January 24, 2006
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Serendipity Strikes Again
The Author, 2006The last years of her life were the first years of mine. Solid, white haired, and clad in polyester blue dresses, Nannar loved me as best as she could. Nannar, my grandma’s mom, lived in the apartment above my grandparent’s garage, where my mom and I would move after she died. While my mom was at work, I would stay at Grandma’s house, frequently meandering my way up to the apartment to play.
Nannar’s living space smelled like grapefruits and brine: she cooked tripe and livers and other stenchy, fascinating things. Sometimes when I think of her, I remember of sitting on her lap, her heavy bosoms swaying against my face as she taped a hardboiled egg perched delicately in an eggcup with a silver spoon. Tink, tink tink!
Midmorning stories, hours of fetch (I liked to pretend to be a dog), and entire afternoons comprised of me following her about, watching her do nothing in particular; my great-grandma was patient with me. I was Princess Truly.
Two birthdays ago I went to see a psychic spiritual cleanser. I don’t believe or not believe in the mystical realm—in fact, I typically gag at the notion of “gods plan”—so my visit to the psychic was just for birthday kicks alone. No revelations. No spooky omens. And I certainly didn’t expect that the gentle physic who took my hands at The Ruby Room to gasp, fling her eyes open and ask me who Nannar was. According to the physic, touching me filled her immediately with Nannar’s strong love. Aside from my great-grandma, Nannar is my guardian. Her function in the universe is to make sure that paths are clear for me. It is my job to be ready to travel down them, but once I am, a path will clear.
So far, Nannar has been doing a kick ass job, if I do say so myself. For fear of jinxing my happy luck, I won’t list all the times when I have only simply had to decide what I wanted in life and work my hardest to learn about it when an opportunity has appeared at my fingertips with nearly perfect timing. But trust me, it happens to me a lot. Granted, I am a really clear-headed person and a hard worker, but the timing is always so…impeccable. And besides, I like thinking that Nannar is shadowing me. I like her.
Now, six days after my wrongfull termination from the Writing Center (on the thinnly veiled basis of my meeting early in the Fall 05 term with the Department Chair to express my concerns about my ex-boss’ censorship of student work), my cool boss at the MCA called me into her office, beaming. She let me know that she just got the go-ahead to restructure the department, as our associate director of marketing has accepted a promotion elsewhere and would I be willing to accept a promotion? My boss invited me to shed my part-time assistant status and join the department as a full time, salaried Marketing Coordinator beginning February 3–might I consider it? Why yes. Yes I would. I would be delighted.
Serendipity is a strange and lovely thing. I don’t know if Nannar is helping me along once again, but I am excited to see what I will learn from this experience. And as always, I’m so thankful to have it.
________________________________________________________________________What is Serendipity to you, besides an unfortunate movie choice for John Cusak?
Comments (4)
Full-time and salaried?! Awesome! Congratulations!
I love when everything works out but I love that you said that you are “a really clear-headed person and a hard worker.” I believe in God, but the idea of an intriciate plan carefully crafted to every last detail does more than make me gag. It makes God seem like some bored cruel tyrant who has nothing better to do than run every miniscule detail of our lives. As I was typing this I was think of that Postal Service song Sleeping In. Part of the lyrics go:
“Again last night I had that strange dream
Where everything was exactly how it seemed
Where concerns about the world getting warmer
The people thought they were just being rewarded
For treating others as they’d like to be treated
For obeying stop signs and curing diseases
For mailing letters with the address of the sender
Now we can swim any day in November”
Maybe it’s because I think the word itself is so silly, but that’s kind of what I think of when someone mentions serendipity–a silly attitude that’s completely wrong but kind of nice.
But sometimes I do wonder if there is an extra element…I’ll use the word happenstance even though it’s almost as silly as serendipity. (I wonder if there’s a serious synonym I could use…maybe luck?) It does seem that happenstance or luck plays an important factor in my success more than I’d like to admit. I like the idea of having one guardian angel assigned to you just to make sure your timing is on–but you still have to do the work.
Congratulations again and good luck!
So cool, so cool. Couldn’t happen to a nicer person.
I’m sure The Reason For My Existence will have some things to say about guardian angels. I’ll just share the old adage that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Nice prep work there, ArtGirl.
Take care,
brad
YAY! That’s just a wonderful thing! I’m sure Nannar was looking after you. As hubby said ^, I do believe in the spiritual realm (although I know there are many frauds out there), and I’m there is a “plan.” I fought it, too, but now I just accept it. And, yeah, I believe in angels. Your Nannar is one of them.
Lynn
Yay I am very very happy for you!!!! Serendipity was a poor movie choice for John Cusak even though I do love him.
Yes well the man has problem with us eating pizza on the front line. But hey there was no one there.
Lol. Oh well.