Strange Luck

We all know about “luck”, it’s usually distributed in the form of either bad luck or good luck. With practically every task we set out to do, one or the other comes into play. We all know people who seem at least to have the “good luck” factor cornered somehow, no matter what the task, the results turn up roses. I know a few people who easily fit into the opposite category (bad luck) as well.

It is typical to notice luck a great deal more I suppose when the type of luck being dispensed is considered to be of the good variety as opposed to the bad.  But there is a third kind of luck that I experience routinely, I call it Strange Luck. Strange luck can be ether good or bad, or a little mix of both.

I expect the best way to relate this type of incident to you is to offer up a few examples that I have personally experienced.

Back in he good ol’ days when I worked for a living; I was directed by the president & owner of the company that I worked for at the time to up-grade the 4-wheel drive style vehicle which the company so graciously provided for all of my transportation needs. He further suggested that I go to several dealerships, pick out the vehicle that I liked, get a best price offer and then purchase the auto offering the best price.  The only other advice that he suggested was to “be reasonable in making my selection”. Within a couple of days, I had selected a vehicle which I liked as well as any … ... In my view at least, and perhaps my vanity came into play here, I later decided the only short coming that the vehicle had was the rather plain standard issue rims which were standard stock options that were upon the auto.

About sixty thousand miles later, I was in need of new tires for the vehicle and I thought, what better time than this to purchase 4 new, more pleasing to the eye, rims.  So I ordered them from the local tire dealer; within a couple of days the dealer called to tell me that the new rims had arrived.

It turns out that one of the 4 rims was a bit different to the other 3 … The small orifices (oral cavities) where you have to place the nuts to hold the rim and tire in place were too small for a standard tool to fit into. But a special tool called a “thin walled” socket would work just fine, although this resulted in a leverage disadvantage which made it a little more difficult to use. In other words, it was smaller.

That in it’s self was a bit unusual in my view but rather than order a new one as was suggested by the shop manager … I simply said “just put the odd sized rim on the vehicle but, place it in the location that is least likely to pick-up (in your experience at least) a nail, screw, or etc. that is apt to result in a flat tire.” … … During the next few years, I experienced less than a half dozen flat tires, each of which was on that rim.  And yes, after each flat I had the tire placed upon a different location, foolishly thinking the next flat would occur on one of the other 3 tires.

A few years back my wife and I were in a rather large sub-division looking for a specific address; since neither of us had been there before she immediately suggested I stop and ask for directions from one of the several folks that were apparently taking their afternoon stroll.  After about 15 minutes, I reluctantly agreed to ask the very next person we saw walking on the sidewalk.  There just ahead, loomed a young man enjoying the afternoon sunshine. I pulled along side and boldly ask for directions.  After a brief pause, he reached into his shirt pocket, removed a business type card and handed it to me.  In bold Red letters the card read: “Sorry, I’m deaf and dumb.”

A more recent event: I am required to submit a monthly rent check to the office personnel located less than 50 yards away from the entrance of my apartment. There are probably more than two hundred other individuals / households within this complex that do the same thing every month.  The “up-tight” nature of my personality requires that I perform this common task on the first or second day of the month. 

On no less than two successive occasions (one month followed by the next) the office determined that I had failed to pay the rent which on both occasions resulted in a visit to my apartment during which time I had to contact the banking institution via phone and have them speak to the office rep so as to acknowledge that the check had been paid.  Once may not be too big of a deal, but twice in a row?

I think I have figured out a way to prevent this from happening again … every time I pay the rent now, I insist that the person working in the office who accepts the payment signs a copy of the check which I keep for the next time.  

Just one more example, (among many) please, bare with me here.  The Shriners’ Club from my home town sponsors an annual charity benefit dinner every year.  As part of the attraction, they have devised a little game of a sort in which a prize of $5,000.00 is awarded to the lucky winner by way of a simple drawing from a large clear jar (for lack of a better term). Inside the jar small plastic numbered “pills” are placed that match each ticket that has been sold.  If your ticket number is drawn from the jar at the right time, then you win.

The one thing that makes this a little different is the fact that the last number or pill drawn from the mix is deemed the winner as opposed to the first.  When only 10 pills remain in the jar, those individuals who have a ticket number that has not been called are placed at the front of the crowd and offered the chance to split the 5K equally between the remaining 10 people. If even 1 person refuses the split, the drawing continues until only 5 remain, at such time the same offer is made.    

I can honestly say that this is the only prize that I have ever won by a drawing; not just once or twice but three (3) times.  That’s the good news, but if there must be bad news applied here, each time the 5 way split was applied.

I would call each of the events described above as a little strange; what do you think?

Sources …

Just a little bit more than 60 years of living