"The discovery of something fortunate. The accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful." This is how Webster's defines serendipity. I have my own thought on serendipity: Being in the right place, at the right time, with the will, want, and wherefore to take advantage of the cards life deals you.
This weekend Janet, Gabe, and I were participants in our friends', Kit and Tiffany, wedding. (Refer to the previous blog for more info). The trip to Caldwell was as uneventful as expected. Caldwell is a beautiful little town, but the Mecca of Excitement it ain't. The happy couple's families got along swimmingly and the rehearsal / rehearsal supper went off without a hitch. The true part of this serendipitous weekend started when we arrived in College Station. As an LSU fan all I've ever heard about Aggieland is how it was a cow town in the Middle-of-Nowhere Texas. The drive into town on University Ave. was an enlightenment.
Have you ever had a big town amenities / small town atmosphere experience? That is what College Station appears to be. The typically unique bar / restaurant area next to campus was adjacent to an up and coming restaurant / lodging area. The true surprise was the wonderful downtown area located in Bryan. I was expecting a safe haven of ultra conservatism but what I found was a place supportive of the arts without the need to be offensive. We ventured into a store filled with crystal jewelry, ren-fest clothing, and religious icons and asked a few of the local gentry to suggest a local place to eat that would make our Bryan experience memorable. The vote was unanimous for Papa Perez's for lunch from everyone polled. I had something that I didn't think was even possible: A fried avacado stuffed with meat, cheese, and spices. It was incredible! The best part about the place is that it was just one of those store front places that you would never give a blink to unless someone had recommended it to you or your car broke down right in front. In the realm of food, the places that are often overlooked provide the most memorable encounters.
Of course I would be remiss if I didn't speak of the most serendipitous event.
I had lagged behind that morning and showered last. Janet and Gabe decided to hop down to the lobby to grab some juice at the complimentary breakfast and that's when things got interesting. My son's shy button has malfunctioned since birth. This plus the fact that The US Army Parachute Demonstration Team ,"The Golden Knights", were loading up for their events for the day turned the rest of our day into an once in a life time occasion. Gabe saw the guys in uniform and immediately let them know that his daddy was in the Army too. By this time I was done getting ready and wanted to find out if there were any special places around to grab a lite breakfast. ( To shorten this story to a more tolerable length, I'll cut to the chase. ) The commander of the group let it slip that they were jumping for the re-dedication of the George Bush Library at Texas A&M and that former President Bush would be jumping with them. How often do you get to see an 83 year old man jump from and airplane much less with the Golden Knights and that old man is the former leader of the Free World. Apparently it was such a secret that the event volunteers and many of the other folks working didn't know about the special jumper.
Once again fate provided us with an occasion that we were prepared to open ourselves to and let happen. When Gabe looks back on his childhood, it is my most sincere wish that he realizes we were always willing to follow the adventure and explore life. Whether it was the small lake community that we wandered into in Kentucky that became a must see for any of our visitors at Ft. Campbell, the wonderful zoos, museums and parks, and of course the people who have enriched all of those experiences, I hope that he knows that sometimes you just have to get off the map, stop looking at the watch, and let life show you something totally unexpected.
