Bryan - I do so despair to see you saddened, and of Hove! This
question is for you, with fondness.

Everyone in their life has had a moment of incredible coincidence.  Mine is this:

I was driving home and had about 5 miles to go. I saw a man struggling
with 2 laundry baskets, hitchhiking in the direction of my travel.
Totally unlike me --I pulled over and offered him a ride. He was going
to Bothell, about 15 miles north. Coincidentally, I was driving to
that city to see my Mother after a quick stop at home. He seemed like
a nice enough fellow, so I suggested he come with me to my place and I
would drive him to Bothell.

Everything went according to plan, and as we were approaching Bothell,
I asked him where in Bothell I could drop him. He said it was near the
Library. I know where the library is, my Mom lives right next door to
it. He remarked that he had just moved in with a co-worker of his
named Mary. We were approaching the lIbrary, I was feeling kinda
strange, Library, --Mary, it couldn't be! I pulled out a picture of my
Mom from my wallet, I was driving him to my Mother's house!

So Bryan,

Tell me a story!

RESEARCHERS: Just for fun, post your own incredible coincidence
stories and I will select one to win the prize of 5 stars!

---

Clarification of Question by cynthia-ga on 28 Aug 2006 23:10 PDT

Ok Bryan, so you don't have a good coincidence story--but you have a
platform! Don't you have something to say?

---

Clarification of Question by cynthia-ga on 28 Aug 2006 23:13 PDT

There I go posting before reading the whole page. When will I learn?

---

Clarification of Question by cynthia-ga on 26 Sep 2006 01:51 PDT

Sublime1,

It's nearing the end of my "incredible coincidences" question, and I
would like you to repost your "Virginia Beach" story in the Answer Box
and collect your reward...

Please note, my other question:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=760373

...doesn't have any candidates for collecting a meager $1.50 and 5 stars...

*poke, poke*

Cyndy...

Thanks for confirming my comment as your answer. I'll repost it
here, as requested.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Since Bryan attracted my attention here by suggesting that it might
have been me that he ran across in England (it wasn't), I'll record
here the most amazing coincidence of my life, which actually evolved
over a considerable stretch of time.

Early in my pursuit of spiritual growth, I read a good many books
to expand my horizons. One of them, 'The Secret Life of Plants' was
quite inspiring, and, at the end of the book, mentioned a special
spiritual community in Findhorn, Scotland, founded on the efforts
of three spiritual personages who succeeded in raising roses in the
snow and 40 pound cabbages in an area on the coast where only wild
gorse (a very tough weed) grew naturally.

Since an address was included, I composed a letter, inquiring about
the details involved in travelling to the community and spending 
time there.

As I arose to go mail the letter, I heard a thought so distinct and
loud that it amounted to hearing a voice speaking out loud. It said,
"You'll find what you're looking for in Virginia Beach." I lived in
Norfolk, VA at the time, but had never been to Virginia Beach, so
this clearly was not a thought I had originated. I stopped dead in
my tracks and reflected on this unusual phenomenon, and, eventually
having accepted what had occurred, I began to walk to the door to 
mail the letter. Within the space of the first step, I again heard
the same thought, with the same degree of strength and clarity.

I stopped again, realizing that the point had been driven home in
way that I wouldn't forget. Pausing for a shorter time, I again 
renewed my path to the door, taking a shortened, false step so as
to invite another occurrence. It didn't come, so I mailed the letter
and pondered the incident in the following days.

Some time later, I came across an interesting flyer on the wall at
work, naming one Paul Solomon, who taught a course in Inner Light
Consciousness in Virginia Beach. The poster noted. "The Kingdom of
Heaven is within you."

I didn't think much of it at the time, or connect it with the odd
thought I'd had, but I tucked it away in memory.

Some time later, a friend at work invited me to come out to his
home in Virginia Beach some weekend, and gave me his number and
address.

Some part of me began to think that a visit to Virginia Beach
was in order, and so I told him I might pop out some weekend,
but didn't set a date.

