Riding The Wave
When I was a kid, my Dad listened to smooth jazz and talk radio. Given the choice of which I'd rather listen to, I would have always chosen silence. I couldn't believe with all the good music that existed in the world he could choose "elevator music" and boring conversations. Yet here I am, living that thirties life. Addicted to podcasts - the modern day take on talk radio.
Maybe it's because I spend my days with youngsters? I guess I find the adult conversations (even as a spectator) so refreshing. Maybe it's because a lot of them are political in nature, and I feel rejuvenated by hearing similar view points shared? All the same, this last month I have tuned in daily to multiple pods. And I love them. (My kids have it good - the inventions of AirPods is saving them the bore that I once endured!)
At the suggestion of a friend, I tuned in to NPR's "This American Life". The epidsode "No Coincidence, No Story" had specifically been recommended, and so this morning while I cleaned the kitchen - I listened.
I loved it. I love stories with coincidences - something always feels magical about them to me. The element of surprise, or chance - it feels written in the stars. A trick the universe is playing on you. Whatever it is, these kinds of stories have always excited me. So with that, I'd like to share one of mine with you.
If you know me, and you know my Mom, you know that we are truly one in the same. For as long as I can remember, we've done things that go hand in hand. Our entire relationship is peppered with coincidences, and mirrored stories. But this one - well, it really takes the cake.
When I was 20 years old I was a professional figure skater on a cruise ship. I spent 7 months away from home, fell in love with a guy, and then went to California to meet his family and friends. What was supposed to be a 2 week visit turned into a 6 month extended stay. One random weekend, his cousins asked me to go to a nail salon with them to get pedicures. Little footnote, I hate pedicures. I don't like people touching my feet - it makes me feel they are subservient to me and has always made my skin crawl. But in the spirit of spending time with girls, I went. I got a mani/pedi in a bright pink color - it screamed Paris Hilton, who regretfully, was my style icon of the time. (Ha)
On this specific occasion, the Paris Hilton pink that I had chosen was by a brand called China Glaze (which prior to this experience I had never heard of) and the color was appropriately called "Rich and Famous". It spoke to me, that name. I loved it. I even bought a bottle.
Later that day I found myself outside, chatting with my Mom on the phone. We were just making small talk - nothing major - and she asked me about my day. I told her that I had gotten my nails done, the details of which didn't seem too important. She laughed and said she must have been on the same wavelength, as she too had gotten a mani/pedi that day. She asked me what color I had chosen, and I told her it was a bright pink - a cheerful shade that was just enough pop. She laughed and said she had gotten a bright pink as well. And then she said, "It was by this new brand, China Glaze. The color is called Rich and Famous." My jaw hit the floor. Of all the shades of polish in the world, of all the pinks to choose from, my Mom and I, on the same day a couple thousand miles apart, had chosen the exact same polish color. How. Bizarre?!
It felt like a hug. It reminded me that mileage didn't stand a chance in breaking up our special bond. (Which is comforting now, all these many miles apart we are ... again.) We joke about that story even still - we call these kinds of moments "riding the wave" - because we are clearly both tuned in to the same frequency.
So there it is - my little slice of magic. What about you? Have a crazy coincidence to share?
"That's hot." - Paris Hilton
