How I Got to Now (Five Hours Ago)

1. Got to Metcalfe and found no open parking stalls. Thought a woman who got into her car was going to leave, so I waited. She didn't move. Then I noticed an empty stall at the metered parking across the street and pulled in. I didn't have enough change for two hours, so I had to walk to campus, buy something, walk back and add more coins to the meter.

2. Class got out a little late, but luckily I had ample time on the meter. Got to my next class at KCC. Did my presentation in which I presented badly-cooked picarones (which I had cooked for the first time the night before-- it really is a make and eat treat. It doesn't really store well). Others did their presentations, but many more did not show up, so class let out early.

3. Waited for the bathroom to reopen because the sign on it said it was closed for cleaning. That mofo must have been super filthy because it took a long damn time. In fact, it took so long, I left before it opened, deciding that the universe was saying I didn't need to go to the gym because I couldn't change my clothes. The wasted time felt like nothing compared to saving myself from a grueling workout.

4. Called Charlie on my way out of school, and he asked me to buy ulu. Fortunately, the KCC farmer's market was open, but they had no ulu. They did, however, have these enormous beets sans greens. I purchased one. The failure to find ulu was bothersome, so I decided to trek to Whole Foods. The reasoning was solid: if I had gone to the gym, I'd be in that area, anyway.

5. Roamed around the produce section and discovered no ulu. Remembered we were out of Dr. Bronner's so I grabbed a bottle. Poked at some meat in the cooler, eyeballed some dried herbs and spices, landed up with a Big Island beef roast.

6. Remembered I needed cash for Lucy's school. Went to the ATM.

7. Walked upstairs to my parked car, still talking to Charlie on the phone. My eyes met the eyes of a woman who was carrying a baby as she walked away from her car with a man. I know that woman, I realized, and I hadn't spoken to her since high school.

But here's where I pause. Numbers one through six positioned me in such a way that I emerged from between two cars at the very moment my old classmate looked up. All those things happened so our eyes could meet, because maybe we wouldn't have noticed each other. Maybe if I'd seen her first, I would have not said hi because I wouldn't disturb them. Maybe if she'd seen me first, she might not have recognized me.

The key to this brief reunion was in the eye contact.

We chatted briefly-- they were eager to get their groceries and go home, I'm sure, and I was keen on doing the same. The funny thing is that she works where I go to school, so I kind of anticipated bumping into her at some point. Except there. At school. Not in the parking lot at Kahala Mall.

I mostly think of these series of events when bad things happen. Maybe if I'd left on time/later, maybe if I'd put shoes on rather than slippers, maybe if I called ahead first . . . then I wouldn't have gotten into this fender bender or had the car drive by and douse me in rainwater. You get me. But today was a rare day in which the afternoon events led me to something felicitous. Thank you, universe.

Moral of the story: sometimes not going to the bathroom can be beneficial.