Near Miss Coincidences - When Fate Lets Us Down

I've published a lot of coincidence or synchronicity stories, some being more impressive than others - what about the near misses.

By this I mean situations where a coincidence could/should have happened but somehow didn't quite materialise.

For example. The last time my wife was in Germany, visiting her brother, she contacted a cousin and paid her a visit. At the cousin's house purely by chance was also another cousin - who my wife hadn't seen for over twenty years.

On talking to this other cousin they got onto the subject of travel and holidays and she mentioned how she had been to the Canary Islands that year. My wife told her that we had also been to the Canary Islands that year.

They then compared notes. It seems we - my wife and I - were in the islands at exactly the same time as this cousin, but there was more to it than this.

We were actually in hotels next to each other, at the same time, and visited many similar places, probably on the same days. The cousin even had a drink or two in our hotel bar.

Somehow though we never all met up. So this was a near miss coincidence.

Another near miss example. Before we ever met my wife and I could have contacted each other much earlier than we did. When I was in my first ever job I worked in Uxbridge. At that time my wife actually lived in Uxbridge - which was remarkable, as she was born in north Germany.

But we never met. Perhaps the time wasn't right.

Something similar happened to my blogging friends Trish and Rob MacGregor. They are from the USA, but after they had met they discovered that they had both been in Edinburgh, Scotland the very same week in July 1975!

I suppose similar coincidence near misses may be happening to all of us and we simply aren't aware of them. If only we had been a couple of minutes later or taken a different route and so on, then who knows what we may have experienced.

Or perhaps there's a proper time and place for everything.

Other Random Posts:
Married Couple Were Unknowingly Photographed Together As Children
Savaged By A Dog Twice In One Day Coincidence
The Unusual Contact With Her Dead Mother

Bette Davis And The Two Willies Coincidence

Bette Davis

This short story sort of follows on from my last post 'Savaged By A Dog Twice In One Day Coincidence'.

Way back in 1941 the film actress Bette Davis starred in a new movie called The Little Foxes which was considered to be a great success. The director, Willie Wyler, however criticised Bette Davis in public because of differences they had during the making of the picture.

As this criticism was being aired a dog bit Bette on the nose, severely enough to necessitate a little skin grafting. She commented to a newspaper:

"You don't think it could be coincidence do you - that I should be bitten twice in the same week - and that both the biters should be named Willie?"

OTHER BETTE DAVIS QUOTES

It seems that Bette Davis has many quotes attributed to her. Here's a few that have absolutely nothing to do with the above - but they do show she had a somewhat positive streak.

The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead.

To fulfil a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labour, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life, The money is the gravy.

I survived because I was tougher than anyone else.

If Hollywood didn't work out, I was prepared to be the best secretary in the world.

I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make up box.

I've been lucky. I'll be lucky again.

Attempt the impossible to improve your work.

And there are many more.

Savaged By A Dog Twice In One Day Coincidence

Here's a story I read in the archives of a newspaper from 1938. It's the gentleman's thoughts on coincidence. He writes:

I have lived roughly, about 25,000 days, On only one of those days have I been bitten by a dog: but on that particular day I was bitten by two.

I had set out to visit a friend who who lived about three miles from my home. As I turned into his street an infuriated dog rushed out of an open gate and savagely attacked me, fastening his teeth into my leg.

Somewhat shaken, I managed to reach my friend's house, where my wounds were bathed and bandaged.

An hour later I set out for home, and almost within sight of it was assailed by another dog, and bitten again.

Puzzled by the unwanted attention paid me that day by the canine world, I carefully examined my person - my clothing and the contents of my pockets. But everything was perfectly normal.

The astounding thing is that I have passed unbitten by every dog that I have since met. It remains among life's inexplicable coincidences.

Other Random Posts:
The Coincidence Of My Father's Stopped Watch
The Mysterious Skull With The Golden Wreath Of Protection
How A Good Turn Was Returned By A Remarkable Coincidence

Bowled Over By An Amazing Coincidence

Today's coincidence, with thanks from Brian via JC.

I grew up in a very small town - I’ll call it Smithtown - about 2 hours from the Canadian border and about three hours from Toronto. This was in the 70s and early 80s.

The town had a single small bowling alley, run by a middle-aged Mr.X who had two daughters, Julia and Annie X, both of whom were pretty good bowlers. Annie was actually a friend of mine.

In 1998, I sat by myself in a small bar in Toronto, Canada nursing a beer and watching the World Series on TV. In walked a pretty young woman of about 20, with some friends. She and her friends were all complete strangers to me.

The pretty young woman was wearing a bowling shirt, which was a fad at that time. I looked at the back of the Shirt, and it read 'Smithtown Lanes'.

Astonished, I walked over to her and told her that I grew up in Smithtown and bowled at Smithtown Lanes often when I was a kid.

She was a little taken back. Then I looked at the name sown into her shirt, and it was Annie X!

I told the pretty young woman that I knew the original owner of the shirt, and she was floored - although I’m not sure she believed me.

Then, to top it all off, I asked her how she got the shirt. I figured she must have travelled to a location near Smithtown at some point, where the shirt was on sale used. But no - she said that she bought the shirt at a thrift shop in British Columbia, all of the way across the continent. She had just moved to Toronto a few weeks ago!

