Synchronicity

Not certain this even belongs on this site, but for lack of a better place to put it, it shall end up here...

There are many definitions of synchronicity, but the one I subscribe to is that the meaningful things in life are not left to chance. This whole thing we call life, is but a classroom. The lesson plan for each of us has already been written similar to a movie script.... We are all but mere actors (or in this case students) following the script. In short; any time we deviate from life's plan, coincidences and related events will conspire to ensure we do not "wander off course". Most people will not be aware of what is happening... For those that are attuned or even remotely aware of the dynamics, they are afforded the rare opportunity & privilege to view synchronicity in action...

The most insignificant of events, often leads to a major change in life's pathway, and thus lesson plan. The reasons for some "coincidences" are obvious, whereas others may not become apparent until decades later. Others may never be obvious in our short lifetimes. In fact, in most cases, synchronous events are not necessarily even for our direct benefit, but for others perhaps not yet even born. Everything is inter-related, and changing one small detail can have vast far reaching implications even long after we are gone. But for those more rare times where cause and effect are more immediate or clear, then for a brief instant we are granted a tiny fleeting glimpse of the plan. To those that subscribe to the concept, it's an experience that evokes wonder at this thing we call life. Synchronicity can take on any number of forms... from a "bucket of bolts", to a living mentor, or something seemingly innocuous as a migraine headache or a flat tire...Could it be that synchronicity is the "calling card" or handiwork of our guardian Angels ? I dunno.... So logical is the way the universe laid out, that it would seem highly illogical that everything else in our existence and consciousness is left to pure chance. Quantum mechanics however suggests a universe of un-ending probabilities, yet all those possibilities end up collapsing down to one - our present reality... Meanwhile Chaos theory stipulates that out of chaos and seeming total randomness, comes order... Whether you subscribe to it on the basis of religion or on a quantum level, like "The Force" in Star Wars, it's all around us - it surrounds us... We are but like mere "corks" bobbing on it's surface, being taken on a journey in a direction dictated by it's currents... But seems that sometimes that randomness can result deviating from the set plan... When that happens, synchronicity kicks in... Those strange coincidences that conspire to set things in motion that keep us on the intended path... In short: some things are just meant to be, as others are not meant to be.....

In mathematical terms: Six Degrees of Separation as the theory is known links us all together. But my take on it is that synchronicity goes far beyond that. We are all interconnected in ways we cannot even begin to comprehend.

My first encounter with synchronicity

began at the age of 7, when my Mom and I were to take a bus from Boston to Halifax Nova Scotia, where I would spend the summer with relatives and my Mom would return to go back to work after her brief two week vacation was up. Since my Mom only had 2 weeks, she did not want to lose so much as a single day. However, the morning we were to leave, she came down with a splitting headache, so bad that she was forced to postpone the trip. That mysterious headache that hit right out of the blue, knocked her right off her feet... By that mid-afternoon shortly after the bus had departed, her migraine headache disappeared as fast and as mysteriously as it came on, and not to return....

That evening the phone was constantly ringing off the hook, with her 5 other siblings and other family and co-workers aware of our trip, wanting to know if we somehow survived. News of the crash was on all the radio and TV stations.... Turns out that bus we were to be on, went off the road - rolled down a steep embankment and burned... There were no survivors..... The subject was the talk of anyone who knew of the incident and knew my Mom, for many years. The pastor of our church was also fascinated by it after one of my Mom's church friends informed him of the events. I still recall how he came to the house later that fall, and spent several hours interviewing her and me. At that age, I no longer recall the details of his questioning, but I assume like myself in later years, he was trying to find an answer.

Though I had many other cars and trucks since 1969, I never viewed them in even remotely the same way as my VW Beetle. All the others were nothing more than cars or a glorified collection of parts.... The 67 VW was something far more.... I kept it as my primary vehicle until 1984. It had 237,000 miles on it. I never had to touch it. Just the standard maintenance.

I suppose many of us "car nuts" love their vehicles for a number of different reasons, but I think in most cases it's because it triggers fond memories of our youth and sharing adventures with someone special. In a sense, they have become virtual time machines that transport us not only in body, but also across the voids of time. For me, that magical time machine, was a 1967 VW Beetle. Yet it was even far more than that... This is the rest of the story....

In 1967 fresh out of college, I decided it was time for my first new car. I considered nearly everything, but it finally boiled down to either a new VW Beetle or a "muscle car" in the form of a Dodge Charger (quite an extreme range in tastes at the time I suppose). Ultimately, practicality won out in favor of the "wimpy" Beetle, for subtle reasons and events I no longer recall - perhaps no doubt, synchronicity in action - though I wasn't aware of it at the time... Never once regretted the decision though, as it opened a doorway to some wonderful adventures... In fact, little did I know it was about to change life's entire pathway..

