Fateful days – it was serendipity

Watching Rick Beato this morning made me think of fateful days that changed the course of my life. Most seemed inconsequential at the time but led to amazing things. For Rick, it was the dates 11-15-94 and 12-15-25. Insignificant then, but due to stopping off to call a friend in Atlanta and then later posting an innocent one-minute video on FB regarding his son’s perfect pitch, well… here he is today with 5 million subscribers, with me being one of them.

What were some of the events in your life that altered history for you? Where were you? What did you do or didn’t do that changed the road you were on? For me, it was being coerced into attending a party that a friend was hosting in the apartment building on campus at the University of Eastern Michigan. It was a Saturday night, and after a long week of classes and studying, I was burnt out. The only thing I wanted to do was listen to music and chill. I had already informed my buddies on the first floor that I was being a no-show. “Oh, c’mon, it will be fun. We got a keg and…” Sorry, guys, maybe another time.

Well, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Later, they knocked on my door and begged once more. “C’mon, you’ll have fun. There are lots of people turning out! Please?” “Oh, okay, I’ll be down in a bit!” Damn, why did I agree? But they were so nice, and they really wanted me to be there, so ya, I put on my facade and made my friends happy.

I know what you’re thinking. I met the love of my life that night. Sorry, that’s not quite the way it turned out. But that’s what it led to.

1. I met Jim. We began dating. It only lasted a few months (I won’t go into reasons why. That’s a long diatribe!)
2. I became great friends with all his roomies and their friends.
3. One of their friends was a guy named Jeff, who knew a guy named Lee.
4. Several years later, Lee and I got together, and we’ve been married for over 40 years!

So, had I not chosen to attend that kegger on that fall night in 1975, I wouldn’t be married to this wonderful man who makes me laugh every day and gives my life extra meaning.

Another innocuous event? Visiting our friends one evening. Jordy just happened to purchase a brand-new Commodore 64. Of course, while it was fun to play games on, I was lured by the fact that you could program it. Oh, what’s this? I was intrigued and sat back with the manual, beginning my first step into the world of computers and their mysterious languages. I was hooked and went on to teach myself everything I could get my hands on. When we got our first Apple IIGS, I delved into DOS and Windows 95. There was no stopping me now.

I went back to school to pursue my master’s degree and wound up teaching basic programming and word processing at night. From there, I started my own company, repairing Windows computers, setting up networks for small companies, tutoring, and eventually creating websites.

Just goes to show that one single event can change your future. Rick and I are proof of that.