The right time and right place?

In my life I have learned that there are no coincidences. Statisticians may refute this but I still think that everything happens for a "reason and rhyme".


A couple of weeks ago, I almost got stabbed on my way to an important meeting . It was a road rage thing and some sack of shit tough guy trike driver got pissed, chased me and while in traffic attempted to open my vehicle door to stick me with an ice pick.  He ended up slashing my windows and my tire.  Traffic cops accosted him.  I sped off to my meeting.

If this happened ten years ago I would have gotten down with my weapons and engaged this street scum.  The thing is, I did not.  I was calm, showed him that I was not afraid at all.  I even told him that I just have a meeting and will deal with him after.  Calmly.  

I could have died.  For what?

This led me to writing this piece.  It made me think of other events in my life and confirmed what I earlier stated.  Like the lines of the song "Corner of the Sky"- "...Everything has its season, everything has its time"......

Many times I was in a place I should not have been in, many time I should not have said this and that.   Many times.

Strange.  Such is life.  Lightning does strike people.  Some board a perfectly flying plane and it disappears without a trace or crashes.  Some bet on one  lotto ticket and bags gazzilions.   Even marriage is a "stroke of luck".  The global statistic to date is that half of married couples split in a few years.  Half.  That is why it is called "the plunge".

Life is strange.   Again, everything happens for a reason. Everything. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.

To note this "strangeness" some life changing occurrences come to my mind:

• A failed marriage produced wonderful children that brought so much joy to the parents.
• Childless couples adopt and have more than they wished for.
• Meeting life long friends in varying stages of your youth.
• Joining a tribe, a club or an organization changes the course of your life.
• A bar brawl can seal the deal on a lasting friendship.

There has to be a God.  Only God can create this cosmic game of chess. We are mere pawns and the universe as we know it is the chessboard. We are the pieces.

If good things come, so will the not so good and even the downright horrible.

• a friend of mine had failed marriage.  He was such a bad husband but such a great father to his children.  Even his ex-wife respects that. 
• Some do everything right as parents and still end up with kids from hell.
• Meeting life long friends in varying stages of your youth can also turn to enemies for life.
• Joining a tribe, a club or an organization changes the course of your life, a bane or boon.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” - Confucius

As I aged, I  tried to make sense of it all.  This is one equation I can't compute.   Not that I am good at computing stuff.  All I know that in retrospect some things, good or bad seem to be pre-ordained. There were lessons, reasons and rhyme to all the madness.

If did not live there, or went to school here, crash a party there, joined this organization at that time or even having to take a crap bad while having coffee with a friend that led to a post graduate degree.

Shit does happen.  It is necessary.  Part of the game. A bullet has a name.on it the day the round rolls put of the armory.  Tycoons like Trump lose it all, move from the back to the front of the limousine.  Most bounce back. Some don't.  Some people just died trying.  Some never tried at all.

Keep on moving.......push on through....

Robin Williams had it all. Yet at his untimely death, his human side took over and gave in.  Sad.  He was an idol.  As he said, I also think that in dealing with life, we all have that spark of madness we should not lose.

In retrospect, some life events had to happen, good or bad and it all falls into place.
Somehow.

Peck once said "Life is difficult".  Can't agree more.  Life is a continuing battle.  Cest' la vie.

At 45 years of age I still have questions.   I still endure.  Being alone does not mean being rid of problems.  Being alone is really tough when hit with setbacks or unfortunate events.  Man, it really sucks I tell you.

I am grateful though.  Each day is a gift.  A new lease on life, to move on, to do what you can.  Each wake up is a gift from God.

There is no recourse but to go on.  Like Kipling wrote "If you can watch the things you gave your life to, broken and stoop and build them up with worn out tools".... In this world, most things are beyond us, whatever strategic planning or hedging just won't cut it.

Life is to be lived per deum. The cosmic game of chess continues.  Cest' la vie. Life's been good to me so far but I still gotta find my... "corner of the sky"...
   

Oh about that piece of scum that wanted a piece of me?  I am sure he won't  be so full of rage anymore.....