Before the new car smell had disappeared, we headed off to explore Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Never having been there before, we spied this long beach on the map and drove off to explore it. Turns out it was Nauset Beach that ran for perhaps 10 miles. It was pristine then, and turns out that beach buggies were allowed ! Took only a New York second to observe that many of them were VW Beetles. So after acquiring some advice from others far more experienced, we let some air out of the tires and the Beetle had been instantly transformed into a beach buggy of sorts ! We had a blast ! From then on, most summer weekends were spent exploring the Cape.

Come winter, our attention switched to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, though an occasional winter trip to Nauset Beach to traverse the beach sands was also in order. That winter diversion aside, perhaps our favorite winter "haunt", was exploring the logging roads off the Kancamangus Highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The road was always closed in the winter months due to heavy mountain snows. But no matter....

The VW's traction in snow was legendary. As any Beetle owner in the northern winter climes can attest, the Beetle would just plow thru it just as long as it didn't bottom out. The "rule of thumb" was that so long as the snow depth wasn't over the top rung of the front bumper, you were good to go. That made the Kancamangus and the logging roads for all but the deeper snows, all fair game !

In those days, there wasn't a padlocked steel gate to block access - just a small bank of snow where the plowed road ended. If the snow appeared to be of a powdery consistency, we'd get a running start and bash thru it in a great explosion of flying snow, then head off for miles into the wilderness. We'd occasionally get stuck, but the VW was so light in the front, that we'd both grab the front bumper - pick it up, and re-position the little car back on the path. In retrospect it was stupid. Had we experienced a breakdown, or a mountain snowstorm moved in and we got really hopelessly stuck, they wouldn't have found us til spring. No matter: ....... At that age, the thought never occurred to us. I'm absolutely certain we kept both our guardian Angels hopping to the point of sheer exhaustion.... Both were wondering no doubt, when we'd outgrow it !

There were 100's of similar adventures in that little car such as flying a kite out thru the sunroof on the Kancamangus in the dead of winter, that I won't bore you to tears with. Suffice to say, those experiences are the ones that life'- lasting memories are made of, and of which that little car was an integral part of...

Decades later, the engine finally seized right in the office parking lot after returning from a trip to Maine in 1984 . - the poor little thing simply wore out - far outliving it's normal life expectancy. It billowed out clouds of blue smoke and clattered unmercifully the last 10 miles - my little car was in agony. But even then, it got me safely home for the final time.

I was going to rebuild it, figuring it was only a broken ring.... but it was not to be. The broken ring and scored cylinder was the least of its' problems. Guess the salt at Nauset Beach on Cape Cod, took its toll - the floor pans, sills and shock towers were shot. I hadn't the time then to deal with it all. God, did I hate to part with it. We shared a lot of wonderful adventures in that little green car. But the initial thought at the time, was only that it was only a collection of rusty parts in need of a better home....

I sold it for only $200 and just stood outside the office and watched as it was hauled away. It was only then that it hit me.... I couldn't go back in the office for that entire day after seeing it disappear out of sight for the final time - - didn't want anyone to see me "misty". Never thought it would affect me that way and caught me by total surprise.....

I was in the "dumps" for some time afterwards, - kicking myself - wishing then I'd never sold it . . . . .

In the summer of "97", I decided to look for another "67" Beetle to restore. Out of a sense of nostalgia I suppose.... I looked at everything from $500 "heaps" that were beyond restoration (they needed a "resurrection"), to even an $11,000 restored one. That one was beautiful ! It even had a sunroof and was painted Java Green - a "carbon copy". Gawd, it looked virtually brand new...... (til I crawled up underneath and saw the severe rusty structural "sins"). I was beginning to think I'd never find one (at least here in the northeast).... But figured if I were patient, one would turn up sooner or later - even if it meant going to the west coast to locate one... Two years had passed since commencing the search - and nothing viable was turning up.

At the time I was driving 18 wheelers and spotting trailers in the Boston area for AMI. They had no fewer than 15 truck repair facilities in the area, and I put the word out to all the mechanics, I was looking for a rebuild-able 67 VW . If anyone knew of one, it would most likely be them !

The road one travels, can sometimes make unexpected twists and turns. The story of the same exact "little green car" that began August 10, 1967 when I first brought it home, was not yet over - - - it was to continue. On July 11, 1999 at a little past 8pm, the search finally ended. But it ended in a manner I NEVER expected.........................