Finally, weeks later, I found myself bored on a Sunday and
decided to make the 2 hour drive from Norfolk to the Beach and
see what came of it. I called my friend, but he wasn't home, so
I decided I'd just head out there and call him again when I got
there.

When I arrived, I went by his place, but his car wasn't there, 
and he didn't answer. I found a nearby payphone and called him,
but no answer. Thinking, "What to do?", I remembered that an
ex-girlfriend had said she was going to be staying at an ashram
at a yoga center in VA Beach, so I thought I'd look her up. I 
looked in the phonebook at the payphone and found only one Yoga
Center which advertised an ashram, got the address and went
for a drive.

When I got there, it was open, but there was no front desk and 
no one in sight, so I looked around at posters and flyers and
saw one that mentioned Paul Solomon, and the fact that he held
Sunday services at the Center. Just then, some people began 
arriving, one at a time, and asked me if I was there for the
service. Having not yet made the connection that this WAS a 
Sunday, and that the services mentioned on the flyer were at
this time of the morning, I said, "What service?"

The girl smiled and said, the one on the flyer you were looking
at, with Paul Solomon." I overcame my confusion and acknowledged
that I'd certainly be interested, though that's not what had 
brought me to the Center. Seconds later, the man whose face was
on the flyer entered, walked past me and into the auditorium.
The girl said, "That was Paul. Come on in."

So I did. And from the time he opened his mouth until the moment
he stopped, I was enthralled by the wisdom emanating from this
man. The only word that came to me was Carlos Casteneda's from
the brujo Don Juan's description of the ultimate spiritual man:
"impeccable".

In the years that followed, Paul continued to exhibit the same
extraordinary wisdom and clarity, and transformed my spiritual
understanding and that of hundreds of others:
http://www.paulsolomon.com/page2.html

I had, indeed, found what I was looking for in Virginia Beach.

------------------------------------------------------------------

And thanks for pointing me toward your new question! I hadn't seen
it until now.

sublime1-ga

Incredible story Sublime! The experience must have been very surreal
for you. Please accept my 5 stars as Thanks for sharing!

Wow, Cyndy, What an amazing story!

I shall have to think long and hard to come anywhere near close to that.

But many thanks for the question, anyway.

Bryan

I know that I've had some huge coincidences happen to me, but for some
reason I can't think of them right now... anyway, here's some smaller
ones.

A while ago, I was with a relative when a song came on the radio and
she made some comments about how she hated the song. A year or so
later, I remembered that she had made these specific comments but
couldn't remember what song it was. As things do, this started bugging
me like crazy that whole night and the next morning. It was driving me
nuts and I thought I would never be able to remember. Driving that
day, still thinking about the blasted song, would you believe that
that exact song (which I hadn't heard for at least a year on the radio
before that), came on the radio? I haven't heard it on the radio
since, either.

In case you want to know, the song was Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body."


But--

even more of a fond memory for me was when a friend and I were setting
out to a concert as teenagers. We got in the car and were on our way
when another friend driving by waved us down. He told us we only had
one headlight. We went back to the house to inspect the damage. We got
out of the car, got back in, turned on the car and what song came on
the radio? "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers.

But probably my favorite coincidence happened a few years ago, and was thus:

A close friend always got her mammograms on time, every year, for
years. For some reason, some things came up a few years ago and she
ended up being about one month late on her mammogram. The doctors
detected cancer that had just begun even days before the mammogram...
if she had had her mammogram on time as always, the cancer would have
been found 11 months later and she might not be alive to tell the
story. As it was, they found it as early as they possibly could and
she was fine, only having to undergo radiation. THAT is a lucky
coincidence.

Got it!

I have a very good friend called Peter ... I have known him for ages
and we are still very close even though he lives in Antwerp (Belgium)
and I live in Hove (The Land of Uk). In fact, he will be coming to see
me on Saturday.

Anyhow, years ago, I was living near Manchester in the North of
England and he was living near Coventry in the Midlands ... and we
hadn't seen each other for several months.

Then one day my work took me to Coventry so, that evening, I phoned
his home to discover that he had gone to Manchester but his wife said
'Well come round anyway and you can take me to dinner'.

