Synchronicity and Jason

Synchronicity and Jason - Planting a Podcast Seed

I now do the hunting and gathering of materials at the local Market Basket store in Tilton, NH. I slid sideways into this new responsibility and as crazy as it sounds, I’m enjoying drifting around the ends of the aisles with the buggy filled with food.

I imagine I'm driving a rally car sliding sideways around turns on the dusty gravel roads in the deep forests of Maine during the New England Forest Rally (NEFR). I make sure I don’t run into another person's buggy and am slowly discovering the best times to shop when I can do the most drifting with the least likelihood of an accident.

You don't know what drifting is? Oh my gosh! Watch this short video to see what I witness each summer as Chief of Communications for the NEFR.

The Market Basket store is about a 25-minute drive from my home, but it's worth it. The first half of the drive is along the western shore of Lake Winnisquam, so you can't complain about the scenery. Go early enough one day when the store opens and you can be treated to a sunrise like this across the calm lake waters.

This is what Mother Nature can whip up for eye candy on many a morning in New Hampshire.

The store also is at least 50% larger than the also-ran store I used to shop at in downtown Meredith. Market Basket has a much larger variety of things and the produce section is stunning. They even stock the mouth-watering Oriental yams that are far superior to sweet potatoes!

This past week on the way to the store, I was driving down Lower Bay Road in Sanbornton, NH. This twisty two-lane road hugs the west shore of Lake Winnisquam. Rarely do you see a person walking on this road. And when you do, you’ll almost never see someone wearing a backpack.

There was nary a cloud in the sky at sunrise but by now, it had become overcast. It wasn't bitter cold as it was the day before with a windchill of -20F, but it was still biting cold. 

A car was approaching in the distance and I spied a young man on the other side of the road walking facing this car as he's supposed to. He wisely climbed up on the crusty plowed snow next to the road to avoid being hit by the oncoming car. “That was smart. Good for him.” I thought as I drove past.

He was well dressed and walking with determination. I estimate he was in his late 20s.

Something in my head screamed, “STOP. Go back and offer this man a ride. He’s not just walking around the block.” If I were a betting man, I'd wager he was headed to Route 3, the main north/south road that cuts through New Hampshire. It used to be the fastest way to get from Massachusetts to Canada before the Interstate highway system was even a glint in the eye of President Eisenhower.

At the very least I was sure I could give him a lift to Mosquito Bridge where Route 3 crosses the pinched narrow neck of Lake Winnisquam. Once there, I knew he’d be turning left or right.

The red arrow points to Mosquito Bridge. The old wooden bridge that crossed over the lake had a more pronounced arch to it similar to the shape of a mosquito poised to suck your blood.  Mosquitos have been nominated numerous times to be the New Hampshire state bird.

I stopped my truck about 150 feet past him and put it in reverse. I started backing up and who knows what he was thinking about this big 4x4 coming right back at him. I rolled down my window and said, "It looks like you could use a lift. Where are you headed?"

"Tilton," he said.

"Well, you're in luck. That's exactly where I'm going." He accepted the ride, jumped in the truck, and said, “Thanks. My name is Jason. What’s yours?”

“Well, I’m Tim Carter. Glad to meet you, Jason.”

This ride was going to save him four miles of walking on a cold morning.

Within two minutes it happened.

Synchronicity

Years ago I had the good fortune to interview an older police detective, Donald Clark, for a column about selecting the best contractor I was writing. He casually mentioned how easy it is to pry information from criminals. "People love to talk about themselves. You discover how to use this to your advantage in my business."

Soon Jason was talking all about himself sharing his dream to start a podcast featuring his favorite music. I listened to what he wanted to do and responded.

“I’ve been podcasting for about three years. Would you like a few tips?”

His eyes got as big as flying saucers.

"You do a podcast? Are you serious? Sure, I'd love to know what you know." I think Jason felt like it was Christmas morning.

I started to spew out a ton of tips as we glided towards Tilton. When we got to where he had to be, I pulled over on the road shoulder and we talked another ten minutes.

His idea was to play his favorite songs on the podcast and I told him that he really couldn't do that without the permission of the songwriter. I offered up what I thought might be a better idea and he latched right onto it.

It was an amazing thing for me to watch as this young man's dream all of a sudden became the next closest thing to reality. You could hear the gears grinding and meshing in his head while he visualized himself doing his first podcast.

It was a magical moment for me too.

Jason then exclaimed, “This is synchronicity! Things happen for a reason. You stopping to offer a ride is living proof of the concept. Thank you so very much!”

Jason opened the door of the truck and moments later my turn signal was blinking and I pulled back onto Route 3 headed to the racecourse, er, I mean Market Basket.

Let’s hope Jason's podcast debuts soon and it brings him and his listeners copious amounts of pleasure.

Author's Note:  Roy, a subscriber to my newsletter, read this story then shared his own synchronicity story that happened in the middle of a cold winter night in nowhere Nebraska.