Serendipity

I know there are many folks who say things like, "there are no coincidences" or people who simply don't believe in coincidence at all and choose instead to believe that all things happen for a reason.  I err on the side of believing that things happen for a reason most of the time, but I do still believe that things may coincide with other things in order to get our attention or simply to make us think.  I don't know why, but some things happen that defy an explanation and I find those types of things really interesting to say the least.  One such even recently happened to me and that is what this article is actually about.  I must start it by saying, THIS IS NOT A BOOK REVIEW.

Recently, Henry suggested I read the book, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.

It isn't often that my middle school aged boy finds a book that he is truly interested in reading, but I guarantee you that when he does find one that peaks his interest, he will read it in record time and he will 100% of the time, recommend that I read it too so we can discuss it.  I always oblige and it was no different with this one.  He read.  I read.  We discussed.  Here comes the first "coincidence", which of course I didn't know about until I read the next book, but stay with me.

In the book, the child has no way to communicate but saw some programs about Stephen Hawking and his Medi-Talker communication device.  It becomes an important part to the story Ms. Draper tells in this book.  Wasn't anything that I took special note of, but I also wasn't aware that I would be seeing it again so soon.

I moved onto my next book, Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines  by Nic Sheff

                                                   

This book is kind of a follow up to the book, Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, Nic's father.  Incidentally, Beautiful Boy, was made into a movie starring Steve Carell as the father of a young drug addict played by Timothee' Chalamet.  I watched the movie and then stumbled upon this book and thought I would read from the point of view of the son, Nic.  

I am reading this book when the "coincidence" happened.  Nic mentions at least twice about Stephen Hawking and his Medi-Talker device in his memoir.  I found it pretty interesting that two completely different genre of books with completely different audiences happened to be mentioning the same disabled genius and his special computer, which allows him to talk.  I noted it and thought that was pretty cool and moved on to my next book,

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, 

which has also been made into a movie.  This book is told from the perspective of the dog, who obviously cannot speak English, but addresses it throughout the book, that he has only gestures to communicate with humans.  I get to the end of the book and he too mentions that if only he had a Medi-Talker, like Stephen Hawking, he would be able to communicate with his human and give him the important messages he knows that he needs to hear.

Three books in one week that mention Stephen Hawking and his Medi- Talker!!  I don't know exactly what it is I need to learn about Stephen Hawking, but I have heard so much about him as of late, that I am definitely interested in looking further into his very interesting life and learning more about him as a person.  Maybe that was the whole reason this serendipitous string of events took place.  Whether it was coincidence or "happened for a reason" is irrelevant to me, as I said before, I just love these kinds of things!