So I trotted round and, before we went out, his wife told the
babysitter, 'If my husband calls, tell him I've gone out to dinner
with a handsome young man ... That'll make him wonder.'

Of course, he did phone and the babysitter did the necessary but Peter
responded by saying 'Yes I know - she will have gone out with Bryan!'

He'd already phoned my home ...

To discover that I was in Coventry.

It was amazing after not having seen each other for ages!

All the Best

Bryan

That's a delightful story!

My wife and I had just arrived in Basle, Switzerland I was on a
secondment for three months work. On the first night we were sat at a
pavement cafe having a drink and I was telling her that on my first
visit to any major city (Manchester, London, Glasgow) when on foot, I
was always asked for directions and in every case I knew the answer as
I had just come from or passed the place wanted. A car pulled up asked
if we spoke English and asked for directions to the German Railway
Station where we had been to change some money an hour earlier.

Here are 2 from this week:

I was speaking with my wife about citizenship requirements for the
presidency of Mexico (see one of my eariler questions), and she said
that there's probably some Mexican politicians who have lied about
their heritage. The very next day, La Jornada (Mexican daily) has a
report that President Fox's parents possibly were not Mexican, meaning
that he possibly violated the constitution.

Yesterday, while walking to work, I started thinking about how it
wouldn't be nice to take the air out of people's tires (sparked by
something I saw on TV). On the rest of 10 minute walk, I saw 2! cars
with the air out of their tires (not a common sight in my area,
usually).

Small coincidences, I know, but coincidences nonetheless.

As I have mentioned many times, I am a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In
1993 my husband and I traveled to Orlando, Florida and had a wonderful
time at the Walt Disney World theme park. Our first day at Epcot, we
were standing in line for an attraction when I noticed that the woman
in front of me was wearing an "Eskimo Joe's" tee-shirt. Eskimo Joe's
is a famous bar and eatery in northeastern Oklahoma, and its shirts
are popular all over the world. I remarked on the shirt, and the woman
turned around to chat with me. Suddenly she and I realized that we
knew each other. This woman had been one of my best friends in
elementary school. She had moved out of Oklahoma in the 1950s, and I
hadn't seen her since then. That I should find my childhood companion
standing right in front of me in Orlando, Florida was one of those
strange and wonderful coincidences with which our lives are blessed.

It was 1976 and I was at College, about 100 miles from home.  My
Mother called to tell me that my Dad had had a heart attack.  I had no
car and, in 1976, hitch-hiking was a common way for college students
and the like to get around.  A friend at school drove me out to the
main highway and dropped me off.  I stuck out my thumb and the very
first car to come by stopped and picked me up.  He was going to my
home town!  He dropped me off in town, about 3 miles from home. 
Again, I stuck out my thumb and, again, the very first car to come by
was driven by my sister who, of course, picked me up!  I was amazed at
my good fortune.  My Dad survived the heart attack and never had
another.

Rick

That was truly amazing!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Bryan

Great news, Cyndy, I now recall another amazing coincidence that
happened to me a couple of years ago:

Please see my Question 263097

Bryan

My prime suspects are now mother911-ga and sublime1-ga (why on earth
did I first write sunblind-ga?).

I won't be left out, but Cynthia's coincidence sets a high standard.
We've met people we know from my German hometown in California, but
lots of them got there on vacation, so that hardly counts.
And in Australia, I once met a chap who had been in an opposing crew
at a regatta in England five years before, but it's a small world if
one goes places where one is likely to meet others with the same
interest  - Boathouse Row in Melbourne.

Sixty years ago, my mother wanted to attend her mother's 80th birthday
in Norway for what most likely would be a final visit, and a difficult
one just after the war.  A distant relative from Oslo was to come and
care for us kids, travelling by freighter to the Gulf Coast, but there
was none available when it was finally certain that Mom had approval
to fly to Norway.  When my grandmother learned that there was no ship,
she said she would think about it, which meant pray.  The next day,
the shipping line called to say that a ship unexspectedly had to call
in Stavanger, if the Aunt could be there, she could make the voyage,
which worked out.

