The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition April/May 2018

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hile visiting my home town in January of this year, my good friend Mike and his wife, Linda, invited me over for dinner. As he knows, I am into what some call synchronicity, and he reminded me of a story he told me years ago. I insisted he doc- ument it. Enjoy. For many years, I told people that they could tell I was an Air Force “brat” because I was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Air Force Base there was established in 1957 when the city’s population was only around 30,000. I was surprised one day when a salesman at our company, Alan, heard me say this and replied, “Wait, are you messing with me? When did I tell you that I was born in Grand Forks?” I was surprised to learn that he was also born there three years before me, and that his father was employed by the Air Force. At the same company a couple of years later, in 2003, I was working on a contract with a paralegal, Jan, who noticed that I had a daruma doll on my desk, the same one pictured. This Japanese doll is traditionally used for good luck when beginning an impor- tant endeavor. I bought it in 1988 when I started a com- plex project working with our client, Nippon Tele- graph & Telephone (NTT). She asked if I had spent a lot of time in Japan and shared that her father was born there. She then men- tioned that her father was a natural- ized citizen and a career Air Force retiree. That triggered me to share my story involving Alan, who was a mutual acquaintance. She replied, “Wait – did I tell you that I was born in Grand Forks?” This would have all seemed rela- tively coincidental – three co-workers all born in a relatively small town in North Dakota, all with parents affili- ated with the Air Force – but then she mentioned that she had just celebrated her 40th birthday the week before. I told her that I had celebrated mine 10 days earlier. We were actually born 4 days apart, both in St. Michael’s Hospital in Grand Forks! To say that we were both shocked to learn this connec- tion is an understatement. I called my mother and shared my experience, asking her how long I stayed in the hospital after I was born. She replied, “You two were in the same birth ward of St. Michael’s Hospital at the same time – you stayed there a full week after you were born!” Reflecting back on the random nature of this exchange, something fascinating occurred to me: This “random connection” would never have occurred had I not bought a daruma doll when I started my proj- ect with NTT in Tokyo in 1988. Perhaps the daruma doll’s power is not just limited to good luck? DARUMA KARMA By: Dan Rosenberg Giorgios Pappas Furrier 914 Mt. Kemble Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960 973-425-1111 www.giorgiospappasfurrier.com Monday-Saturday 9:30am - 5:00pm • Private Parking Cold Storage Cleaning & Glazing Custom Designs Re-Styling Re-Sizing Re-Lining Repairs Spring Sale THOMAS B. VOKES GALLERIES David B. Vokes Mon - Fri 9:30 - 5:30 evening on request Sat 9:30 - 4:00 www.swainsofmorristown.com 68 South Street • Morristown, NJ 07960 (973) 538-1373 • Fax (973) 538-9832 • Original Paintings • Prints • Engravings • Custom Framing • Restoration • Gold Gilding Shop MorriStown www.theconnectionsnj.com