How strange a coincidence is that

~ Brian

Other Random Coincidence Stories:
Married Couple In The Same Photo As Children
The Coincidence Of My Father's Stopped Watch
Married Couple Were Unknowingly Photographed Together As Children

The Coincidence Of My Father's Stopped Watch

Here's a familiar coincidence story.

One day in February 1966, in his Cambridge, England, apartment, the Rt. Rev. James A. Pike found his clocks stopped at 8:19 - the hour corresponding to the time when his son, James Jr., had shot himself to death in New York City two weeks earlier.

The strange coincidence, according to Pike, was accompanied by other unexplained phenomena: his books were mysteriously moved from place to place; clusters of safety pins appeared "where they had not been before, all open to the position that the hands of a clock are in at 8:19."

The Rev. Pike concluded, "I feel that it is James who communicates with me."

I say familiar because I had a similar experience which I wrote about in January, 2010. For those newer readers here is the story.

Thinking about this today perhaps it doesn't sound such a big deal but, at the time, it affected me greatly and still intrigues me now.

My son had just told us that he had qualified as a Chartered Accountant, which takes six years work here in the UK. I was, of course, chuffed to bits about this and, after talking about it with my wife, I went upstairs to our bedroom.

I wanted to get something or other out of my wardrobe and, for some reason, I was wondering what my father, now deceased, would have thought about my son's success. As I reached into the wardrobe a small bag fell out.

The bag just happened to be one in which I kept a few of my dad's possessions. Nothing of value but they all mean something to me: his old watch, cigarette case, penknife, wedding ring, darts, a tie and a few other trinkets all full of memories. 

I then looked at the watch. Dad was always one for punctuality and often asked, "Do you know what time it is?" when I was a teenager either arriving home at night or getting up late in the morning. Then I noticed the time where the hands of the watch had stopped and have remained ever since.

The time on the watch was exactly the time that my son had been born (3.20 pm).

Perhaps I was in an emotional state but this really hit me. It was as if it was a message from my father saying he knew all about his grandson.

Other Random Posts:
The Indians Of Haiti As Observed By Christopher Columbus
Her Grandfather's Photo Fell From The Wall As He Was Dying
The White Dove As A Messenger Of The Dead

Her Grandfather's Photo Fell From The Wall As He Was Dying

This is Belinda's experience at the time of her grandfather's death.

I have read many of your posts on white feathers and doves. This is my little experience I would like to share.

My Father died when I was a child so when growing up I became very close to my grandfather who was a kind, loving, gentle man.

On leaving university I had to move away from my home town near London and move to the Midlands where I had secured employment. On the day I left my grandfather had tears in his eyes and I must say that I too was tearful as I drove away.

I kept in touch but I didn't visit him as many times as I know I should have done. I had a new job, new friends and a new life.

One night in August I had this strong dream about grandfather, so vivid I could remember it in detail. He was saying goodbye to me and was waving. I was so unsettled I phoned him in the morning but an aunt answered and told me that grandfather wasn't well and was in bed. She suggested that I should come as soon as I could.

The next day was a Saturday so I drove down to London. The same aunt answered grandfather's door and she ushered me inside. She said, "He's been asking for you but he's now asleep. See him when he wakes up."

We went into the living room where, as soon as I sat down, there was an almighty crash. From the other side of the room I could see grandfather's photo had fallen from the wall. It had always been there next to grandma's photo for as long as I could remember. Something urged me to rush upstairs, which I did. Grandfather was awake, he smiled at me and then took his last breath. I was heartbroken.

I think somehow he made his photo fall off the wall so he could see me and say goodbye before he died. Now I'm full of regrets at not seeing him as often as I could have.

~ Belinda

Other Posts:
The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
Reincarnation: Her Small Son Had Been Killed In A Previous Life During World War 1
The Biggest Coincidence Of All Is That You Are Reading This

The Self Tipping Hat Coincidence

The self tipping hat

I was talking to someone about good manners and politeness. "Remember the days," he said, "when a man, wearing a hat, would raise his hat if he met a lady."

I did remember. When in my early twenties, I had a job where I was out and about visiting people at home. If it looked like rain I would wear a hat so I didn't look like a drowned rat when knocking on someone's door. If a woman of the house answered I would touch my hat or raise it slightly. But it was a long time ago and I haven't worn a hat now for donkey's years.

Anyway, later that day (by coincidence of course!) I came across the self tipping hat - as pictured at the top of the post.

The tipping of the hat is a custom that goes way back to Victorian times in England. I read that a gentleman laden with parcels would have to set them down so he could tip his hat if he met a lady - which was probably a bit of a nuisance. But where there is a problem - there is an inventor!

In 1896  James Boyle of Washington invented a self tipping hat. The wearer simply nodded his head to activate a clockwork lifting device in the hat's crown. 

Boyle noted that the device could also be used for advertising - a sign or postcard could be placed on the hat and the novelty of its movement would attract attention - no doubt!

Interesting how times, manners and customs change.

Other Random Posts:
The Mystery Of The Cornish Roche Rock And Hermitage
The Biggest Coincidence Of All Is That You Are Reading This
The Unusual Contact With Her Dead Mother