A bit of Providence, as in Rick's coincidence, more than just a "bit" 
by the way of thinking of Mom and her mother.

Since Bryan attracted my attention here by suggesting that it might
have been me that he ran across in England (it wasn't), I'll record
here the most amazing coincidence of my life, which actually evolved
over a considerable stretch of time.

Early in my pursuit of spiritual growth, I read a good many books
to expand my horizons. One of them, 'The Secret Life of Plants' was
quite inspiring, and, at the end of the book, mentioned a special
spiritual community in Findhorn, Scotland, founded on the efforts
of three spiritual personages who succeeded in raising roses in the
snow and 40 pound cabbages in an area on the coast where only wild
gorse (a very tough weed) grew naturally.

Since an address was included, I composed a letter, inquiring about
the details involved in travelling to the community and spending 
time there.

As I arose to go mail the letter, I heard a thought so distinct and
loud that it amounted to hearing a voice speaking out loud. It said,
"You'll find what you're looking for in Virginia Beach." I lived in
Norfolk, VA at the time, but had never been to Virginia Beach, so
this clearly was not a thought I had originated. I stopped dead in
my tracks and reflected on this unusual phenomenon, and, eventually
having accepted what had occurred, I began to walk to the door to 
mail the letter. Within the space of the first step, I again heard
the same thought, with the same degree of strength and clarity.

I stopped again, realizing that the point had been driven home in
way that I wouldn't forget. Pausing for a shorter time, I again 
renewed my path to the door, taking a shortened, false step so as
to invite another occurrence. It didn't come, so I mailed the letter
and pondered the incident in the following days.

Some time later, I came across an interesting flyer on the wall at
work, naming one Paul Solomon, who taught a course in Inner Light
Consciousness in Virginia Beach. The poster noted. "The Kingdom of
Heaven is within you."

I didn't think much of it at the time, or connect it with the odd
thought I'd had, but I tucked it away in memory.

Some time later, a friend at work invited me to come out to his
home in Virginia Beach some weekend, and gave me his number and
address.

Some part of me began to think that a visit to Virginia Beach
was in order, and so I told him I might pop out some weekend,
but didn't set a date.

Finally, weeks later, I found myself bored on a Sunday and
decided to make the 2 hour drive from Norfolk to the Beach and
see what came of it. I called my friend, but he wasn't home, so
I decided I'd just head out there and call him again when I got
there.

When I arrived, I went by his place, but his car wasn't there, 
and he didn't answer. I found a nearby payphone and called him,
but no answer. Thinking, "What to do?", I remembered that an
ex-girlfriend had said she was going to be staying at an ashram
at a yoga center in VA Beach, so I thought I'd look her up. I 
looked in the phonebook at the payphone and found only one Yoga
Center which advertised an ashram, got the address and went
for a drive.

When I got there, it was open, but there was no front desk and 
no one in sight, so I looked around at posters and flyers and
saw one that mentioned Paul Solomon, and the fact that he held
Sunday services at the Center. Just then, some people began 
arriving, one at a time, and asked me if I was there for the
service. Having not yet made the connection that this WAS a 
Sunday, and that the services mentioned on the flyer were at
this time of the morning, I said, "What service?"

The girl smiled and said, the one on the flyer you were looking
at, with Paul Solomon." I overcame my confusion and acknowledged
that I'd certainly be interested, though that's not what had 
brought me to the Center. Seconds later, the man whose face was
on the flyer entered, walked past me and into the auditorium.
The girl said, "That was Paul. Come on in."

So I did. And from the time he opened his mouth until the moment
he stopped, I was enthralled by the wisdom emanating from this
man. The only word that came to me was Carlos Casteneda's from
the brujo Don Juan's description of the ultimate spiritual man:
"impeccable".

In the years that followed, Paul continued to exhibit the same
extraordinary wisdom and clarity, and transformed my spiritual
understanding and that of hundreds of others:
http://www.paulsolomon.com/page2.html

I had, indeed, found what I was looking for in Virginia Beach.

This is a true story, but I changed the names.

