Synchronicity

I have noticed a strange convergence of events lately, a pattern that creates what I like to think of as a "theme" for the day. Or what The Police referred to as Synchronicity. (I know it was Jung, but let's face it. Sting is way hotter than Carl Jung.)

Usually it's something like several customers a day will buy magnets for no apparent reason. What I mean is, magnets are not on sale and there is no magnet-related holiday in the near future. I assume the customers have a specific reason to make their purchases. Or, sometimes the pattern will be something like everyone is buying items that are purple.

I've also noticed a pattern in people's names. As a lifelong Pat, I always notice when someone is also named Pat. So when I see four Pats in a row, it stands out to me. I don't like it, by the way, when others are named Pat. It feels like a contest to me. And I'm going to win that contest.

The television guide display also tends to follow patterns. T and I play that game... look at the display and try to discern the pattern. For example, if I see 40-Year-Old Virgin, Thor, and 2 Broke Girls on the same display screen, the pattern is "Kat Dennings."

You can try this game yourself. There are tons of patterns in the everyday world. It's not hard to find them. That may seem a little bit like A Beautiful Mind, but I have read that the human brain is just hardwired to find patterns in things. That's why we see faces in everyday objects like electrical outlets and car grilles.

Although this chair from my old office definitely has a face. An angry, scary face.

Or maybe I was just fed up with my job at that time.