That Sunday night, the phone rang. He said his name was Glen. The name didn't "ring a bell" - didn't know anyone by the name of Glen from NH...... But his mannerism was like we were old pals from way back ! (Thought at first he was just another "sleazy" salesman). All he said at first is that he had a partially restored 67 Beetle for sale, and wanted to know if I was interested. Well, this certainly got my attention ! Figured that he must have got wind of my search, as I put the "word out" where ever I traveled. What hesaid next, stunned me.... ....... He said "perhaps you don't remember me, but I'm the person you sold it to" back in 1984" ! He wanted to know if I were interested in buying it back ! (He had kept my phone number all those years). Never would I have guessed, that the little green 67 VW , the same exact one we shared so many wonderful adventures in, was still traveling the roads. . . . . Our paths had crossed again !

By now, you've already guessed how the story ends ! - - - No need to tell what happened next - - - - your guess is correct ! (I brought my little green car back home. . . . . . . This time for good.) But here are the details....

The next day I took off from work and drove to NH. As I pulled into the driveway, my heart sank. There was a Beetle, but it was a somewhat faded ruby red - not java green, nor did it have a sunroof. The headlamps and fenders were of the earlier 1966 design... He wasn't home from work yet, so I naturally took a closer look. It appeared to be in excellent structural condition - it was apparent it had been fully restored earlier. Yet, there was no sunroof. This couldn't have been mine. The front quarter panels and headlamps were clearly from a 1966 or earlier model.. The front bumper was new, but as I walked around to the rear, I knew I had found it. The rear bumper though badly corroded, still had the bright red reflective bands I had placed on it many years ago when I first got it, along with the DEC parking sticker. (Both a little faded and cracked though). I still clearly remember putting them on - - - - - offset against the java green color, they sort of made it look "Christmas'y"..... The front apron still had the dents from us "bashing through" the snow banks on the Kancamangus. At least these pieces were off mine. Then I checked the VIN # - it matched ! It was now confirmed that I had found my little green (now red) car ! When he got home, the mystery was solved..

Turns out my little VW had kind of a "checkered" history. When I sold it to Glen in 1984, he completely re-built it - - - - as a dune buggy !!! Had I known this was his intention, I never would have sold it to him !

As it turns out, it was a blessing in disguise ! - For to survive as a dune buggy, it needed to be expertly and ruggedly rebuilt. In fact, that is what saved my little green Beetle from the scrap heap... Anyways, some years later with that out of his system, he bolted the original green body back on. (Only 18 bolts secure the body to the chassis). Several weeks after having done so, Glen related that he hadn't yet gotten the dune buggy "thing" fully out of his system - - - he sadly rolled it - - - - - ("bye bye" sunroof and front fenders !).

So the fenders and roof section & headlamps were not original (those were from a 1966 model) and now re-painted a bright ruby red ! But I didn't care - it was our Beetle........

I still and always will have it. Other than some photos and my Mom's treasured items, it is my most prized tangible possession. I can't even begin to describe or put into words the feeling of just seeing it, or of driving it for the first time in many years. So I won't even attempt it ! - I haven't the writing skills to do so....

So where is it today , you ask ? It sits but 30 feet away in the garage here as I type this in Maine...

I had to rebuild the engine . So today, it has new brakes, carburetor, an updated alternator and a brand new interior. The original engine block and crankshaft is original, but most other internal engine components including the heads, have been replaced.... But now it "purrs" like new again ! Mechanically, everything is now perfect. I located a replacement sunroof and the final major project is to do some final body work, then re-paint it back to its' original Java Green color. - Glen had done 100% of the primary structural restoration, so my task is far simpler... I'm in the process of restoring it to virtually new condition (or as close as anyone can ever hope to come within reason), by doing the final phases... Even so, It's a slow time consuming process.

Amazing how many people honk & wave - guess just seeing one still on the road in it's "natural element", is also a "nostalgia trip" for them as well. Wherever I stop, a conversation will almost always ensue.

I've met many really nice folks who also fondly remember their beloved Beetles ! No doubt they also shared some wonderful adventures as well.... Only two months after getting it back, I've had no fewer than a dozen offers to sell it, and nearly every weekend drive, results in at least another offer.

Looking back, I'm somewhat still amazed by those turn of events. Should Glen have waited but another year before selling it, I would have moved to Maine by then, and that call most likely, never would have come....... Some call it fate perhaps....... Instead, I believe I just got another opportunity to witness synchronicity in action...

Many years ago, the gal with whom I shared so many wonderful adventures with in that little car, tied a strand of her long hair around its' mirror post. It remained there til we went our separate ways in 1972; at which time she removed it for good. Had to repair a bad fuel line that ran inside the center tunnel. To gain access I had to remove the rear seat and an inspection panel. There stuffed up and wedged under the rear seat near the battery, was an old, somewhat grimy envelope. No markings on it or any enclosed notes. But upon opening it, to my amazement I found two strands of long hair I obviously saved. Don't even recall having done this over 35 years ago, but I guess I obviously did. (Little did she ever suspect: I kept "spares"). No doubt now, this was the same little car !