I have a friend named Scott, who cheated on his wife for a number of
years.  He and his wife, although still married, seperated for some
time.  The women he was in an affair with was named Lucy.  Lucy was
also married.  Lucy died of melanoma about 2 years ago.  Leading up to
her death, Scott, became a Christian.  He went back to his wife and
apoligized for what he did and his wife forgave him.

I met a young women named Pam, that's a neighbor of one of my friends.
 Pam was telling me about how her mom and dad divorced.  Pam's dad was
cheating on her mom with another woman.  After the divorce, Pam's dad
remarried.  Pam came to tell me that her dad's second wife died a few
years ago.  When I asked her the name of the second wife and how she
died, I knew who this woman was.

Lucy was married to Pam's dad, and cheating on him with Scott.  The
scary thing is, Pam and even Pam's dad didn't know Lucy was cheating
on Pam's dad with Scott.  We only found out the true story after I
coincidencly met Pam.

I don't know how you feel about God, etc. but the book "The Celestine
Prophecies" claims that in the new millenium people's lives will be
filled with "fortuitous conincidences". These will come amidst an
increase in faith and learning of the true nature of God, as we learn
some things can be explained by science, but some things can't! I've
run a mechanic and body shop for 30 years (econofix.com) and several
years ago I DESPERATELY needed help in my body shop.  I had plenty of
work, but no help.  I just couldn't seem to get the cars out, and
every 5 minutes I'd get a phone call from someone asking if their car
was ready yet! I was also financially low, and couldn't really afford
to "hire someone away" that was good.  In fact, my last guy had turned
out to be a crack head and had stolen a bunch of money and tools from
me, another reason for my tight financial shape!
Anyway, I was desperate! I went upstairs to my office, got down on my
knees, and just prayed, "PLEASE, GOD, HELP ME!!!"
I stayed there for a minute, and felt better.  After all, it wasn't
like I had no cars to work on: just the opposite!

I got up, went downstairs, and there was a young man waiting for me.
"Are you George?" he asked.
"Yes, I replied." 
"Well, my name is George also. Let me tell you my situation, but first
let me show you my car."

He showed me a black Kharmann Ghia with a really nice paint job.

Then he said,"I painted that and did the body work myself. I'm a
student at the University of Florida and I really need a job.  I want
to do body work, but I have never done it professionally.  Everyone I
talk to wants someone with experience.  I'd even be willing to work
for you for free, just to prove what I can do!"

I hired him on the spot.  I didn't make him work for free: I started
him off at $15 per hour like I do with all my people.

But how about that for an instant answered prayer?  How could it get
any better? Puffs of smoke and special effects?! The answer to my
prayer was quite literally waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs,
my prayer was answered as soon as I prayed  it!!!!

George worked for me for 3 years until he graduated.  He was a good
guy and a competent body man.

I read a Guru's writing one time that said,"Everyone has experienced
dramatic miracles in their lives. It's just whether they choose to
attribute them to God or not!"

veconofix...

Your story reminded me of a funny story my spiritual teacher,
Paul Solomon, whom I mentioned above, used to tell about prayer:

After much study and hard work, Sam finally landed a job as a
real estate agent. He then realized that the old car he had, 
which was on its last legs, was also not appropriate for use
as an agent, as he needed something in which he could chauffer
his prospects comfortably and stylishly.

Using the principles of prayer taught to him by a teacher like
Paul, he set out to pray for the car. He had created a prayer
and meditation space in his attic, so he knelt there and prayed:

"Lord, as I've been taught, I wouldn't pray for this material
object if it was just for my benefit, but my clients deserve
to have something comfortable to sit in while I drive them
around, and I deserve to have such a car in order to serve
them well and earn money for my family. I have no doubt that
you can bring this about somehow, and I am deeply grateful 
for your assistance with this need. Thank you very much."

Then Sam went about his business, knowing that repetition 
was unnecessary, anymore than redundant mail sent to the
same address. He simply waited for the reply.

