Monday, November 23, 2009

From the Bizarre Side

OK, I just have to post about this. The same basic thing has happened to me three times in the past week, but today's experience was the most salient and bizarre.

I was making my blogging rounds today when I read something on Patti Abbott's blog about the old TV show "Leave it to Beaver." In my response to her I mentioned "My Three Sons," another show of roughly that time period. Not ten minutes later, Elliott Hammer, another Psych faculty member at Xavier, mentions "My Three Sons" to me. Elliott is quite a bit younger than I and is not obsessed with My Three Sons," but he heard Lisa Schulte's (another faculty member) daughter, Callista, refer to me as Uncle Charlie, and jumped from there to "My Three Sons.

I find that so unlikely an occurrence that it is still amazing me. And something very similar has happened to me twice before between the middle of last week and today. I don't think of myself as superstitious, but it seems like something is trying to get my attention!

OK, OK, go on with your lives now.
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33 comments:

ArtSparker said...

But what about the Kentucky Derby winner?

sage said...

And the moon isn't even full...

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

I find that this happens to me on occasion also. You're right, it is always so bizarre and makes me wonder what the purpose of such coincidences are.

laughingwolf said...

cue 'the twilight zone' soundtrack ;) lol

ivan said...

I donno. I am just somehow intrigued by that lovely old Celtic name, Callista.

Ah. Flock my heart out.

Erik Donald France said...

I know exactly what you mean. It's so outside our "normal" conciousness, but coincidence or synchonicity is definitely jolting.

Something like that happened to me yesterday with the Wizard of Oz while on the phone, TV muted in the background.

Barbara Martin said...

Charles, you have just experienced what is known as synchronicity. It happens to me all the time. Synchronicity today is seen to assist in experiencing more balance, awareness and truth in life. The celestial realm is hoping you'll wake up and smell the coffee.

David Cranmer said...

Not to top you but I had a similar feeling two days ago. I'm having dinner with a co-worker when the pepper shaker at the table imploded all by itself. The next morning I was witness to a car accident directly in front of me. There was a third item but I may save it for my post. My thought though: : "it seems like something is trying to get my attention!"

Charles Gramlich said...

artsparker, unless the winner will be My Three Sons I haven't a clue.

Sage, somewhere in the universe it is.

Ello, passing strange for sure.

Laughingwolf, indeed.

Ivan, their second daughter is named Lorelei.

Erik, I've had 'em before, but given the age of this TV show it seems so extraordinarily unlikely.

Barbara Martin, I'm trying to wake up but I don't know how. I usually respond to such events with positive feelings.

Charles Gramlich said...

David, a friend of mine told me about one she had today as well, although not so dramatic as yours.

Lana Gramlich said...

Ah, coincidence. Interesting, if seemingly pointless. I enjoyed when I used to keep a journal of such events. Doesn't seem to happen so much anymore (or am I just not looking for it as much?)

Cloudia said...

Now the theme song is stuck in my head....Ear Worm!!!



Aloha, Friend


Comfort Spiral

Cloudia said...

synchronicity! Paging Dr. Jung

the walking man said...

Father Knows Best...I will go on with my life now.

Vesper said...

Hmmm, spooky... And very much to my liking... :-)

Charles Gramlich said...

Lana Gramlich, it happens more for me these days than it used to.

Cloudia, glad to be of service!

Mark, as long as it goes on.

Vesper, yeah, kinda weird for sure.

BernardL said...

You didn't realize cosmic order is based on the plot from 'My Three Sons'? Interesting. :)

Merisi said...

*giggles*

Synchronicity does this to you.

Anonymous said...

That's funny Charles. I've had that kind of thing happen to me. The number 55 pops up for me in an odd way. One time I walked into a florist and someone from the the back hollered out, "55!" I've had that happen many times. It's odd when that happens and wonder if it means anything.

Heather said...

this type of thing is very interesting to me. I don't know if you're a twitter user or not, but I participate quite a bit. Basically I'm watching a stream of people chattering on about mostly unrelated things. Every once in a while I'll see three people say the same thing - like something about cheese - or in your case, a tv show. It's jarring and if I was a little less sane, I might believe the universe was trying to communicate something. Yes, the universe speaks to me about cheese. Is that weird?

Voidwalker said...

I attribute this kind of thing to the same concept as when I hear a new word, then suddenly after 28 years of NEVER HEARING THAT WORD BEFORE, I hear it like 5 times that week. :P

Steve Malley said...

Ooooooh... a Secret Message from the Universe telling you to quit your job and stay awake, constantly 'monitoring' old 50's sitcoms for further instructions.... :)

Shauna Roberts said...

Synchronicity incidents happen to me all the time and almost never to my husband.

My best guess (you're the psychologist—what do you think of this idea?) is that we screen out 98% of the noise around us. But when we've just heard or seen something unusual or new, we're primed to notice other appearances of it and pick it out of the noise we usually ignore. And some people's brains are more inclined to do this than others.

tattytiara said...

Hm... well you're probably not pregnant with triplets...

pattinase (abbott) said...

The world shrinks. Soon we will have just one mind, one consciousness. I bet you can write that story.

LoveRundle said...

maybe it's time to look into writing a sitcom.

jodi said...

OK Uncle Charlie, I will now get on with my life! Really tho, that is bizarre..Charlie, things coming in threes, My Three Sons, you having a son, having a wife, Lana painting, etc. etc. etc....

Charles Gramlich said...

BernardL, I am a little slow.

Merisi, kinda fun when it happens.

Jack, I notice that a lot of things occur to me at 11:11. Weird.

H.E.Eigler, cheeze may be more important in the universe than any of us realize.

Voidwalker, yes, that has happened to me quite a lot. And is always fascinating.

Steve Malley, it's like a secret decoder game I got out of a Lucky Charms box!

Shauna Roberts, I think that's probably the best explanation for why it happens. And I think folks who are generalists and connect a lot of stuff have it happen to them more often than specialists who tend to focus on one specific sort of thing.

tattytiara, how did you know? Wow, there's another synchronicity. ;)

pattinase, well, if we all shrink to one conscienousness then we can all write that story!

Christina, that could well be the message. I'll make much better money.

jodi, next thing you know I'll be paying attention to numerology. I need a drink and a break.

writtenwyrdd said...

Stuff like that happens a lot. Usually seems to come in threes, as well.

Perhaps you just need to watch My Three Sons the next time it airs? There may be an omen or portent for you! :)

X. Dell said...

I'm not a shrink, but maybe the meaning in these coincidencs are indicative of something that's going on in your head, under the surface. Perhaps you fear the emergence of your inner-Uncle Charley.

Miladysa said...

I think these things happen for a reason although we may never work out why LOL

Travis Cody said...

We used to call that the 24 hour rule. Basically, if you encountered something unusual or outside of your daily routine, then within 24 hours you'd encounter it again.

MarmiteToasty said...

Tiz a sign, a sign of what I dont know, but it is ;)

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