Strange Happenings

Everything happens for a reason. We are told that and I am sure that many roll our eyes and think yeah right. But it does.

Bear with me while I take you back to April of 2013. That is when I stopped using my cane to assist me walking. That was also when I knew the time was right for me to write my book On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success, which tells about my journey with multiple sclerosis. This book was not only cathartic to write but will also help others. I hope.

But to get my message out to as many people as possible, I knew I needed more than just the book so I decided to explore the possibility of motivational speaking.

Fast forward to end of February, beginning of March of this year. I happened to see Bradley Shende on Global TV morning news and he was talking about the BIL conference coming to Vancouver. The organizers were looking for volunteers and speakers. So I started looking for more information but I couldn't find anything until someone on my Facebook friend's list posted about the conference. (I was spelling it wrong) So I found the correct website, posted something and things started moving from there.

It's funny. When I first posted, I got that sinking feeling in my stomach and I knew I was stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something right.

I had a great time and Bradley and I discussed getting together so he could give me some ideas. Originally, we were supposed to have coffee around the first few weeks of April but that didn't happen. Bradley is a very busy man and couldn't find the time. We finally set up a time to meet on May 2.

Now I am going to take you back even further. To a cloudy day in August of 1990. That day a friend and I went to Canada Olympic Park in Calgary to see a free concert featuring Paul Laine, The Pursuit of Happiness and Bryan Adams. I met one of the men from Paul's band and Paul and I ended up connecting a few months later. Years pass, life goes on and we lose touch.

Thanks to Facebook, I managed to reconnect with Paul and on April 27, I went to see his new band, Darkhorse. Great show, I had a blast. I got to talk at length with Paul and his friend Les Horne and even had my photo taken with Paul, which I put on my phone. I didn't realize it beforehand, but Paul had been working on music behind the scenes and this was the first time in years he had performed like this. I was even more honoured to be there.

Are you with me so far? Because things are about to get a little weird.

Friday, May 2, I am sitting in the waiting room of the office that Bradley shares with another company. He was an hour and a half late but because he was, I saw something I didn't realize existed. A backpack with a section especially for a laptop. I just got my first laptop and was going out after our meeting to get something to carry it in. So if Bradley had been on time I wouldn't have seen that and it is ideal for me.

Bradley and I were sitting having coffee and I showed him something on my phone. He looks at the photo and says 'that's Paul Laine.'. I said yeah.

Paul had created music for one of Bradley's projects and the office where I had sat waiting for Bradley used to be Paul's.

Now you may say that is just coincidence but is it really? Think about it. I get rid of my cane, decide to venture into motivational writing and speaking at the same time the BIL Conference makes it debut in Vancouver and through there I meet some awesome people who I hope to be friends with for many years.

My meeting with Bradley were delayed to until after I saw an uber-talented musician perform whom we both know. Something was guiding circumstances to create just the perfect connection. I think it was fate and it means that I am involved with the right people and on the right track to accomplishing my goals.

Think about that the next time a meeting is delayed or you miss a plane or are late. Everything happens for a reason and in its own time, we just don't always see why.

At least that's my opinion. The photos are from Morgue File.

See ya next time!