Yesterday I wrote this post on Facebook to remind my friends to watch for little miracles in life and remember to stop and do something when it presented itself!
It was one of those days when I didn't think I, myself, would have a spare minute to pay attention to synchronicity in a crazy day of meetings, venue shopping for my events and looking at hotels for our upcoming Peace Journey songwriting music camp later this year.
I was a little early for my first meeting of the day with my musician friend Jim, where we shared our creative projects and discussed the challenges of the creative process and getting them to the point of funding. And talked about the music camp later this year and how he might help.
Jim Goodrich and I met at the WormHole coffee shop on Milwaukee Avenue where I found out I could get my favorite Mexican coffee even though they never heard of it or made it before. The barrister and I decided that coffee, chili powder, honey and an artful whipped cappuccino topping was gong to taste perfect! The drink was so delicious, In fun, I asked them to name the drink Peace Journey. If you are there, please share this story and maybe we will see it on their offering some day.
This warm cup of original Mexican coffee, both spicy and rich goodness and the coming and going of hip millennials in this trendy coffee haven set the mood for my next stop. The rock rustic 20 year old Double Door venue down a block and where I have seen some amazing local and touring bands over time in Chicago. So great to tour it in the day time, but you also see the wear, tear and bruises more vividly in the light of day.
My meeting with Jim had run about an hour over, but I thought I would take a chance and try to find this little Inn as a possible location to house some of the songwriters and musicians for the event. GPS locked and loaded, I started to walk South on Milwaukee Avenue, taking calls and texting along the way, and I found myself going in circles. I also had tickets for an event with my husband Randy, who was texting "Where are you? Where are You?", the GPS Siri talking to me trying to find the Inn and so I was a tad distracted when a women walked up to me, tapped me on the arm and said in broken French English, "Madame, can you help me find this place", pointing to her confirmation paper that stated a Hampton Inn was on that street. I knew it was not. Maria Louise and her female travel companion had just arrived through OHare airport where they got on the Blue Line train and wound up at 1400 North Milwaukee instead of 1400 Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolshire an hour outside of the city.
I don't speak French. Standing in front of Nori restaurant at the outdoor cafe, I saw a young man and gal sitting at the only occupied outdoor table. He looked like he might be Moroccan and after traveling there several times, I knew if I was right, then he most assuredly spoke French. It runs out he not only speaks French, but is Egyptian and teaches Arabic language at Chicago Public Schools.
At that moment, I realized I was in a pattern of synchronicity. That as long as I took on the challenge of the day to help these women, that everything would fall into place and that it would be a special happening, starting with this teacher and translator. My training in meditation and creative visualization has led me to this space and this feeling of lightness and spot-on clear focus before. Its like a natural high when you realize if you stay in the flow, everything will be better than fine.
It turns out the beautiful gal the Egyptian teacher was sitting with is from Romania, from the very town I had worked in years ago on HIV AIDS issues for children. She was as stunned as I was delighted. Again, the synchronized moment presents itself to remind you how connected we really are in life.
As we all stood on the street, looking at the reservation confirmation form, we noticed there was no mention of Linconshire, only Chicago. I found out from an industry hotel owner friend that this happens all the time when booking through an agency or online. There was even a map inserted into the confirmation marked with the red-bubble showing the hotel was supposed to be on that spot where we all met. My friend told me the best advice; to be sure to call any hotel and pull a correct map before traveling anywhere because these mistakes are made everyday by online travel agencies as well as the traditional agencies, as was the case here.
Who knew things could get so confusing! All I knew is I had to see it through. After phoning the Hampton Inn Lincolnshire we found out that Hampton Hotels are not networked together and the confirmation number meant nothing to any hotel except for theirs for their 6-night stay and probably could not be used to move these French visitors to the Hampton hotel in downtown Chicago, only 5 miles away.
So my next call was to the Hampton on Illinois Street just a few blocks from where I live downtown. I called that Hampton and pleated the French women's case, but they were not hopeful as the entire city was sold out due to an orthopedic convention. I literally said "you have to make this right by them and we are bringing them over for the Hampton-brand to do just that. Otherwise what were they to do and it seemed unfair to leave these 70 year old women alone on the street after their 10 hour trip to get here. They chose Chicago for it's architecture, my personal love in this city!
The Egyptian and the Romanian carted the French women and their luggage to the Illinois Street Hampton location and I met them there, sending my husband off with tickets for the event. When they arrived, after some time negotiating with the front desk and hotel manager, these women had a room for the night, and a promise of more help contacting the agency tomorrow. I sat with the Egyptian and the Romanian in the lobby while the French ladies sorted things out, and here is what I found. I found that this young couple had not seen each other in 2 years and had met then through a French speaking meet-up and that was indeed the last time the Egyptian teacher had spoken the French language. The restaurant in Wicker Park where we all met it turns out was where their first date 2 years ago occurred and they were no longer together, just friends. And the Hampton Inn on Illinois was across the street from where they had originally met for the meet up 2 years before. They shared with me that they believe in synchronicity and asked, did I? I smiled and said, "Today was my best reminder to live my life like this. To watch for the little miracles and find ways to help others always".
We shared a beautiful bottle of wine, courtesy of the French women who shared their world travels and they have had them. Marie Louise in her broken English, told me she had a Sugar Mama, later corrected to Sugar Daddy, who had passed, but who she had traveled the world with. These 2 women also shared their deep thanks and belief that if the situation were reversed, and we were stuck in Paris, we would be hard pressed to find genuine love and caring people who would stop in their busy day to help another human being like we did. Maria Louise was convinced!
Suddenly Marie Louise looked behind me at the table, appearing startled. I looked back to check out what was going on to find a beautiful young African American woman sitting within inches behind me, with a hairdo piled a foot high woven in dreadlocks sharing her table with a beautiful man and master tattoo artists from New York. We introduced ourselves all to find that Schivon, obviously a model-type fancied herself a songwriter. Of course, a songwriter random meeting completed my day of synchronicity on my path for our Peace Journey Music and Songwriting camp. I regret not taking a photo of this stunning girl and her tattooed companion.
The Egyptian teacher and language teacher, the Romanian who left her job in high finance to pursue a career as an occupational therapist, waiting tables to help make ends meet and the two international traveling French ladies kept telling me what an outstanding woman I was to care. Over and over, and I was touched but a little embarrassed because the truth is, I didn't feel I could do anything different. It is our duty as human beings to help others. It's in my bones. And I found out, in the bones of others. And it is simply, the right thing to do.
And the joy I experienced watching the universe providing all the players at that exact moment, on that exact corner, random meetings and yet choosing to share of themselves without question, was itself the miracle of the day.
I will stay in touch with Marie Louise and her friend and the Romanian girl and maybe even the songwriter. We took this picture and shared an afternoon that revitalized all of us to believe in the kindness of others and the synchronicity that grows when you believe in chance meetings turning into miracles of grace.
