Brushes with Destiny

The concept of destiny intrigues me. I imagine this dark stranger in a long black trench coat with black hat pulled down. He brushes against my shoulder as I bustle along life’s path, and my heart leaps with this indescribable desire to follow him.

Yet in real life it plays out more like this. I have a seemingly chance encounter with a friend, and our camaraderie creates renewed hope that perhaps our dreams can come true.  We leave the verbal exchange filled with ideas and encouragement to pursue what was in our hearts all along. We just needed a spark of excitement and resolve.

This happened to me over the weekend when I ran into a colleague who also aspires to publish. I never knew to what extent she wanted to become an author. As she talked, I found myself energized by her enthusiasm. We agreed to attend a Writer’s Conference together in the future to pursue our vision of becoming authors.

Sometimes destiny brushes against my shoulder in cyber space. Over the weekend, I received an email from a teen who was a member of the youth performing arts group that my daughter, Andy, and I co-led five years ago. At the time, we clearly saw his potential, although it often remained shrouded from him. His email announced he would graduate from high school this year and had plans to go on to college. My heart sang as he thanked God for the grace that sustained him. Once again, no stranger here, just a youth stirred to reconnect and share his success.

Sometimes destiny brushes my shoulder when I hear about an opportunity. I instantly think, This is so me. I’ve got to do this!

These thoughts sounded like a gong when I read about the Writer’s Digest conference topics.

Being a techy through and through, my heart leapt at the opportunity to learn more about publishing in the Digital Age. My reasons extended beyond my own writing ambitions to include those of my students. I’ve realized how time speeds by and before I know it, former students return to tell me they are pursuing their writing. I realize I need to acquire more skills so I can better direct them.

So in response to these brushes with destiny, I’ve spent the last few months finishing my first nonfiction book proposal; a grueling yet much-needed learning experience. This past week, I’ve thrown out my tattered clothes and bought professional suites and new dress shoes. And in the spirit of Curly Girl, I will seek to live out her quote in my life:

“She packed up her potential
and all she had learned,
grabbed a Cute pair of shoes
and headed out to change a few things.”

*A special thanks to my cousin Cynthia for buying me the Curly Girl magnet and encouraging me to pursue my dreams.