When you least expect it....

One minute you're driving down the road, everything is fine, and then from out of no where a car comes out and sideswipes your’s, or you meet someone you might have met if you were a moment too early or too late.

It is a Steven Wright just said on a Showtime special, "It's a fluke festival."

We ‘bounce’ off one another like that.

It’s the simple things in life that affect the way that life flows.

Take an example of what happened with my wife and I. We were trying to get to football game, a professional game. We stopped along the way for a bite to eat and returned to our car to find that the battery died. We were in the middle of nowhere, not knowing anyone, or any place to go for help. We where just a little over half way to our destination and thus halfway back home. We found a clerk at the gas station near the restaurant and asked for help. Much to our surprise she knew someone who was at a pump and asked them over the intercom if they would be able to give us a jumpstart. He agreed that he would come right over when he was done. A few moments later, while we were talking to him, another man offered a jump pack, a box that let us hook up the battery and start without the need for another car. The car started up and off we went, toward our destination.

We figured we were that far, we might as well go all the way.

Before I continue, let me point out that so far our little journey had bounced off of three other people, all who had an effect on our lives in that moment. Three. But think about this, the man who first offered was delayed for a few minutes while we decided to use the power pack. A few minutes. A lot happens in the course of a few minutes.

We stopped along the way at a store, with my wife keeping the car running while I went in. A woman at the door greeted me and told me where to find automotive and I rushed back there finding a rack of batteries. I found the one that a book said was right for my car and started toward the hardware department in search of a wrench, a simple adjustable would do.

Turns out, they didn’t have just that, they had three types of socket sets, deluxe tool sets and the super deluxe tool set with special grips or something. I took the cheapist thing I could find and with it balanced myself as I walked toward the checkouts, battery in one hand, tool set in the other. It did not take long before I realized how damn heavy a car battery is. A few steps later, by chance I find an abandoned shopping cart. I check in all directions, no shoppers, ah, saved, it’s mine! I load it up with battery and kit and off I go. Well, sort of. Pushing it was like trying to push a dead elephant across tough grit sand paper, but I am determined to get there. I imagined some poor cleaning crew worker, locked in the building for the night finding this set of scuff tracks on the floor moving in non straight lines from where I found the cart to the check out and then out the door. At least once in the rain soaked parking lot, I could move the cart easier.

I changed the battery in the parking lot, in the rain – it was exciting. 15 minutes later off we went!

We arrived at the stadium, and had to talk to about 6 people before we found the way to the seats, arriving just in time for the start of the second half - the worst half of the game. The first half had been better for our team. But, we enjoyed being able to see some professional football in person.

In total there were perhaps a dozen people who affected our travel. And, in turn we affect theirs. We delayed a few, perhaps one had to work quite a bit harder that evening fixing the scraped floor (Sorry about that!) and we may have given the three people who helped us at the gas station with gaining good Karma, or graces in heaven if you find that sort of thing to your liking.

Perhaps tomorrow you might want to try this little game. As you go about your day consider all of the people you encounter, and see how many you do. Think about all the way you affect them.