors, and decided against having another child. No tears were shed, as we were both perfectly happy with one healthy kid. But we did agree that we would consider adoption if a "baby fell out of the sky". About a month later my 10-years-younger brother called to tell me to share that he had "effed up", and that he had a reunion with his ex-girlfriend over the holidays, she was pregnant, and she was choosing adoption. He was caught a little off-guard when I said that we might be interested. The rest is history.

The end.

 

[CascadeClone]

I have a weird one.

Years ago, sold my starter home to someone I knew tangentially. She needed it for her kids, and said her bf/fiance was going to move to CR in near future with his kids, so they could all be together - needed a bigger house. OK, no problem. House went in his name, he bought it actually, and she lived there.

Lost track of her, and found out years later the fiance was already married. He was "commuting" between DSM and CR, from wife and kids during the week, to gf and her kids on weekends. He was in the Guard and told both women he was at Guard when he was gone! Woof.

Fast forward to about a year ago, we were hiring an accountant. Doing an interview and then while walking her out got to talking. Realized as she walked out the door - she was the woman I sold the house to. I didn't recognize her - 30 years on, grey instead of dyed black hair, lost about 50 lbs. She had married (someone else!) and different surname.

Poked around online, and the guy still owns the house and lives there!

 

[Kinch]

Growing up was never a fan of different strokes. But that silly Gary Coleman helped me land the sweetest gig I ever had at Iowa State. I worked at the Daily my freshman year and was scheduled to do a feature on Dwain Crutchfield at his apartment. Got it all set up and went there. Crutch asked me if we could chill out while he watched his favorite show, Different Strokes. Sure. So we watched it and I took notes as he laughed and laughed at the show. My lede for the story was his favorite TV show. Meanwhile that week I am applied for a job in the athletic department. Unbeknownst to me, the guy who became my boss there was also a Gary Coleman fan. The day after it came out he offered me an internship, because partly of the lead. Next three years were the best I ever had working athletic events. Will never say a bad word about different strokes again.

 

[Cyfan1965]

This happened to someone we know. The guy had two families and commuted back and forth. He told each of them he was on sales trips. Why would you think you could get away with this and more importantly why would you want to?

 

[EnkAMania]

My girlfriend and I were in the Aer Lingus lounge at Heathrow on the way to Dublin for the Aer Lingus Classic. We sit near some Iowa Staters and started talking, where are from, etc. Then my girlfriend says we used to go to Christmas at Grandmas in that town. Turns out one of the people was her cousin and they were at the same Christmas gatherings together.

 

[MeanDean]

Summer 1985 my brother and I took a vacation to Hawaii. Spent a few days on Maui at Lahaina Shores and spent some time checking out the shops etc downtown.

One day we're walking along, probably in ISU tees, and spot Jim Criner, who was the then current head coach. Stop and chat with him a little bit and the guy he's with seemed to think it was hilarious that he was recognized. Not being pro sports fans we had no idea Criner and his wife were vacationing with Eagles head coach D ick Vermeil and his wife. Who was probably recognized all the time.

 

[TXCyclones]

Used to live in a suburb of Richmond, VA. We had just built a home and the neighbors behind us were great and our age, he was a road-warrior for Johnson & Johnson and just an all-around great guy. Well, as J&J tends to do, they got moved to PA and we lost touch. From VA, we then move to GA, and then on to TX. Fast forward a full decade later and my Dad passed away in Arizona. He and my mom were living in this tiny community half-way between Phoenix and Tucson. We had flown over to AZ a few weeks following Dad's death just to check on my Mom and we decided to head up to Phoenix (Chandler) to look at new cars for her. We're standing in the showroom and I hear a guy talking and I half-laughed thinking "good lord that sounds like Mike". I walk around the corner and there was Mike. He was as shocked as I was. It turns out that his wife was in the hospital following the birth of their child the day before and he just needed to get out and decided to go look at minivans.

When you think about the fact that it took my dad's death and his wife giving birth on the other side of the country to put us back in touch with each other is bizarre.

Since then I've run into people I know professionally in the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, and another in a store in Santiago, Chile.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Friend of mine married an Irish girl. He knew she was from Donegal and her parents still lived close but not in town. It turns out the air bnb her husband was looking to book used to be her grandmother's house. She had passed and her parents sold it. When she saw the pictures online she requested the room that she used to stay in when she visited her grandmother. All the furniture, pictures, the quilt on the bed everything was the same. She said she felt like she walked back in time.

 

[CascadeClone]

This happened to someone we know. The guy had two families and commuted back and forth. He told each of them he was on sales trips. Why would you think you could get away with this and more importantly why would you want to?

"You're thinking of a guy with two knives!"

 

[StClone]

Growing up was never a fan of different strokes. But that silly Gary Coleman helped me land the sweetest gig I ever had at Iowa State. I worked at the Daily my freshman year and was scheduled to do a feature on Dwain Crutchfield at his apartment. Got it all set up and went there. Crutch asked me if we could chill out while he watched his favorite show, Different Strokes. Sure. So we watched it and I took notes as he laughed and laughed at the show. My lede for the story was his favorite TV show. Meanwhile that week I am applied for a job in the athletic department. Unbeknownst to me, the guy who became my boss there was also a Gary Coleman fan. The day after it came out he offered me an internship, because partly of the lead. Next three years were the best I ever had working athletic events. Will never say a bad word about different strokes again.

Coincidentally, I took four Journalism classes (media law, propaganda analysis, and two journalism writing classes) during the Crutchfield years so we may have been in class together. I remember one handsome dude who had news anchor written all over him and did radio too.

 

[Kinch]

Coincidentally, I took four Journalism classes (media law, propaganda analysis, and two journalism writing classes) during the Crutchfield years so we may have been in class together. I remember one handsome dude who had news anchor written all over him and did radio too.

Kelly Sanner had the handsome anchor look. Not sure what TV station he ended with. Also there was a guy who did a side gig at WHO and ended up being a news anchor in Minnesota. Forgot his name. A friend of his was a good sports reporter on the tv side and think she became anchor. Another guy Jeff Joniak worked at KPGY and is now play by play for the Bears. There was a lot of talent, broadcast and print side. Sports editor at the daily was Jeff Grant. In northwest Iowa. His paper has claimed several national paper of the year awards.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I lost my father in March as well...not sure if this fits but the coincidence piece is that there was a lot of build up of health issues, and potential for some really rough waters coming down the pike.

ADVERTISEMENT



The night before he died I was saying to someone how I'd take 'that call', even as sad and terrible as it is, vs. 6 months+ of moving to a center, more medical issues, losing his dignity, etc.

The next morning I woke up to 'that call' and it's been a whirlwind of all sorts of things, and while it's been hard, I would still sign up for that and the band aid ripped off while he still had his dignity vs. a dreadful final stanza.

I'm not in any way equating this to your situation, but I had this exact thing happen with our first dog. He was about to turn 10. Our dog was in great health and had never had any issues to this point.

I was having a beer with a friend one afternoon and I was going on about how great of a dog we had and said "But he's getting older and his time will come, I suppose. Some day we're going to have to say goodbye." Got up the next day and he was acting weird. We had to say goodbye a few hours later due to hemangiosarcoma (cancer that causes a blood vessel to burst resulting in internal bleeding); 100% fatal.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Just lost 18yo cat suddenly the other day. Our 16yo golden is looking worse by the day. It won't be long there either. Our last one lived to 16 and passed on our living room floor. Two goldens in 32 years I know its a good run definitely not ready.