Though we have gone in different directions on life's pathway, we both share the wonderful memories of those literally 100's of adventures....

In the year 2000, we finally met again as friends, after some nearly 40 years.....

I haven't the writing skills to relate that experience either, so neither will I attempt it.......

Turns out that little car was far more than just a transportation vehicle... It also had become a life teacher.......

To this very day, I thank my lucky stars, I never opted for the Dodge Charger...

Aside from anything else, don't think the Charger would have handled the sands of Nauset Beach nor the snows of the Kancamangus, all that well....

It began almost as soon as I got Kishka in the cat carrier for a trip to the vet to be spayed. I went out and started the car to let it warm up after a cold nite and to get the windshield defrosted... The engine started right up, so what could possibly go wrong ? (dare I ask...) Then came back in to get Kishka. Got her in the carrier and once I went to lift the carrier, 3 clips that secure the top and bottom halves of the carrier, finally separated, leaving a huge gap between the upper and lower halves plenty large enough for Kishka to escape. Naturally Kishka taking advantage of such a fortuitous situation, "headed for the hills" - not to be found til later that evening. ( I said she was not yet spayed - not stupid !).... So that vet appointment had rescheduled for the next day. I have no fewer than 10 pet carriers, so a 1 in 10 chance of grabbing the one ready to break. It wasn't just one clip that separated, but 3 all side by side let go... what are the chances ? Weird; but didn't think too much of it at the moment .... just chalk it up to "un-luck of the draw" sort of thing.

The next morning started off much better. Though I replaced the plastic clips with 10-32 screws and captive nuts so that would never separate again, I grabbed a new carrier just to be safe. Got Kishka in the carrier & into the car, buckled in and turned the key.....be damned now if the battery wasn't flat dead. How could it have gone flat since just yesterday when it started right up ? The lights weren't left on or anything that simple, so why's the battery now suddenly flat dead ?... No matter - no time to deal with it. project for later, plus the Ford Van was ready to roll ! So loaded her in the van... Though it turned over briskly, it failed to start - even with starting fluid. Must have been frost inside the distributer cap, but no time to deal with it then either. I can't win...... So, back into the Toyota and this time wheeled out the heavy duty battery charger and hit it with 150 amps for about 3 minutes ! (It sure started then !). By that time I was only going to be 15 minutes late. I got half way out the driveway, then the right front tire suddenly goes completely flat... Not a blowout.. Just one minute it was fine and 20 seconds later I was riding on the rim... Weird... I couldn't recall having a flat in many years and never one that happened like this. What are the chances ??? So much for getting Kishka to the vet that day either...Two weeks later after some heavy snows were done with, I rescheduled. This time everything went smoothly without incident. Make of it what you will, but by then I came to the conclusion that Kishka was not meant to go to the vet either of those days - Either that or I was not meant to venture out on the roads or something else not even related to my little world but one in which I played a part in someone else's whose future direction synchronicity had just set into motion. Just a hunch, but had I fixed the flat in time, I'm certain another improbable coincidence would have come in to play.

It gets even more strange.... After I called the vet and explained I wasn't going to make it that day either and Kishka was turned free, I went out and the van started right up... Later on that day, all I did with the flat was to fill it with air... I never found a problem with the tire and it never went flat again to this day... After charging the Toyota battery, it never went flat again either... (Queue the Twilight Zone theme music !)

Course the logical explanations would have been frost on the distributor cap, the tire had a slow leak and popped the bead, a battery drained by an intermittent short in the electrical system, 3 clips all side by side breaking on the cat carrier, though unlikely, was possible... Just coincidences ? Maybe so... but what are the chances for all those to happen all at once ?... but that's exactly what synchronicity is all about; those seemingly random chances all conspiring to make certain we either do or not do something that day... If you try and force it, more will just continue to happen until you're forced to surrender and give up for the day. Synchronicity just changed your pathway and/or someone else's.....

In many cases, synchronous events may not even involve us.... We are the facilitators making certain that someone else is kept on course....

So... you say you literally "stumbled" upon this page.... not even certain what synchronicity was.....

I suppose the next logical question then becomes, whether it was truly by accident or not. Consider all the day's if not year's events that led up to this "mouse click" that led you here....

Or better yet, chart out all the perfectly timed orchestrated series of coincidences that influenced the course you chose and brought about everything meaningful in your life.... I think you will be amazed....

Time Left until this virtual reality program terminates on Dec 21, 2012 06:11 am EST - 11:11 UTC