The Connection Bridgewater-Somerville Edition April/May 2018

PAGE 56 THE BRIDGEWATER-SOMERVILLE CONNECTION APRIL/MAY 2018 %/3),' -+%/0%1 -2,16 &-/ %!/0 89 -+.*%1% -**)0)-, %.!)/ %/3)#% 89 )/%#1 %.!)/ !#)*)16 &-/ -01 ,02/!,#% -+.!,)%0 89 ** ,02/!,#% -+.!,)%0 ##%.1%$ 89 !/ *!1),2+: %/1)&)%$ 89 !/ ),%/ %/1)&)%$ 89 : )0)-, *20 5#%**%,#% (-. 89 -/%)', !,$ -+%01)# %()#*%0 89 /%% 01)+!1%0 46 1 -21( )**0"-/-2'( Phone 908-526-6300 • Fax 908-526-6436 444 !+4%**!21- #-+ 8 !+4%**!21- 3%/)7-, ,%1 -, /) !+ .+ Collision Specialists NJ STATE LIC.# 00416A While 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 “Spot It” and send your answer with your name, town & phone number to: spotthefake@theconnectionsnj.com Subject Line: FAKE Somewhere in the magazine is a theconnectionsnj.com www.theconnectionsnj.com