A short time later, he heard a knock at his front door, 
and when he answered it, his uncle Leo was there. Uncle
Leo said, "Sam, I just won a new car in a contest, and,
though it's not brand new, it occurred to me my Cadillac
could be of use to you, especially with your new job as
a real estate agent. I have no need for any money, or 
any use for a second car, so I'd like to just give it 
to you as a gift."

Sam listened with increasing gladness, and, suddenly,
he said, "Uncle Earl, that's a wonderful offer, but
wait here just a second...I'll be right back!"

With that, Sam ran up to the attic, popped his head
inside and yelled, "Never mind, God!!!"

Sublime and veconofix, those are INCREDIBLE coincidences!

I have a good one for you...
My husband and I were in the car with my father in law, and he
mentioned that we were low on gas...
Now he decided that we could make it to our destination and then find
a gas station on our way home later that evening.
As we left his low fuel light went on so we headed for the nearest gas
station. We got stuck at the light waiting to make a left turn into
the station when the car began to sputter, just as the light changed
and we started our turn the car died! Ok, here we are it's 11pm and we
are stuck in the middle of the street trying to go to the gas station
to buy gas and we are totally out of gas!
Here is where it gets creepy!!!
My husband and I get out to push the car into the gas station just as
the attendant is putting "no gas! out of order" signs on all the
pumps!!!
Yes we ran out of gas trying to get to the gas station only to get
there just in time for them to run out of gas!!!!!
Wait but that is not the end of it!!!
We have AAA right, so we call for them to deliver gas to our car that
is out of gas in a gas station that is also out of gas!!!
Can you see where this is going?
The tow truck driver thinks that dispatch has lost their mind, after
all our location is a gas station... why would we need him to bring
emergency gas to a car that is out of gas in a gas station???!!!
Yep, he didnt bring gas!
Now get this... The tow truck is almost out of gas!!! (diesel) So now
the tow truck has to go to another gas station to get gas (diesel) for
himself then get gas for us to bring to a car that has run out of gas
in a gas station with no gas!!!
Total time lost because Dad wanted to wait to get gas???
more than an hour!
The moral to this story... If you wait too long to get gas you may
have to wait a really really long time to get gas!!!
IE dont put of for tomarrow what you can do today!

Did this really happen??? 
Sad but true!!!

That's a hilarious story! I'm like your Dad, I always wait to get gas,
so it was especially funny to me.  Thanks for sharing.

This has turned into a very interesting thread!

Note to self: NEVER wait to get gas ever again!

Here's another and it's TRUE!

A couple of years ago, the doorbell rang and I answered the door to
find a black woman on the doorstep. She was probably in her thirties
and was reasonably attractive.

Me 'Hello ... What can I do for you?'

She 'Jesus has sent me.'

Me 'Why?'

She 'I don't know, he just sent me here.'

Me 'Well who are you?'

She 'My name is Polly and I'm an evangelist.'

Me 'What does an evangelist do?'

She 'I work miracles ... Do you want any?'

Me: 'Yes ... My dog, Daisy, has grown a horn on her head ... It makes
her look like a unicorn .... The vet says she is too old to risk an
operation so she will probably have it for the rest of her life ...
Can you remove it?'

She 'Certainly.'

Me 'Well come in.'

Polly came in. I offered her a chair and a drink. She accepted a glass
of water. Then she went to work. She got a bible from out of her bag
and read a few lines. Then she sang what I assume must have been a
hymn. Finally, she stared intently at Daisy and that was it.

Me 'Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you?'

She 'Can I sleep here tonight? Anywhere ... on this settee ... on the
floor ... anywhere?'

Me 'I'm sorry but I shall be going out in a few minutes (which wasn't true)'.

She left.

Three days later Daisy's horn had disappeared.

I never saw Polly or the horn again.

Hang on a minute, there's someone at the door ....

Could it be?

[To Be Continued]

Very strange indeed.  Here on the Continent, it is only said that
males suddenly wear horns.  An old girl like Daisy  - especially as
she is single -  couldn't wear horns, not even just one.

I've got another one, Cynthia. This happened to two very good friends of mine. 

