Once Upon a Time...
From Rory's Cousin Jeffrey:
I am a policeman, and in my line of work, serendipity occurs frequently. One example is where we stopped a car because it had a taillight out. When talking to the driver, we noticed an odor that was unmistakably marijuana. When the driver was questioned, we discovered a backpack with two pounds of marijuana in it, as well as a handgun. The driver was arrested and charged with the drug offense, as well as the weapons charge. All over a burned out lightbulb!
I am a policeman, and in my line of work, serendipity occurs frequently. One example is where we stopped a car because it had a taillight out. When talking to the driver, we noticed an odor that was unmistakably marijuana. When the driver was questioned, we discovered a backpack with two pounds of marijuana in it, as well as a handgun. The driver was arrested and charged with the drug offense, as well as the weapons charge. All over a burned out lightbulb!
From Australian Author Ruth Ostrow:
http://www.ruthostrow.com/woz020803.pdf
http://www.ruthostrow.com/woz020803.pdf
From Rory's Cousin Julie:
My brother-in-law has a friend who was adopted. He felt very loved by the family that adopted him, but he was so much intellectually brighter than they were that he never felt like he fit in. He grew up, went to college and grad school, and was living in Northern California in Berkeley.
One night he was driving in his car from Berkeley to San Francisco. To get there, you have to drive across the Bay Bridge, which takes a good 15 minutes (the Bay Bridge goes over the San Francisco Bay, linking the east and west sides of the bay). It was pouring rain. Just before he drove onto the bridge, he saw a teenaged boy hitchhiking, trying to get a ride across the bridge to San Francisco. He never picked up hitchhikers, but for some reason decided to give this kid a break and offer him a ride. They drove across the bridge, chatted. He liked the kid a lot. When they reached the far end of the bridge, he pulled over and said goodbye to the kid, figuring he'd never see him again.
In the year that followed, he decided to try to track down his birth mother. He found her, living in Southern California in San Diego. He made a plan to travel to meet her at her family's house. He travelled down to San Diego, got to her house, knocked on the door, and who do you think answered the door? The kid from the bridge...who turns out to be his younger half-brother. True story!
My brother-in-law has a friend who was adopted. He felt very loved by the family that adopted him, but he was so much intellectually brighter than they were that he never felt like he fit in. He grew up, went to college and grad school, and was living in Northern California in Berkeley.
One night he was driving in his car from Berkeley to San Francisco. To get there, you have to drive across the Bay Bridge, which takes a good 15 minutes (the Bay Bridge goes over the San Francisco Bay, linking the east and west sides of the bay). It was pouring rain. Just before he drove onto the bridge, he saw a teenaged boy hitchhiking, trying to get a ride across the bridge to San Francisco. He never picked up hitchhikers, but for some reason decided to give this kid a break and offer him a ride. They drove across the bridge, chatted. He liked the kid a lot. When they reached the far end of the bridge, he pulled over and said goodbye to the kid, figuring he'd never see him again.
In the year that followed, he decided to try to track down his birth mother. He found her, living in Southern California in San Diego. He made a plan to travel to meet her at her family's house. He travelled down to San Diego, got to her house, knocked on the door, and who do you think answered the door? The kid from the bridge...who turns out to be his younger half-brother. True story!
From Wheatley student Ally Perry:
In the end of August, 2001, a patient came to my dad (a doctor) with back problems. Being how bad the patient's back actually was, my dad instructed his patient, who worked in the World Trade Center, to temporarily stop working. The patient refused to stop working-- he was very devoted to his job. About a month later, in the beginning of September, 2001, the patient came back to my dad complaining that he was still having back pain, but he had not followed my dad's instructions and stopped working. My dad insisted that the only way this patient would get better was if he took off time from work.
On September 9, 2001, after the patient's back pain became unbearable, he decided to take off some time from working in the World Trade Center.
Two days later, on September 11, a terrorist group, Al-Queda, intentionally crashed two airplanes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. About 3,000 innocent victims working in the World Trade Center were killed that day.
Had my dad's patient not followed his instructions to refrain from work, that innocent but lucky man would have likely been killed in the 9/11 attack.
In the end of August, 2001, a patient came to my dad (a doctor) with back problems. Being how bad the patient's back actually was, my dad instructed his patient, who worked in the World Trade Center, to temporarily stop working. The patient refused to stop working-- he was very devoted to his job. About a month later, in the beginning of September, 2001, the patient came back to my dad complaining that he was still having back pain, but he had not followed my dad's instructions and stopped working. My dad insisted that the only way this patient would get better was if he took off time from work.
On September 9, 2001, after the patient's back pain became unbearable, he decided to take off some time from working in the World Trade Center.
Two days later, on September 11, a terrorist group, Al-Queda, intentionally crashed two airplanes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. About 3,000 innocent victims working in the World Trade Center were killed that day.
Had my dad's patient not followed his instructions to refrain from work, that innocent but lucky man would have likely been killed in the 9/11 attack.
From a friend of one of our grandma's, retold by us:
Barbara was a recent widow, and she recieved money she wanted to invest. One of her friends told her she knew of a guy worth looking into, considering she and many of her friends had made money off of him. His name was Bernie Madoff. She called him, and was declined. He said that the money she was interested in investing was not enough and he had too many investors to be of service at the moment. That night she was at an Italian restaurant waiting for her reservation to be called. She heard the hostess say to the man in front of her "I'll be right with you Mr. Madoff." She tapped him on the back, and told him she was the one who spoke to him earlier that day. He said "Oh yes, I'm very sorry I can't right now, but I'm sure there will be a time in the near future when I can take you on." Only a few months later, the Madoff scandal became known to the world. If he only had a few less investors she would have given him her money and would have lost everything in that short time period.
Barbara was a recent widow, and she recieved money she wanted to invest. One of her friends told her she knew of a guy worth looking into, considering she and many of her friends had made money off of him. His name was Bernie Madoff. She called him, and was declined. He said that the money she was interested in investing was not enough and he had too many investors to be of service at the moment. That night she was at an Italian restaurant waiting for her reservation to be called. She heard the hostess say to the man in front of her "I'll be right with you Mr. Madoff." She tapped him on the back, and told him she was the one who spoke to him earlier that day. He said "Oh yes, I'm very sorry I can't right now, but I'm sure there will be a time in the near future when I can take you on." Only a few months later, the Madoff scandal became known to the world. If he only had a few less investors she would have given him her money and would have lost everything in that short time period.
From Project Runway Winner Jeffrey Sebelia, summarized by us:
Jeffrey battled many years with drug addiction and depression. One day he finally came to the conclusion suicide was his one way out, and prepared to hang himself. As he pulled the noose around his neck, his roommate walked into the room and forced him to come down. His roommate was not supposed to be home for a few more hours, but was laid off from his/her job. I bet the boss didn't they would be saving someone's life today! Jeffrey, luckily, is very much a modern day Siddhartha.
Jeffrey battled many years with drug addiction and depression. One day he finally came to the conclusion suicide was his one way out, and prepared to hang himself. As he pulled the noose around his neck, his roommate walked into the room and forced him to come down. His roommate was not supposed to be home for a few more hours, but was laid off from his/her job. I bet the boss didn't they would be saving someone's life today! Jeffrey, luckily, is very much a modern day Siddhartha.
From Wheatley Student Sonika Misra:
When my mom was teaching some law class in the city and was pregnant with me, she missed the train going to mineola by 3 minutes all because she got stuck in an elevator. The train she missed happened to have Colin Ferguson, that man who murdered a group of people and injured even more - becoming what is now known as the LIRR massacre in 1993. My mom and I could've died but she fortunately missed the train.