My friend, whom I shall call Helena to protect the innocent, just
graduated from a college in Pennsylvania which I'll call Lancaster,
and she is from a town in New Jersey which I'll call Lake Pompton. She
went with my other friend, Alan, to tailgate in a luxury box at a New
York Giants game last fall, at the request of Alan's college roommate
Ryan.

When they get there, Alan and Ryan start talking, and Alan asks how
Ryan's sister is doing lately and if she was going to marry her fiance
anytime soon. Ryan said no, in fact, she broke up with her fiance.
Alan inquired why. Ryan said the fiance wanted to live in a "hellhole
town that nobody would want to live in called Lake Pompton" and that
his sister was so horrified at the thought of living in this hellhole
town that she broke off the wedding.

Needless to say, Helena, who was from Lake Pompton, was terribly
embarrassed, and so was Ryan when Alan informed him that she was from
this hellhole.

The day goes on. Awhile later, Alan asks Ryan if he got his younger
sister a date for the prom yet, as he was supposed to set her up with
a date. Ryan says no, his other friend who was supposed to set her up
could only find guys from Lancaster College in Pennsylvania. He says,
"Who on earth would go to a crappy college like that? Can it even be
called a college? Do people actually go there?"

Helena was suitably embarrassed, again, having both graduated from
this crappy college of Lancaster and lived in the hellhole of Lake
Pompton. Ryan was also incredibly embarrassed, needless to say.

Wow. Incredible. Reminds me of a minor coincidence. Here's another one
from the "Open Mouth Insert Foot" category.

My husband (at the time) and I had just returned to Seattle after
living in Las Vegas for 6 years, just arrived and sat in a booth at my
old watering hole and was catching up with news of the other bar
patrons since I'd been gone. One of the patrons, Tammy, had just
confided to me that her son had committed suicide by hanging himself
the previous year. So sad! A couple minutes go by, I saw my husband
walk in from the car, he walked up to the table and said:

"Hi Tammy, long time no see! --What's hangin'?..." 

I was as mortified as he was bewildered, Tammy immediately left and I
told him the sad irony of his comment. He felt terrible. Of all the
times to choose that cliche!

Open mouth insert foot.

The first boy I ever had a crush on had the initials JFH. The second
boy I ever had a crush on also had the initials JFH. Their first and
middle names were the same: only the surnames were different.

Even odder, these guys had the same birthday! 

I met the first boy in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the second one in Godfrey,
Illinois. I was attracted to both before I ever knew their names or
birthdates.

LOL!  It gets stranger:

I have been married three times (enter this into the cynthia-ga factbook).

I met the first two husbands the same day standing in the same spot at
different times that day. His birthday was September 4th. I married
him, he worked at the Washintton Athletic Club as a janitor. 10 years
later, I got reaquainted with the second one, married him, his
birthday was --September 4th, and guess where he worked!  The
Washington Athletic Club, as a janitor!

Needless to say, I am September 4th --shy. A few months later I went
on a blind date, the Phinney Ridge Cafe, famous for their Cinnamon
Rolls, nice guy, but his birthday was September 4th!  I got up to
powder my nose and walked away in the middle of breakfast. Couple
years later I meet another seemingly nice guy, something about Virgo
men I surmise, his birthday is September 6th. I thought that would be
ok, --Not! So now I am afraid of all Virgo men, period!

Is there a name for being drawn to one astrological sign, and
specifically being attracted to men born on a single day or week of
the year?

All of us supposedly intelligent people here  - and especially the
truly intelligent GARs -  aren't supposed to believe in ASTROLOGY, are
we?

I don't believe in astrology. 

I found it to be a strange and memorable coincidence that my first two
boyfriends had the same initials and the same birthdate. But I don't
think this had anything to do with destiny, or the stars, or anything
supernatural. Stuff happens. Some of it is kinda weird. I believe in
God, but I think maybe Einstein was wrong: maybe God DOES play dice
with the Universe. Perhaps this is the only way that the Universe can
continue to hold His interest. ;-)

No idea whether we're supposed to, in general I don't believe any
hocus-pocus, it's kinda spooky though, and makes me wonder!